Equestrian Olympics Facts for Kids 

Introduction – What Are Equestrian Olympics?

The Equestrian Olympics is a category in the Olympics that is held once every 4 years. The equestrian Olympics involves a rider and a horse, even the horse is considered an athlete with their rider. The strength and training of the equestrian is very important as the Equestrian Olympic games have 3 disciplines: 

1. Dressage 
2. Eventing 
3. Jumping

Short Venue Context

Can you imagine horses performing at beautiful landmarks all around the world? Well, the Equestrian Olympics takes place in beautiful places, in 2024 the sport took place in “Palace of Versailles”. 200 riders from all over the world were present to compete in various disciplines of the Equestrian Olympics.

History of Olympic Equestrian

The Equestrian sport has ancient roots that date back to 3500 BC. Chariot racing was the highlight of the ancient Greek Olympics games and the discipline of “dressage” dates back to Greek philosopher  Xenophon. Xenophone was a philosopher and historian, he wrote his book “On Horsemanship” which dealt with how to groom and train your horse.

Timeline of The Equestrian Olympics 

Olympic Equestrian Disciplines

There are 3 equestrian Olympics disciplines:

1. Dressage – Horse Dancing 

Dressage is described as “horse dancing” where riders guide their horses through precise movements. The horses are judged on their precise movements and penalties are made for their mistakes. 

2. Show Jumping – Jumping Over Obstacles

Show jumping is where the rider navigates their horse through various obstacles, the rider aims to clear all rounds. There is a penalty system if the horse knocks down or refuses to cross an obstacle. The rider aims for speed and precision with their horse as this category is very tense. 

3. Eventing – The Combination of All Disciplines

This category is a combination of cross-country, show jumping and dressage. The cross-country running tests the training and endurance of the horse with a long course and obstacles. The category is judged by a penalty system and the team or person with the lowest penalty points wins. 

Unique Aspects & Rules

The Equestrian Olympics have unique aspects and rules that do not apply to other sports:

1. Mixed-gender sport: Both women and men compete in this sport against one another, this is not something that happens in other sports. Equestrian sports do not require physical strength of the rider but instead the training of their horse is the main aspect. 
2. Horses are considered an athlete: This is the first and only sport where the horses are considered athletes as well. The horses need to be at least 8 years old for the disciplines of “dressing and eventing”, while 9 years old for the discipline of jumping.

• Penalty system: The sport is judged on a penalty system, where each and every fault is given a penalty and the person with the lowest penalty score wins!

Equestrian at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Equestrian Olympics were last held in 2024, Paris. The events took place in the Palace of Versailles from July 27- August 6; 200 riders competed in the games from all over the world. The 2024 Paris Olympics is considered the last one to hold the equestrian showjumping discipline in the pentathlon category; it will be replaced by bicycles.

Notable Champions & Riders

1. Isabell Werth (56 years old), is The most decorated Equestrian in the world with 7 gold medals and 5 silver Olympic medals. 
2. Julia Krajewski (36 years old), she is the first woman who won a gold medal individually in the discipline during the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
3. Wendy Schaeffer (50 years old), is the youngest gold medalist for the Equestrian Olympics, she won her gold medal in 1996 at the age of 21. 
4. Ian Millar (78 years old), competed in 10 Equestrian Olympic games and won a team silver in 2008.
5. Hiroshi Hoketsu (84 years old), he is the oldest equestrian competitor to participate in the discipline of dressage at the age of 67 in the 2012 Equestrian Olympics. 

Fun Facts For Kids

• Did you know the most equestrian medals held by a country are 52, by Germany?
• Equestrian sports are the only sport where the animal is considered an athlete as well.
• The oldest person to participate in the Equestrian Olympics was 67 years old. 
• The youngest person to become gold medalist in the Equestrian Olympics was 21 years old. 

Safety, Welfare & Training

Here are some safety and welfare, training tips:

• Trust and strength between the rider and the horse are built over the years through rigorous training. You cannot force an untrained horse that does not trust you to compete in professional sports. 
• According to the Olympics, all horses are monitored for fatigue and undergo veterinary inspections before the beginning of the Olympic games. 
• The officials that maintain the integrity of the games enforce strict rules on equipment and treatment of the horses.

If you want to build a good relationship with your horse, you will need to be patient and kind with your animal. Horses are friendly and gentle creatures that need to be dealt with carefully as they are very strong animals.

How Kids Can Get Involved?

Kids can get involved in Equestrian sports from learning basic horsemanship from local riding schools that are certified. If a child wants to be professionally involved then they will require proper lessons, with appropriate gear. The focus from a young age should be teaching the child how to take care of a horse and gain its trust, you don’t require an expensive horse to start riding!

Conclusion

Equestrian sports combine tradition and athleticism, this sport defines a special bond between rider and horse. Next time when you’re watching the TV and Olympic games are airing, you should watch the games with your family! Try to imagine yourself as an Olympic rider on a specially trained horse.

Frequently Asked Questions

External Links

Olympics – Equestrian

Wikipedia – On Horsemanship