Featuring dressage, cross-country and a dramatic jumping finale, the Eventing competition at the London 2012 Games will offer an all-encompassing test of Equestrian skill.
Did you know?
Equestrian is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete against each other on equal terms.
The Cross Country course in Eventing is between 5,700 and 6,840m long.
Women first participated in Olympic Eventing at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
Key facts
Venue:Greenwich Park Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 31 July Medal events: 2 Athletes: 75
There are three distinct parts to the Eventing competition: dressage, which illustrates the harmony between horse and rider; cross-country riding, which requires speed, power and nerve; and jumping, which calls for precision, agility and impeccable technique. The combination tests every element of horsemanship, and offers the spectator plenty of excitement along the way.
The basics
The Eventing competition takes places over four days. As with all three Equestrian disciplines on the Olympic programme, the competition features both Individual and Team events, and men and women compete against each other on equal terms.
Dressage fills the first two days of the Eventing competition. Each horse and rider performs a dressage test in front of a panel of judges. The judges’ scores are converted into penalty points, which are carried forward to the next stage of the competition.
Day 3 is given over to the cross-country test, held over a beautiful but tough course in Greenwich Park containing up to 45 jumps. Every horse/rider combination is given penalty points for jumping errors and time penalties, which are added to any penalty points awarded during the dressage test to give a total score.
The Eventing competition gets a grandstand finish on Day 4 with the jumping tests (widely known in the UK as ‘show jumping’). Once again, riders and horses are given penalty points for jumping errors and time penalties, which are added to their previous dressage and cross-country scores to determine the overall rankings. The first jumping test will decide the placings in the Team event; after this has been completed, there’s a second jumping test to determine the winners of the Individual competition.
Olympic Eventing, past and present
Entry to the various Olympic Equestrian competitions – including Eventing, which made its Olympic debut in 1912 – was originally limited to members of the military. However, at the Helsinki Games of 1952, the competition was broadened to include civilian riders.
Along with the other Equestrian events at London 2012, the Eventing competition will be held in the beautiful surroundings of Greenwich Park. Dating back to 1433, it’s the oldest Royal Park in London, part of the Maritime Greenwich area that has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Jargon buster
Fault: Penalty points awarded for making a mistake: for instance, a refusal at an obstacle, or exceeding the optimum time.
Horse inspection: Each horse is checked by judges and vets, both before the dressage and after the cross-country element.
Obstacle: Any fence or jump in the cross-country and jumping courses.
Optimum time: The target time in the Cross-Country event. Each second above the optimum time carries a penalty of 0.4 faults.
Run-out: When a horse shakes off the rider’s control and runs around a fence instead of jumping over it.
At London 2012, Greenwich Park will host the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian competitions, plus the combined running and shooting event of the Modern Pentathlon.
Who
Name: Mark Todd Date of birth: 1 March 1956 Country: New Zealand Mark won two Olympic golds on ‘Charisma’ and continued to win countless medals before retiring to his native New Zealand. He made a comeback specifically for a one-off at Beijing, enjoying it so much he decided to return to the UK with the intention of competing at London 2012. Mark was voted 'rider of the 20th century' by the International Equestrian Federation.
Name: Oliver Townend Date of birth: 15 November 1982 Country: Huddersfield, Great Britain A young member of Team GB, Oliver won two of the most prestigious events in the world in 2009 (Badminton and Burghley) and was part of the team that won a record-breaking eighth successive European Team Gold Medal.
