Equestrian competitions have been a part of the Olympic competition since 1912 and involves mixed-gender competition. This year they will be held in the National Equestrian Center in the Deodoro zone. The US qualified their teams at the Pan American Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games.
The Team:
This year’s team features 11 competitors, all competing for both individual and team medals. Only five of the Olympians have been before with four of them having been three times or more. Phillip Dutton is the oldest on the team at 52 and has been to the last five Olympics. The youngest on the team is Lucy Davis at 23.
Links are to twitter accounts for the athletes.
US Equestrian
Dressage:
Allison Brock
Laura Graves
Kasey Perry-Glass
Steffen Peters^
Eventing:
Phillip Dutton*****
Lauren Kieffer
Boyd Martin*
Clark Montgomery
Jumping:
Lucy Davis
Kent Farrington
Beezie Madden***
McLain Ward***
* – Was on team in 2012 – London
*** – Was on team in 2012, 2008 (Beijing), and 2004 (Athens)
***** – Was on team in 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000 (Sydney), and 1996 (Atlanta)
^ – Was on team in 2012, 2008, and 1996
Format:
The dressage events are based on horses doing different movements and scored based off of how well they do those movements. There will be a grand prix round to start. The top six teams and the top eight individuals not on those teams move on to the grand prix special. The total score of the team from the grand prix round and the grand prix special will decide medals. Additionally the top 18 individual scores from the two rounds combined go through to the final, the grand prix freestyle. The grand prix freestyle scores determine the individual medals.
Eventing is the decathlon of equestrian, involving a dressage portion, a cross-country portion, and a show jumping portion. Cross-country and show jumping are somewhat similar as they both involve a horse going through a course jumping over fences or other obstacles. The cross-country course is longer, linear and has more permanent bigger obstacles. Think logs, ditches, hedges. The show jumping course is smaller and set up in a ring. Additionally the fences are able to be knocked down. Think hurdles.
There is no elimination of teams or individuals in the eventing competition until after the three portions are complete and the team medals are awarded. At that point only the top 25 individual riders will do one last set of jumping to determine the final results.
The jumping competition itself consists of five rounds, with two of those counting for the team competition. The first round is individual only and will narrow the field down to the top 60 and all team riders. The second round will narrow the field to the top 45 combined first and second round scores, and the third round will narrow the field to the top 35 (first, second, and third round scores combined). The fourth round narrows the field to the top 20 based only on the fourth round score and the fifth and final round determines the medals based off of the fourth and fifth round scores combined. The team event uses the first round as qualifying and the second and third rounds as the two halves of the final.
Schedule:
All Times ET
Saturday, August 6th
10:36 AM – Individual and Team Eventing – Dressage – Boyd Martin
2:14 PM – Individual and Team Eventing – Dressage – Clark Montgomery
Sunday, August 7th
11 AM – Individual and Team Eventing – Dressage – Lauren Kieffer
2:38 PM – Individual and Team Eventing – Dressage – Phillip Dutton
Monday, August 8th
9 AM – Individual and Team Eventing – Cross-Country
Tuesday, August 9th
9 AM – Individual and Team Eventing – Individual Jumping Qualifier and Team Jumping Final
1 PM – Individual Eventing – Individual Jumping Final
Wednesday, August 10th
9 AM – Individual and Team Dressage – Grand Prix Qualification
Thursday, August 11th
9 AM – Individual and Team Dressage – Grand Prix Qualification
Friday, August 12th
9 AM – Individual and Team Dressage – Grand Prix Special
Sunday, August 14th
9 AM – Individual Jumping 1st Qualifier and Team Jumping Qualification
Monday, August 15th
9 AM – Individual Dressage – Grand Prix Freestyle
Tuesday, August 16th
9 AM – Individual Jumping 2nd Qualifier and Team Jumping Final, Round 1
Wednesday, August 17th
9 AM – Individual Jumping 3rd Qualifier and Team Jumping Final, Round 2
Friday, August 19th
9 AM – Individual Jumping Final – Round A
12:30 PM – Individual Jumping Final – Round B
Past Results:
The United States is the all time leader with 49 medals, including 11 golds, in the competition, though Germany has won 28 medals in the last six Olympics compared to only 17 for the United States. The team has a good collection of previous medals with eight between the five returning riders. Dutton, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward are all two-time gold medalists but none have won gold since 2008. Beezie has a bronze medal to go along with her two golds and Steffen Peters has also won bronze, though back in 1996.
