Olympic Equestrian Eventing Blends Discipline And Versatility

By Abbie Branchflower

Imagine going from controlled, precise groundwork to flying across country to executing sharp turns and nimble jumps in an arena, all in the course of three or four days. This is the challenge that eventers face, and what the eventing discipline will demand of its competitors at the London 2012 Olympics.

The first of a trio of equestrian Olympic events, eventing is composed of three challenging, and very different, disciplines. Comprising dressage, a series of high training maneuvers exercised in a predetermined pattern, cross country, a course of “natural” obstacles that tests endurance and pacing, and show jumping, a jump course requiring both agility and speed, it is often considered the most demanding event an Olympic horse and rider team can face.

As described on the British team website, the equestrian events of the Olympics are unique in that men and women compete against each other on equal terms. Truly a partner event, both horse and rider are declared winners of any medals they earn, and must be of the same nationality in order to compete. To be eligible the horses must be over 7 years old and have proved themselves in international competition.

The official London 2012 Olympics site explains that while a team may be comprised of up to five horse and rider pairs, only three scores will count toward the team’s placing.

The competition begins on Saturday, July 28, with the two-day team dressage event. On July 30 team cross country starts at 12:30 and the finale, show jumping, begins at 10:30 on July 31. The top 25 scoring horses and riders (including any who have tied for 25th place) will then compete as individuals at 2:30 in a final show jumping round.

The scores and penalties that each horse and rider team accrues in each event will be combined to determine the final score that they will contribute to their team, and, should they make it to the individual competition, their standing after the final jump course.

The United States Eventing Team comprises several well-known riders as well as some new rising stars; NBC’s Olympic website introduces fans to the athletes while horsejunkiesunited.com has details on the horses’ pedigrees and general stats.

Returning for her fifth Olympics Games, Karen O’Connor will ride Mr Mendicott, a 13-year-old chestnut gelding who has previously represented Germany in the Olympics. At age 54, O’Connor is proof of the uniqueness of the equestrian events; few other sports at the Olympics have top competitors in their 50s. In fact, she is the oldest member of the entire United States Olympic Team. This could be her last Olympic Games, however, as her husband, David O’Connor, is set to take over as head coach of the US Equestrian Team following the retirement of George Morris.

Phillip Dutton will also be participating in his fifth Olympic Games, though only his second competing for the United States. Previously, Dutton has won two gold medals for his native Australia. He will ride the dark bay gelding Mystery Whisper, a fellow former Aussie.

Boyd Martin is another Australian-born competitor. The son of two Olympians, he is known in the equestrian community for his partnership with Neville Bardos, a horse he saved from slaughter and rescued from a barn fire last year with the help of Dutton. In London he will ride Otis Barbotiere, a flashy 10-year-old bay gelding, who is also a survivor of the fire.

Tiana Coudray will celebrate her 24th birthday in London as she competes in her first Olympics. Her mount, the dappled gray Ringwood Magister, is an 11-year-old gelding.

The team is rounded out with its final pair of teammates, Will Coleman and the 16-year old bay gelding Twizzel. Coleman is also competing in his first Olympic Games.

The eventing competition will be held at Greenwich Park, which was established in the year 1433. It is London’s oldest Royal Park, according to the London 2012 website.

 Initially designed as a test for military officers and their horses, eventing in its current form was initially seen at the Olympic Games in 1912. Women were first allowed to compete in 1952. For more on the history of the sport, visit olympic.org.

To catch the action, viewers can watch live streaming by NBC or download its free app for phones.