Equestrian events at the 2020 Summer Olympics explained

Event:Equestrian
Games:2020 Summer
Venue:Baji Koen
Sea Forest Cross-Country Course
Dates:24 July – 7 August 2021
Competitors:200
Nations:49
Num Events:6
Prev:2016
Next:2024

The equestrian events at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo featured three disciplines for both individual and team competitions.[1]

Originally scheduled for 25 July – 8 August 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games had been postponed with the equestrian events set for 24 July – 7 August 2021.[2]

Qualification

The 200 quota places for equestrian were divided between the three disciplines (75 for jumping, 65 for eventing, and 60 for dressage). Teams in each discipline consisted of three horse and rider pairs; any NOC that qualified a team (20 teams for jumping, 15 each for eventing and dressage) also received 3 entries in the individual competition for that discipline. NOCs that did not qualify teams could earn one individual place in dressage and jumping, and up to two individual places in eventing, for a total of 15 entries in jumping and dressage and 20 for eventing. Teams qualify primarily through specific competitions (World Equestrian Games and continental tournaments), while individuals qualified through ranking. The host nation, Japan, automatically qualified a team in each discipline.[3] [4] [5]

Participating nations

50 nations have qualified. Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Singapore and Sri Lanka were scheduled to make their Olympic debuts in equestrian events.

Officials

Appointment of officials was as follows:[6]

Dressage
Eventing
Jumping

Competition format

Dressage

Teams are made of three athletes, all of whom are also competing for individual medals. Nations without a team can be represented by a single individual athlete.

Dressage competition starts with the Grand Prix, which serves as a qualifier for both team and individual competitions. Athletes are drawn into six heats of ten athletes each, with the opening three heats being scheduled for the first day, and the remaining three heats for the second day. Heats are drawn in such a way that no more than one athlete per NOC can be assigned to the same heat. Once the Grand Prix heats are concluded, team scores are decided by adding up individual scores of the respective team members. The top eight ranked teams qualify for the team final (Grand Prix Special), while the top two individual athletes from each heat, plus the next best six ranked athletes, qualify for the individual final (Grand Prix Freestyle).

Grand Prix Special, which is used to decide team medals, is a slightly more rigorous dressage test with emphasis on difficult transitions (such as collected walk - piaffe). Special is performed to music of athletes' choice, which, however, is not judged. As the slate is wiped clean after the Grand Prix, team medals are determined solely based on scores achieved in the Special. Nations taking part in the team final are allowed to enter a substitute athlete between the Grand Prix and up to two hours before the Special.

Grand Prix Freestyle is open for 18 athletes and is used to decide individual medals. Each athlete designs their own test for the Freestyle, which must be set to music and must contain 16 compulsory movements. Riders can tailor a test to their horses' strengths, as well as incorporate movements that are more difficult than those required in the Grand Prix or the Special (such as a pirouette in piaffe or flying changes on a curving line) in order to increase their scores. Individual medals are assigned based on scores in the Freestyle.

Eventing

Competitions for team and individual medals run concurrently. Each athlete, riding the same horse, performs a dressage test, a cross-country round, and a jumping round. Team medals are then awarded by adding together the scores of team members, from all three phases. The team with the lowest number of penalty points wins the gold. The top 25 individual athletes after the first jumping round perform a second, final, jumping round to determine individual medals. Therefore, those competing for individual glory complete one dressage test and cross-country round, and two jumping rounds.

Athletes who for various reasons fail to start or finish any of the phases are eliminated from the individual competition. Teams with eliminated athletes receive penalty points: 100 penalty points for each eliminated athlete during dressage and jumping phases, and 200 penalty points for each eliminated athlete during cross-country phase. While they are excluded from the individual event, eliminated athletes may continue to compete in the following phases for their teams, unless they were eliminated for lameness, fall of horse, abuse of horse or otherwise disqualified. Teams can additionally bring forward a reserve athlete at any point of the competition. In such case, the respective team is awarded 20 additional penalty points.

Jumping

Individual and team competitions are run separately.

Individual competition is up first and it takes two competition days. First competition day serves as a qualifier, where a total of 75 athletes may start. Each athlete tackles the same course, which includes 12 to 14 numbered obstacles. Athletes are ranked based on accumulated number of penalty points, and top 30 advance to individual final. In case of a tie for the last qualification place, athletes are separated by the time of their round. Individual final is held on a different course that includes 12 to 15 numbered obstacles. Athletes are once again ranked based on accumulated number of penalty points. If two or more athletes are tied for a medal position, the tie is resolved in a jump-off.

First day of team competition serves as a qualifier, and is opened to a total of 20 teams. At the end of the qualifier, teams receive their placing by adding up the penalties incurred by the three team members. Athletes who withdraw or are eliminated or who retire from the competition will not be given a score. Teams with one athlete who has withdrawn, retired or been eliminated from the team qualifier will be placed according to the combined penalties incurred by the two athletes who completed the competition. Teams in which all three athletes completed the competition without being eliminated or retiring shall be placed before teams with only two athletes who completed the competition without being eliminated or retiring. Teams with two athletes who have withdrawn and/or retired and/or been eliminated from the competition will be eliminated. The top 10 teams based on the qualifier results advance to team final. In case of a tie for the last qualification place, teams are separated by the combined time of their three team members. Team final is held on a different course. Teams are once again ranked based on accumulated number of penalty points of their team members. If two or more teams are tied for a medal position, the tie is resolved in a jump-off.

Competition schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9).[7] [8]

Day Date Start Finish Event Phase
Day 1 Saturday 24 July 2021 17:00 22:00 Individual dressageDressage Grand Prix Day 1
Day 2 Sunday 25 July 2021 17:00 22:00 Individual dressageDressage Grand Prix Day 2
Team dressage
Day 4 Tuesday 27 July 2021 style=background:lemonchiffon17:30 style=background:lemonchiffon22:40 style=background:lemonchiffonTeam dressagestyle=background:lemonchiffonDressage Team Grand Prix Special
Day 5 Wednesday 28 July 2021 style=background:lemonchiffon17:30 style=background:lemonchiffon21:25 style=background:lemonchiffonIndividual dressagestyle=background:lemonchiffonDressage Individual Grand Prix Freestyle
Day 7 Friday 30 July 2021 8:00 11:10 Individual eventingEventing Dressage Day 1 - Session 1
Team eventing
17:30 20:55 Individual eventingEventing dressage Day 1 - Session 2
Team eventing
Day 8 Saturday 31 July 2021 8:00 11:10 Individual eventingEventing dressage Day 2 - Session 3
Team eventing
Day 9 Sunday 1 August 2021 8:30 11:55 Individual eventingEventing Cross Country
Team eventing
Day 10 Monday 2 August 2021 style=background:lemonchiffon rowspan=217:00 style=background:lemonchiffon rowspan=222:25 style=background:lemonchiffonIndividual eventingstyle=background:lemonchiffon rowspan=2Eventing Jumping
style=background:lemonchiffonTeam eventing
Day 11 Tuesday 3 August 2021 19:00 22:45 Individual jumpingJumping Individual Qualifier
Day 12 Wednesday 4 August 2021 style=background:lemonchiffon19:00 style=background:lemonchiffon21:40 style=background:lemonchiffonIndividual jumpingstyle=background:lemonchiffonJumping Individual Final
Day 14 Friday 6 August 2021 19:00 22:05 Team jumpingJumping Team Qualifier
Day 15 Saturday 7 August 2021 style=background:lemonchiffon19:00 style=background:lemonchiffon21:20 style=background:lemonchiffonTeam jumpingstyle=background:lemonchiffonJumping Team Final

Medal summary

Medalists


nowrap
Team dressage

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl
on Dalera
Dorothee Schneider
on Showtime
Isabell Werth
on Bella Rose

Sabine Schut-Kery
on Sanceo
Adrienne Lyle
on Salvino
Steffen Peters
on Suppenkasper

Charlotte Fry
on Everdale
Carl Hester
on En Vogue
Charlotte Dujardin
on Gio
Individual eventing
Team eventing

Laura Collett
on London 52
Tom McEwen
on Toledo de Kerser
Oliver Townend
on Ballaghmore Class

Kevin McNab
on Don Quidam
Andrew Hoy
on Vassily de Lassos
Shane Rose
on Virgil

Nicolas Touzaint
on Absolut Gold
Karim Laghouag
on Triton Fontaine
Christopher Six
on Totem de Brecey
Individual jumping
nowrap
Team jumping

Henrik von Eckermann
on King Edward
Malin Baryard-Johnsson
on Indiana
Peder Fredricson
on All In
nowrap
Laura Kraut
on Baloutinue
Jessica Springsteen
on Don Juan van de Donkhoeve
McLain Ward
on Contagious

Pieter Devos
on Claire Z
Jérôme Guery
on Quel Homme de Hus
Grégory Wathelet
on Nevados S

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games. FEI. 16 October 2019. 23 November 2019.
  2. News: McCurry, Justin . Ingle, Sean . Tokyo Olympics postponed to 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic. 2020-03-24. The Guardian. 2020-03-24. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  3. Web site: Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Dressage. FEI. 28 October 2019. 23 November 2019.
  4. Web site: Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Eventing. FEI. 14 October 2019. 23 November 2019.
  5. Web site: Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Jumping. FEI. 14 October 2019. 23 November 2019. 28 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728124316/https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Tokyo%202020%20-%20Qualification%20System%20-%20JUMPING%20-%2014Oct%202019.pdf. dead.
  6. Web site: Officials appointment . FEI . 9 November 2020.
  7. Web site: Schedule - Equestrian Tokyo 2020 Olympics . Olympian Database . 2 March 2020.
  8. Web site: Equestrian Competition Schedule . Tokyo 2020 . 2 March 2020.