The equestrian eventing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics is set to begin, marking the start of a thrilling equestrian showcase. This special edition of Fast Facts brings you everything you need to know, from the competitors and schedules to how you can watch the action unfold.
The Competitors: A Global Field
A total of 20 nations will be represented in the eventing competition. Teams from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S. will vie for team honors. Additionally, nations with individual representation include Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain. A complete list of definite entries can be found here.
Delving into the 81 horses competing, the field comprises 60 geldings, 20 mares, and one stallion. It’s important to note that Olympic regulations regarding sponsorships may lead to certain prefixes or suffixes being removed from some horse names. For instance, Caroline Powell’s entry Greenacres Special Cavalier will be known as Special Cavalier, Kevin McNab’s Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam will be Don Quidam, and Liz Halliday’s Cooley Nutcracker will be referred to as Nutcracker.
The athletes represent a wide range of experience. Two riders are just 24 years old: Finland’s individual entry Veer Manninen and Switzerland’s team rider Nadja Minder. On the other end of the spectrum, Ecuador’s Ronald Zabala Goetschel is the most senior rider at 57 years old.
In terms of horse breeds, the Selle Français was the most popular breed at the Tokyo Games and remains strongly represented in Paris with 13 horses registered with this studbook. While the Selle Français leads in representation, the majority of the equine entries trace their lineage back to Germany. Notably, there is one U.S.-bred horse in contention: Goetschel’s Forever Young Wundermaske.
The competition includes a diverse age range of horses. The oldest horse is the 21-year-old Oldenburg gelding Forever Young Wundermaske, ridden by Goetschel. Conversely, two horses share the title of the youngest in the field at just 9 years old: the Irish Sport Horse gelding HSH Blake, ridden by U.S. rider Caroline Pamukcu, and the Luxmbourg Warmblood gelding Figaro Des Premices, owned and ridden by South African individual rider Alexander Peternell.
Several popular sires are well-represented this year, including Diamant de Semilly, Diarado, Jaguar Mail, Numero Uno, Quidam de Revel, and Tolan R.
Officials and Course Designers
Presiding over the competition is President of the Ground Jury Christina Klingspor from Sweden, assisted by Xavier LeSauce (France) and Robert Stevenson (USA). George Bazar of Hungary has been appointed Chief Steward, with Marcin Konarski (Poland) serving as Technical Delegate, aided by Gaston Bileitczuk from France. The challenging cross-country course has been designed by Pierre Le Goupil of France, while the show jumping course will be set by Santiago Varela (Spain) and Gregory Bodo (France). A full list of officials can be viewed here.
Competition Format
Each team will consist of three riders, with no drop scores. However, there is a provision for substituting a horse and rider combination. The traveling reserve must successfully pass both horse inspections and can be substituted into the competition up to two hours before the dressage phase begins, without penalty to the team. The horse and rider combination that the reserve replaces then becomes the new team reserve.
If all designated combinations successfully complete all three phases, their scores are combined for the team’s final score. In the event a combination does not complete the dressage phase, 100 penalty points are added to the overall team score. If a combination fails to complete the cross-country phase, 200 penalty points are added.
At this juncture, a team has strategic options:
- They can introduce the reserve combination, incurring the penalties from the incompletion, plus an additional 20 penalties for the substitution. Any penalties accumulated by the reserve combination will also be added to the team’s final score.
- Alternatively, the team can forgo the substitution and allow the eliminated or retired pair to re-enter the competition with the non-completion penalties added to their score. Exceptions to this rule apply if the horse suffers from an injury, disqualification, a horse fall, or if the rider is penalized for unsafe or abusive riding; in such cases, a substitution is not permitted.
Only one substitution is allowed per team, and it must involve both the horse and rider. Substitutions made overnight between phases will incur only 20 penalties. Crucially, only riders who compete in all three phases are eligible for individual medals. Understanding the nuances of team strategy is key to appreciating the competitive dynamic. For those interested in the broader world of equine sports, exploring different horse breeds for trail riding can offer further insight into the athleticism and suitability of various types of horses.
How to Watch the Action
The 2024 Paris Olympics livestream will be available through NBC and its streaming service, Peacock. NBC plans to provide at least nine hours of daytime coverage daily, featuring live finals for events such as swimming, gymnastics, and track and field. Given the six-hour time difference between Paris and the U.S. Eastern Time Zone, viewers can catch the most popular events live in the morning and afternoon. An enhanced Olympic primetime show will also be broadcast each night, offering three hours of highlights.
Every event from the Summer Olympics will be broadcast live on Peacock, which will host a dedicated Olympics hub. This hub will feature curated live and upcoming events, in-depth coverage for nearly 40 sports, medal standings, and an interactive schedule. A Peacock account can be obtained for $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually.
Competition Schedule
Saturday, July 27
- 3:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 a.m. CT / 12:30 a.m. PT: Eventing: Dressage Team & Individual, Part 1
- 8:00 a.m. ET / 7:00 a.m. CT / 5:00 a.m. PT: Eventing: Dressage Team & Individual, Part 2
Sunday, July 28
- 4:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 a.m. CT / 1:30 a.m. PT: Eventing: Cross-Country Team & Individual
Monday, July 29
- 5:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. CT / 2:00 a.m. PT: Eventing: Jumping Team & Individual (Final)
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