The 2024 Paris Olympics equestrian eventing competition is set to begin, marking the start of a thrilling display of horsemanship and athleticism. This special edition of Fast Facts provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know, from the competitors and their equine partners to the event schedule and how to watch the action unfold. Whether you’re a seasoned equestrian fan or new to the sport, this guide will prepare you for the excitement ahead.
The Competitors: A Global Showcase
The field for the Paris 2024 Olympic eventing competition features a diverse lineup of nations and athletes. Teams will be represented by Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S. Additionally, Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain will have individual representation. A total of 81 horses are set to compete, comprising 60 geldings, 20 mares, and one stallion. It’s important to note that due to Olympic sponsorship regulations, some horse names may appear without their usual prefixes or suffixes. For instance, Caroline Powell’s “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.”
This year’s Games also highlight a wide age range among the riders. Finland’s Veer Manninen and Switzerland’s Nadja Minder, both individual entries, are the youngest at 24 years old. Representing Ecuador, Ronald Zabala Goetschel is the most senior rider at 57. In terms of equine athletes, the oldest is the 21-year-old Oldenburg gelding Forever Young Wundermaske, ridden by Goetschel. Conversely, the youngest horses are both 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, ridden by South African individual rider Alexander Peternell.
The Selle Français remains a popular breed, with 13 horses registered with this studbook competing. However, the majority of horses in the field trace their lineage back to Germany. Notably, Forever Young Wundermaske is the sole U.S.-bred horse in contention. Popular sires among this year’s Olympic field include Diamant de Semilly, Diarado, Jaguar Mail, Numero Uno, Quidam de Revel, and Tolan R. The rider demographics show 47 males and 34 females competing.
Officials and Course Design
The esteemed panel of officials overseeing the eventing competition ensures fair play and adherence to the rules. The President of the Ground Jury is Christina Klingspor from Sweden, assisted by Xavier LeSauce (France) and Robert Stevenson (USA). George Bazar of Hungary has been appointed as the Chief Steward. The Technical Delegate is Marcin Konarski from Poland, with Gaston Bileitczuk of France serving as his assistant. The challenging cross-country course has been meticulously designed by Pierre Le Goupil of France. Guiding the athletes through the show jumping phase will be course designers Santiago Varela from Spain and Gregory Bodo from France.
Competition Format and Rules
The eventing competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics follows a specific format designed to test the partnership between horse and rider across three phases: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. For team competitions, only three riders will compete, and there is no drop score, meaning all three scores count towards the team total. However, there is an allowance for substituting a horse and rider combination. A traveling reserve, after passing both horse inspections, can be subbed 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.
Penalties are incurred for various reasons throughout the competition. If a combination fails to complete the dressage phase, 100 penalty points are added to the overall team score. For the cross-country phase, 200 penalty points are added if a combination does not complete it. In such cases, a team has two options: either bring in the reserve combination (incurring the penalties already acquired plus an additional 20 for the substitution), or bypass the substitution and allow the eliminated or retired pair back into the competition with the non-completion penalties added to the score. Exceptions to substitutions apply if a horse suffers from injury, disqualification, a horse fall, or if the rider is penalized for unsafe or abusive riding. Only one substitution is permitted per team, and it must involve both horse and rider. Substitutions made overnight between phases will incur only 20 penalties. Importantly, only riders who successfully compete in all three phases are eligible for individual medals.
How to Watch the Action
Equestrian enthusiasts in the U.S. can follow all the eventing action through NBC and its streaming service, Peacock. NBC promises at least nine hours of daytime coverage daily, featuring live finals for exciting disciplines like 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. NBC will also present an enhanced Olympics primetime show each night. For comprehensive coverage, every event from the Summer Olympics will be broadcast live on Peacock, which will host an innovative Olympics hub offering curated event schedules, dedicated sport hubs, medal standings, and an interactive schedule. Peacock subscriptions are available for $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually.
Event Schedule
Mark your calendars to catch all the equestrian eventing highlights:
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)
Stay connected with the USEA event coverage on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.
