 The
Events
"Show jumping" is the most well-known equestrian event. Each horse
and rider jumps two rounds of a series of obstacles. Fault points are assessed
if an obstacle is knocked down, if the horse balks at an obstacle, or if the
time is exceeded.
The "dressage" competition requires
the rider, man or woman, to guide the horse
through a series of precise and intricate movements.
Some of these movements include a stunning
element called "the passage," which
calls for a suspension of motion between each
step of a trot, and another, "the piaffe," in
which the animal trots in place. Points are
awarded for the proper execution of each movement.
The three-day event, also called "combined
training," is a grueling test of endurance
and style consisting of three parts: dressage,
endurance, and show jumping. The dressage and
jumping sections follow the same basic rules
and scoring as do the regular dressage and
jumping events. The endurance phase is a long-distance
obstacle run broken into four parts: two "roads
and tracks," one "steeplechase," and
one "cross-country."
News, History,
and Fast Facts
More sports
General Sports Links
Olympians will compete in dozens of sports this summer. Even though Gateway
to the Summer Games can't feature them all, you can learn about each and
every one by visiting the sites listed below.
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