With just over two weeks to go, the tension and excitement is at boiling point ahead of the much-anticipated Paris 2024 Olympic Games which will officially get underway with the Opening Ceremony on the evening of Friday 26 July.
Everything about these Games is destined to be spectacular, including the collection of iconic competition venues. And for the very first time the Opening Ceremony won’t be staged in a stadium, but instead will take place on the river Seine. It’s bound to be like nothing ever seen before.
Three years ago, the lead-in to the Tokyo 2020 Games had challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the statistics for equestrian sport in Tokyo were more impressive than ever, with a record number of countries fielding teams and individuals in the three disciplines of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.
The Paris sport entries (FEI Definite Entries) reveal that the flags of 49 nations will fly high over 11 days of spectacular sport. A total of 200 athlete-and-horse combinations are listed, along with an additional 51 Alternates/Reserves.
The three-member team format introduced in Tokyo has certainly changed the competition dynamic. Not only is the pressure more intense as each individual performance is so critical, but it has also opened the door for more countries to take part.
In Paris a total of 35 nations will line out in Jumping with 20 of those sending teams while individuals from a further 15 countries will take part. In Eventing a total of 27 countries will be represented by 16 teams and individuals from another 11 countries, and in Dressage 30 nations will compete, 15 sending teams and another 15 fielding individuals.
Venue
When it comes to the venue, equestrian sport has arguably the most sensational of all 32 Olympic sports, as the Château de Versailles, a universally recognised symbol of France, will provide the most stunning backdrop.
The Canal took 11 years to complete, from 1668 to 1679. During the reign of King Louis XIV his fleet of vessels often resided there, and in the winter months the frozen surface was used for skating and sledding.
The Park is normally open to the public free-of-charge all year round but, during Games time, there will be restricted access.
Equestrian Sport in the Olympic Movement
Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912.
Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines - Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.
A three-per-team format applies for the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games three years ago Sweden won Jumping team gold while Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Explosion claimed the individual title.
In Dressage Germany won the team title for an incredible 14th time and team-member Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera claimed the top step of the individual podium.
And in Eventing Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Amande de B’Neville were individual champions while Great Britain took team gold for the fourth time.
A Century Ago...
When Paris last staged the Games back in 1924 the principle equestrian venue was the Olympic Stadium of Colombes which lies 22kms from Versailles, while Eventing Endurance was held on the race-track at Auteuil and in the Bois de Boulogne.
A total of 17 nations sent horses and riders, and five countries - Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Sweden and Switzerland - sent full teams in all three disciplines.
Paris was the 1924 Olympic stadium in which also
dressage was held.
The 1924 individual Dressage title went to 56-year-old retired Swedish General Ernst von Linder partnering the Trakehner Piccolomini. His compatriots Bertil Sandström (Sabel), Capt Wilhelm von Essen (Zobel) and Lt Viktor Ankarcrona (Corona) finished second fourth and fifth respectively, and Sweden would have overwhelmingly won team gold if that was possible at the time. However the Dressage team competition was not introduced until 1928. The five judges and their assistants all sat together at a long table in 1924.
In Eventing a format was introduced that would remain in place for many years to come consisting of Dressage, Roads and Tracks, Steeplechase, Cross-Country and Jumping phases. Team and Individual gold went to The Netherlands, with Lt Adolph DC van der Voort van Zijp (Silver Piece) taking the Individual title and joining Lt Charles P Pahud de Mortanges (Johnny Walker), Lt Gerard P de Kruijff (Addio) and Lt Anton T Colenbrander (King of Hearts) to top the Team podium.
Paris 2024 Equestrian Statistics:
Jumping: 35 countries, 20 teams, 75 horse/athlete combinations
Eventing: 27 countries, 16 teams, 65 horse/athlete combinations
Dressage: 30 countries, 15 teams, 60 horse/athlete combinations
The Paris 2024 sport entries (FEI Definite Entries) also include additional reserve horses and riders.
The 49 NOCs represented in equestrian sport at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are:
Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America and Venezuela.
Sponsor and Owner Names Removed, Sort Of
The Olympic International Committee (IOC) removes all sponsor and owner names/suffix/prefixes from the horses in order to give only exposure to its own endorsed sponsors. Breeder's names are kept.
For instance, with Jewel's Goldstrike, they were unaware that Jewel referred to Jewel Court Stud, the previous owner of Goldstrike. Furthermore, the IOC/FEI is clearly not aware of what some letters mean behind a horse's name, whether they refer to a breeding association's decoration (NRW, FRH, OLD, TSF) or to an owner (e.g. MT for Max-Theurer).
The removal of the pre- and suffixes is very random. With Gotilas "du Feuillard" they kept the suffix even though Feuillard (Eugene Burban) didn't breed the horse but bought it as a foal and sold it again. A similar situation is Mount St. John Freestyle, where Emma Blundell of Mount St. John didn't breed the mare but bought it as a foal. FEI removed Mount St. John from the horse's name for the Olympics.
And then you have a hybrid case of Total U.S. where the U.S. points to former co-owners Uytert/Schockemöhle with the latter also being the breeder of the horse. The horse is now owned by Glock.
Dressage
The definite entries for dressage are:
Australia
- Jayden Brown - Quincy B
- William Matthew - Mysterious Star
- Simone Pearce - Destano
- reserve: Mary Hanna - Ivanhoe
Austria
- Florian Bacher - Fidertraum
- Victoria Max-theurer - Abegglen
- Christian Schumach - Te Quiero Sf
- reserve: Stefan Lehfellner - Roberto Carlos
Belgium
- Flore De Winne - Flynn Frh
- Domien Michiels - Intermezzo Van Het Meerdaalhof
- Larissa Pauluis - Flambeau
- reserve: Charlotte Defalque - Botticelli
Brazil
- Joao Victor Marcari Oliva - Feel Good VO
Canada
- Camille Carier Bergeron - Finnlanderin
- Jill Irving - Delacroix
- Naima Moreira Laliberte - Statesman
- reserve: Chris Von Martels - Eclips
Denmark
- Daniel Bachmann Andersen - Vayron
- Cathrine Laudrup-dufour - Freestyle
- Nanna Skodborg Merrald - Zepter
- reserve: Nadja Aaboe Sloth - Favour Gersdorf
Dominican Republic
- Yvonne Losos de Muniz - Aquamarijn
Ecuador
- Julio Mendoza Loor - Jewel's Goldstrike
Spain
- Borja Carrascosa - Frizzantino FRH
- Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo - Euclides MOR
- Jose Daniel Martin Dockx - Malagueno Lxxxiii
- reserve: Claudio Castilla Ruiz - Hi-rico Do Sobral
Finland
- Emma Kanerva - Greek Air
- Joanna Robinson - Glamouraline
- Henri Ruoste - Tiffanys Diamond
- reserve: Elisabet Ehrnrooth - Daytona
France
- Alexandre Ayache - Jolene
- Pauline Basquin - Sertorius De Rima Z
- Corentin Pottier - Gotilas
- reserve: Anne Sophie Serre 10065495 Jibraltar De Massa
Great Britain
- Charlotte Dujardin - Imhotep
- Charlotte Fry - Glamourdale
- Carl Hester - Fame
- reserve: Becky Moody - Jagerbomb
Germany
- Jessica Von Bredow-werndl - TSF Dalera BB
- Frederic Wandres - Bluetooth
- Isabell Werth - Wendy
- reserve: Ingrid Klimke - Franziskus FRH
India
- Anush Agarwalla - Sir Caramello OLD
Ireland
- Abigail Lyle - Giraldo
Korea
- Young-Shik Hwang - Delmonte
Lithuania
- Justina Vanagaite Samuile - Nabab
Luxembourg
- Nicolas Wagner Ehlinger - Quater Back Junior FRh
Morocco
- Yessin Rahmouni - All at Once
Moldova
- Alisa Glinka - Abercrombie
The Netherlands
- Hans Peter Minderhoud - Toto Jr.
- Emmelie Scholtens - Indian Rock
- Dinja Van Liere - Hermes
- reserve: Edward Gal - Total US
Norway
- Isabel Freese - Total Hope
New Zealand
- Melissa Galloway - Windermere J'Obei W
Poland
- Katarzyna Milczarek - Guapo
- Zaneta Skowronska-kozubik - Love Me
- Sandra Sysojeva - Maxima Bella
- reserve: Aleksandra Szulc - Breakdance
Portugal
- Maria Caetano - Hit Plus
- Joao Moreira - Furst Kennedy OLD
- Rita Ralao - Irao
- reserve: António do Vale - Fine Fellow H
Singapore
- Caroline Chew - Zatchmo
Switzerland
- Andrina Suter - Fibonacci
Sweden
- Patrik Kittel - Touchdown
- Therese Nilshagen - Dante Weltino Old
- Juliette Ramel - Buriel K.h.
- reserve: Maria Von Essen - Invoice
U.S.A.
- Adrienne Lyle - Helix
- Marcus Orlob - Jane
- Steffen Peters - Suppenkasper
- reserve: Endel Ots - Bohemian
Venezuela
- Patricia Ferrando - Honnaisseur SJ
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games