Equestrian Olympics

I love it when people say horse riding isn't a sport. If it's not a sport, then why is it in the Olympics and practiced around the world? The 2012 London Olympic Games are well underway, with all of the equestrian competitors riding hard for the biggest test of their lives.

I have an immense amount of respect for each of the riders competing in the Olympics, regardless of their country. It takes an incredible amount of training, hard work, and time to make it that far. 

The equestrian portion of the Games is split into three divisions: dressage, jumping, and eventing. In short, dressage is a test. They are given a pattern they must complete and scored from zero to ten which is turned into an total percentage. Dressage riders make the sport look far easier than it its. 

At first glance, it seems like the horses are just cantering and trotting around, but if you watch closely they are switching leads (practically skipping down the rail), extending their legs at the trot, and literally trotting in place; all from cues from their riders that we can barely see, if at all. 

Jumping is done in an arena, with a complicated series of jumps. The competitors must remember the jump pattern, and the horses are given faults if they knock a pole down, or refuse a jump. Sounds easier, right? Here's the catch, the jumps are 5'9" - 6'2" in height. The smallest jump is taller than little 5'4 me!

Some of the jumps are taller than the horses also! Talk about daunting. This is a timed event, so the faults are seconds added to the final time for the rider. 

The last division is called eventing or cross country. Eventing is an outdoor course, with obstacles or jumps. This is also a timed event, but a better term for it would be "race." The jumps on this course are very different from the arena jumps, but the same rules apply. A refusal adds seconds to the final time. 

You can see the difference in the types of jumps. These horses have to be prepared for pretty much anything. 

So next time I hear "horse riding isn't a sport" I'm going to challenge that person to ride any of these competitions (or any style in general) and see how long they can stay on. If anyone is interested in watching the remainder of the equestrian events, you can find the schedule here. 

Good luck USA in all of the 2012 Olympic Games events!