Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games

Equestrian competition is already ahead of the game on some recommendations being considered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The recommendations, which would not be applied until the 2020 Olympic Games, have been drafted following a year of discussions and consultations among IOC representatives, external experts, and members of the public.

One of the recommendations would make it easier for a potential host city to meet all the requirements for holding the Olympic Games. This suggestion would allow preliminary competitions and even entire sports or disciplines to take place outside the host city or country due to constraints of geography or sustainability. In the past, equestrian competition has been the only discipline to be held in a different location. During the Melbourne Olympics in 1952 and the Beijing Olympics in 2008, equestrian events were held in Stockholm and Hong Kong, respectively.

Another recommendation is to strengthen relationships with organizations that manage sports for people with different abilities. Para-equestrian competition is already an Olympic sport identified by the FEI as one of eight disciplines overseen by this organization.

The IOC is also asked to encourage the inclusion of mixed-gender teams, a practice that has a long history in Olympic equestrian events where men and women have historically competed on the teams of many nations.