Equestrian events are a mysterious synergy between man and horse. It is a sport which is known for its class and poise and dates its origins back to ancient times. The eclectic motley of events has caused a lot of buzzes in the upcoming edition of the Paris Olympics as the first phase of the tickets got sold out as early as May last year. The venue of the event is the iconic Château de Versailles. All of them will be held from the 27th of July to Aug 6th. Two hundred athletes from forty-nine nations will be participating in this year’s equestrian event. Many participants have previously excelled in this sport and have won medals for their respective nations.

The sport, governed by the body of the International Federation of Equestrian Sports, has multiple specific competitions in the Olympics. Each competition will be both in individual and team format. First is dressage, where the rider and their horses perform choreographed events judged by their accuracy and harmony.

Jumping is the next competition which is tested by the horse’s ability to jump the obstacles and their agility. Last is eventing, which involves both these disciplines combined with cross country. Cross-country is where riders and horses move through the course with long obstacles. The riders’ points will be calculated for all disciplines in eventing cumulatively. The combined score determines the winner. Over the years, we’ve had multiple winners create history. Some of the record holders of the sport are listed below.

Meet the Olympic Equestrians who created records

Isabell Werth from Germany has won the most number of Olympic medals in the sport of Equestrian for an individual. She has competed in six editions of the Olympics till now, starting in 1992 in Barcelona. She has won twelve individual medals, which include seven gold and five silver medals. At 55 years of age, she still hasn’t called it a day as she will be competing in her seventh Olympics in Paris.

British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin had an opportunity to individually hold a national record if she ends up winning a medal in Paris, but she is under a provisional suspension so that won’t see the light of day. She currently has six medals, which include three gold, one silver, and two bronze. If she ends up getting her hands on the seventh in the near future, she could end up becoming the most decorated British athlete in Olympic history. She currently has the same number of medals as the cyclist, Laura Kenny.

In the 2020 edition, the US team member Steffan Peters created history in the team dressing event. At 56 years of age, he became the oldest Olympic medalist from the United States. He originally hails from Germany.

In the same edition, Julia Krajewski won the gold medal in individual eventing. This made her the first woman to win the gold medal in this competition. It was a very special moment as women were debarred from participating in the competition until 1952.

What is the history of Equestrian?

Equestrian was first included in the Olympics in 1900. Like this year’s edition, it was also held in Paris. Belgium’s Haegeman won the first ever gold medal in Jumping. But the sport wouldn’t come back until the 1912 games in Stockholm as the hosts of the previous events struggled to organize the event.

Sweden would win the team medal in that competition, with Germany and America along with France taking silver and bronze, respectively. Female participants were not present until 1948, as only military officers were allowed to compete. This would change in 1952, where civilians and women would be able to participate.

In a historic moment, Lis Hartel would win the silver medal in Dressage. This would make her the first woman to win a medal in equestrian sports. Isabell Werth is considered the greatest equestrian of all time because of her numerous victories. Reiner Klimke from Germany is the best male athlete, with two bronze and six gold medals. Now, with all this said and done, who will shine in Paris? Stay tuned for more.