Equestrianism is the art of horsemanship, and many disciplines within equestrianism are as elegant as the description implies. Others are fast-paced. All involve agility and finesse, both on the horse's part and on the part of its rider. Though equestrianism includes Western riding, English disciplines enjoy worldwide popularity.
Polo
Polo dates back further than any other recognized team sport, but it has only been included in the Olympics intermittently, in 1900, 1908, 1920, 1924 and 1936. The first known game took place between the Turks and Persians in 600 B.C. The sport spread to England by the middle of the 19th century and reached the United States in 1876. In 1904, the United States Polo Open Championship was inaugurated, and this competition was still thriving in 2010, one of the pre-eminent polo competitions worldwide. A grassroots campaign is lobbying for reinstatement of polo as an Olympic game.
Dressage
Dressage also made its first appearance in the Olympics in 1900. Through 1912, riders were all men, most of them active in the military. The sport was initially a military trial stressing a horse's maneuverability and obedience. With the demise of the United States calvary, dressage opened up to more civilians in 1948. Women competed in dressage at the Olympic level for the first time in 1952. With the birth of the United States Dressage Foundation in 1973, the sport is now an elegant discipline for both men and women.
Jumping
Show jumping has convoluted roots in both England and France. The French originally included it as part of cross-country racing competitions until disgruntled fans began complaining that they could not follow all the action over extensive courses. The jumping portion then moved into arenas for all to observe. Meanwhile, English horses were jumping as a matter of course during most fox hunts as gentry fenced off their lands and horses were required to leap over them in order to keep in the hunt. England eventually banned fox hunting, but jumping remained as a competitive sport. Jumpers are included in the Olympic Games and enjoy their own international Grand Prix, as well as competitions all over the United States for beginners through Olympic contenders.
Three-Day Eventing
In 1912, the Olympics combined segments of jumping, dressage and cross-country events into a horse triathlon first called combine training in America and three day eventing in England. Just as with dressage, military men dominated eventing through the 1950s. The sport opened up a little in 1952 to allow civilian men to compete, but not women. Women finally broke into the ranks in 1964. As of 2010, eventing involved a dressage competition on day one, a cross-country race on day two, and arena jumping on day three, with the cross-country competition carrying the bulk of the scoring weight.
References
- Horses and Horse Information: Three Day Eventing Equestrian Horse Sport -- History, Competition and Courses
- sportPOLO: History of the Equestrian Sport of Polo
- United States Dressage Federation: History of Dressage
- Horses and Horse Information: Horse Jumping History, Competition Courses and Eventing Shows
- Polo Contacts Worldwide: Reinstate Polo as an Olympic Sport!
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