Olympic sport since 1900
Equestrian events were included in the Olympic Games for the first time in
1900 and then in 1912, in a format very similar to that which will be used at
the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
In the past, the three-day event (Eventing) was restricted to military
officers, while the jumping and dressage competitions were open to civilians,
but only a handful of civilian riders competed up to 1948.
Up to that
time, the growth of modern sport had been rapid, but relatively few competitors
were involved in international competitions. They all knew each other and the
judges and were accepting of local variations to the fairly simple rules which
existed.
With the inclusion of the sport in the Olympic Games, it became obvious that
some internationally recognised rules for the three Olympic disciplines were
essential. In May 1921, delegates from 10 national equestrian organisations met
in Lausanne to discuss the formation of an international federation.
Equestrian consists of three disciplines: Jumping, Dressage and Eventing
(Three-Day Event).
