With sailing, the riders of the image is the only Olympic sport where men and women face. Inspired by the race cars Games of ancient Greece, it is also the only Olympic sport where men and animals are members of the team.

Did you know?
Just like humans, horses need a valid passport to travel internationally.

Riders compete in three disciplines, dressage, jumping, variety, and are awarded and retail and team medals.

In the dressage (french derived from the verb "to train"), a horse and drivers of the team estimates are based on a number of set movements. The movement of the horse test strength, flexibility and obedience and conduct of the situation, for horses by the test with subtle signals. The horse and the driver of the team should be harmony, lightness and freedom of movement fluid. The competition is divided into three rounds. The third leg of freestyle is a test set to music for the first time during the year 1996, which is targeted for technical and art.

The discipline in the footsteps of his roots Xenophon, a Greek historian, and horsemen, and until 17 And 18 century cavalry officers in the yard as a valuable method of training. Indeed, only the army officers for the Olympics could compete in dressage competitions its incorporation in 1912 to 1952.

In the event-jumping, competitors a rate of 15-20 barriers at one time. The object is to navigate the course with the least penalties for plug into obstacles, jumps or falls on stockend driver and / or on horseback. The obstacles are fences up 5 1 / 4 m high and 6ft. In large. A tie for the top spot is complemented by a jump over a shorter and faster course.

Three days Eventing is the murderer of the Olympic Reitturnier, the combination of dressage, jumping and cross-country phase. On the first day, riders demonstrate to training and obedience of their horses in dressage test. The next date on which it is competing in the Cross-Country exciting phase, where they 5700m gallop on various grounds and jump up to 45 obstacles. While these obstacles are not as high as those in jumping strong and they are also ditches and fences in the water. On the last day, the horse and the driver of a team of Show-jumping. This phase shows the fitness of horses, and how fast they withdraw from the trial version prior day. Eventing is not competing to win points, but the result in fines for each step. The winners are the drivers and teams with the fewest penalties.

For the 2008 Olympics, horses is one of the few events that are not contested within the boundaries of the city. Instead, such events are in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. The jumping and dressage events will be held in Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue, for a 18,000-seat outdoor arena, was once part of the Shatin Racecourse. Klimatisierten stables four blocks of time, and with the capacity to accommodate up to 200 horses have been attributed to competition, in collaboration with a number of other services for competitors. The cross-country events will be held at a location on the river Bead Country Club and the Golf Club of Hong Kong.