As someone who’s been riding horses since I was ten, lemme tell ya, the world of Olympic equestrian sports is absolutely fascinating. So you’ve got three main types, right? First, there’s dressage which is like teaching your horse to dance – seriously, it’s all about those elegant moves and having your horse perfectly in sync with what you’re asking. Then, you got the show jumping – my personal fav – where you race against the clock to jump over a bunch of obstacles without knocking ’em down. And let’s not forget eventing; it’s like the ultimate test cause you do a bit of everything. It’s super intense and a real test of your bond with your horse.

Dressage: Dressage, often referred to as ‘horse ballet,’ is a discipline where horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements, known as ‘tests’. Dressage showcases the grace, obedience, and strength of the horse, and is scored based on precision, smoothness, and flexibility of the movements.

Show Jumping: This discipline tests the agility, accuracy, and speed of the horse and rider duo as they navigate a course of jumps set up in an arena. Penalties are given for knocking down obstacles, refusals, and exceeding the time limit. Show jumping is dynamic and highly competitive, offering spectators thrilling sports action.

Eventing: Known as an ‘equestrian triathlon,’ eventing combines dressage, show jumping, and cross-country (a long-distance race over natural terrain). This discipline tests the versatility and endurance of the horse and the skill and strategy of the rider. Each phase is scored individually, and the combination with the lowest total penalty score at the end of all phases wins.