The FEI World Equestrian Games are the major international championships for equestrianism, and are administered by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The games have been held every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive Summer Olympic Games, since 1990. Prior to that year, all ten of the FEI's individual disciplines held separate championships, usually in separate countries. The modern WEG runs over two weeks and, like the Olympics, the location rotates to different parts of the world. Riders and horses competing at WEG go through a rigorous selection process, and each participating country sends teams that have distinguished themselves through competition as the nation's best in each respective discipline. At the 2010 Games, 57 countries were represented by 800 people and their horses.
Combined driving is an equestrian sport involving carriage driving. In this discipline, the driver sits on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four. The sport has three phases: dressage, cross-country marathon and obstacle cone driving, and is most similar to the mounted equestrian sport of eventing. It is one of the ten international equestrian sport horse disciplines recognized by the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI); combined driving became an FEI discipline in 1970.
Equestrian competitions at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were held from 9 August to 21 August at the Hong Kong Sports Institute and Sheung Yue River in Hong Kong. It was the second time that the equestrian events were hosted by a member of the IOC other than the member hosting the main games. Unlike 1956, however, the equestrian events were part of the main games, and were held within the same period.
The 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games were held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. from September 25 to October 10, 2010. This was the sixth edition of the games, which are held every four years and run by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). For the first time, Para-equestrian events were added in the program. This was also the first time the games were hosted by a city outside of Europe, and also the first time that all events at the games were held at a single site.
The European Dressage Championships are the European championships for the equestrian discipline of dressage. They are held every two years in odd-numbered years. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in both individual and team competitions. There are also championships held for juniors, young riders, and ponies. Since 2015, the competition has shared a site and branding with vaulting, reining, jumping, and driving events. For sponsorship reasons, eventing is not included, as it is part of the FEI European Championships, echoing the combined World Equestrian Games concept. The first official combined event took place in Aachen in 2015.
Edward Gal is a Dutch dressage rider. He and the stallion Totilas, were triple gold medalists at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, becoming the first horse-rider partnership ever to sweep the three available dressage gold medals at a single FEI World Games. Going into the 2010 Games, they had amassed multiple world-record scores in international competition, leading one American journalist to call them "rock stars in the horse world". After the World Equestrian Games, Totilas was sold to German trainer Paul Schockemöhle. Gal continues to be successful training and competing dressage horses at the international level.
The 2008 Global Champions Tour was the 3rd edition of the Global Champions Tour (GCT), an important international show jumping competition series. The 2008 Global Champions Tour was the first edition of the Global Champions Tour as official series of the FEI.
The 2010 Falsterbo Horse Show, the official Swedish show jumping horse show, was held between July 8 and July 11 as CSIO 5* and CDI 5*.
The 2010 CHIO Aachen was the 2010 edition of the CHIO Aachen, the German official horse show in five horse sport disciplines.
The 2010 Longines Royal International Horse Show was that year's edition of the Royal International Horse Show, the British official show jumping competition at All England Jumping Course at Hickstead. It was held as CSIO 5* and CDI 5*.
The 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were held in the region of Normandy, France. It was the seventh edition of the Games, which are held every four years and run by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). For team events in the dressage, eventing, and show jumping disciplines, these Games were the first qualifying event for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The 2011 Falsterbo Horse Show was the 2011 edition of the Falsterbo Horse Show, the Swedish official show jumping horse show. It was held as CSIO 5* and CDI 5*.
The 2011 CHIO Aachen was the 2011 edition of the CHIO Aachen, the German official horse show in five horse sport disciplines.
The 2011 Longines Royal International Horse Show was the 2011 edition of the Royal International Horse Show, the British official show jumping horse show at All England Jumping Course at Hickstead. It was held as CSIO 5* and CDI 5*.
The 2011 European Dressage Championship was held between August 17 and August 21, 2011 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The 2011 CHIO Rotterdam was the 2011 edition of the CHIO Rotterdam, the Dutch official show jumping horse show. It was held as CSIO 5*.
The 2011 European Eventing Championship was held from August 25 to August 28, 2011 in Luhmühlen, borough of the Samtgemeinde Salzhausen in Lower Saxony, Germany.
The 2012 CHIO Aachen was the 2012 edition of the CHIO Aachen, the German official horse show in five horse sport disciplines.
The 2012 Falsterbo Horse Show was the 2012 edition of the Falsterbo Horse Show, the Swedish official show jumping horse show. It was held as CSIO 5* and CDI 5*.
The team eventing event at the 2020 Summer Olympics is scheduled to take place from 30 July to 2 August 2021 at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park and Central Breakwater. Like all other equestrian events, the eventing competition is open-gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. 45 riders from 15 nations are expected to compete.
