Theodora Elisabeth Gerarda "Anky" van Grunsven is a Dutch dressage champion who is the only rider to record three successive Olympic wins in the same event. Along with her Olympic successes, she has won numerous medals at the World Equestrian Games (WEG), and is the only rider to have competed at every WEG since they began in 1990. Between 1990 and 2006, she competed at the Games in dressage, but in 2010 she was named as part of the Dutch reining team, marking a major change in discipline.
The equestrian events at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp included eventing, show jumping, vaulting and dressage. The competitions were held from 6 to 12 September 1920. Although 89 riders were competing, many rode in more than one event, with 87 entries total. Vaulting was also held, its one appearance at an Olympic Games, with only Belgium, France and Sweden fielding teams.
The equestrian events at the 1928 Summer Olympics included dressage, eventing, and show jumping. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions. The competitions were held from 8 to 12 August 1928. Teams were now fielded by three riders, rather than four, the purpose being to reduce pressure on national federations to find that many riders in order to compete for team medals. Riders had to be considered amateurs, which was defined as either an actively serving professional officer, or as a gentleman rider as defined by the rules of that rider's national governing body. A total of 113 entries were present from 20 nations: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. This was the first appearance for Hungary, Japan and Argentina in equestrian events at an Olympics. Additionally, after being shut out from two Olympic competitions, Germany also returned to the Games to win a few medals in the equestrian events.
Equestrian sports were first included in the Olympic Games in the Summer Olympics of 1900 in Paris. They were again included in 1912, and have been included in every subsequent edition of the Games. The Olympic equestrian disciplines are dressage, eventing, and show-jumping. In each discipline, both individual and team medals are awarded. Women and men compete on equal terms.
Jacoba ("Coby") Maria Jozina van Baalen-Dorresteijn is an equestrian from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the Team Dressage event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She did so alongside Anky van Grunsven, Ellen Bontje, and Arjen Teeuwissen. In the Individual Competition Van Baalen finished in fifth position. Her daughter Marlies van Baalen is also an Olympic equestrian. Van Baalen competed in the Olympics with a KWPN stallion called Ferro, also known as Olympic Ferro.
Petronella Theodora Maria "Ellen" Bontje is an equestrian from The Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the Team Dressage Event at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. She did so alongside Anky van Grunsven, Coby van Baalen, and Arjen Teeuwissen. In the individual competition Bontje finished in sixth position.
Equestrian competitions in all three disciplines 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.
Hans Peter Minderhoud is a Dutch dressage rider.
Ingrid Klimke is a German eventing rider. She appeared at five Olympics from 2000 to 2016. With her horse Abraxxas, she won two gold medals in team eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won a team silver with Hale-Bob.
Ivan Kizimov was a Soviet and Russian equestrian and Olympic champion. He was born in Novocherkassk. He won an individual gold medal in dressage at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and a gold medal in team dressage at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He won a bronze medal in individual dressage at the 1970 Dressage World Championship, and team medals in 1966 (bronze), 1970 (gold) and 1974 (silver). He also won eight medals in total at the European Dressage Championships, five silver and three bronze medals.
Henri Chammartin was a Swiss equestrian who won an individual gold medal in dressage at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
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. Despite the success, he has been criticised to be harsh trainer who creates stressed and fearful horses.
Gestion Bonfire, or Bonfire for short, was an Oldenburg gelding that competed in dressage with Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven. Between 1991 and 2000, the pair competed in multiple national and international championships, including three Olympic Games and two World Equestrian Games. They won one gold medal and four silver medals at the Olympics and one gold and three silvers at the World Equestrian Games. Although known for having a hot temperament, Bonfire mellowed as he aged, becoming one of Van Grunsven's best horses – until she found his replacement, Salinero, she did not think she would ever find a horse to match Bonfire's talent. A statue of Bonfire stands in Van Grunsven's home town of Erp.
Guenter Seidel is an American equestrian. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, but represents the United States after moving to the country in 1985. He won a bronze medal in team dressage at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, together with Robert Dover, Michelle Gibson and Steffen Peters. He also won bronze medals in team dressage at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He is openly gay.
The equestrian events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were held between 6 and 19 August at National Equestrian Center in Deodoro. Medals were awarded in three disciplines for both individual and team competitions.
The equestrian events at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo featured three disciplines for both individual and team competitions.
Diederik van Silfhout is a Dutch Olympic dressage rider. Representing the Netherlands, he competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics where he placed 4th in the team and 11th in the individual competitions.
Sönke Rothenberger is a German Olympic equestrian. He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he finished in 19th place in the individual dressage competition. He was also part of the German dressage team which won the gold medal in the team dressage competition.
The equestrian events at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are scheduled to run from 27 July to 6 August at the Palace of Versailles, featuring 200 riders across three disciplines for both individual and team competitions, namely dressage, eventing, and jumping.
