Dressage is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by the International Equestrian Federation, dressage is described as "the highest expression of horse training" where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.".
The individual dressage event, part of the equestrian program at the 2004 Summer Olympics, was held from 19 to 25 August 2004 at the Olympic Equestrian Centre on the outskirts of Markópoulo, in the Attica region of Greece. Like all other equestrian events, the dressage competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. 53 horse and rider pairs were entered.
Freestyle to Music, sometimes known as Musical Kur or simply kur is a form of dressage competition where the horses paces are set to music to create a competitive "dance". Movements and figures are choreographed to meet the technical requirements of the particular level with carefully chosen music that highlights the horse/rider combination. Musical Freestyles are entertaining and offer great audience appeal. International level competition comprises Prix St. Georges for Young Riders, Intermediate I and Grand Prix through the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).
The equestrian events at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich included show jumping, dressage and eventing. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions. The equestrian competitions were held at 3 sites: an existing equestrian facility at Riem for the individual show jumping and eventing competitions, the Olympic Stadium in Munich for the Nations Cup, and Nymphenburg, a Baroque palace garden, for the sold-out dressage. 179 entries, including 31 women, competed from 27 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, German Democratic Republic (GDR), France, Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. The youngest participant was Kurt Maeder from Switzerland at 19 years old, while the oldest rider was Lorna Johnstone from Great Britain at 70 years old.
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.
The individual dressage at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place between 13 and 19 August, at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
The individual eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place between August 9 and 12 2008 at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
The equestrian events at the 2012 Olympic Games in London were held between 28 July and 9 August at Greenwich Park. Medals were awarded in three disciplines for both individual and team competitions.
The individual dressage competition of the equestrian events at the 2011 Pan American Games took place between October 16–19 at the Guadalajara Country Club and the Hipica Club. The defending Pan American champion was Christopher Hickey of the United States of America.
The individual dressage event, part of the equestrian program at the 2000 Summer Olympics, was held from 26 to 30 September 2000 at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre 45 miles outside of Sydney, Australia. Like all other equestrian events, the dressage competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. Forty-eight horse and rider pairs were entered.
The team dressage in equestrian at the 2012 Olympic Games in London was held at Greenwich Park from 2 to 7 August. The competition was performed on raised arena platforms for the first time, which were suspended by support struts.
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.
Team dressage equestrian at the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Wunna Theikdi Equestrian Field, Naypyidaw, Myanmar on December 13, 2014.
The individual eventing event, part of the equestrian program at the 1996 Summer Olympics, was held from 23 to 26 July 1996 in the Georgia International Horse Park, in Conyers, Georgia. Like all other equestrian events, the eventing competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division.
The individual dressage competition of the equestrian events at the 2015 Pan American Games took place July 11–14 at the Caledon Equestrian Park.
The team dressage competition of the equestrian events at the 2015 Pan American Games took place July 11–12 at the Caledon Equestrian Park.
The individual dressage event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place from 24 to 28 July 2021 at the Baji Koen. Like all other equestrian events, the dressage competition is open-gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. 60 riders from 30 nations are expected to compete.
The individual dressage at the 1960 Summer Olympics took place between 5 and 6 September, at the Villa Borghese gardens. The event was open to men and women.
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.
