The events of the equestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics featured three equestrian disciplines: dressage, eventing and jumping. All three disciplines are further divided into individual and team contests for a total of six events.
David John O'Connor is a retired equestrian who represented the United States in the sport of three-day eventing. He competed in two Olympic Games, winning a team silver at the 1996 Summer Olympics and an individual gold and team bronze at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 1999 Pan American Games, O'Connor took an individual silver and team gold and at the 2002 World Equestrian Games he assisted the US team to gold. After his retirement from competition in 2004, he became involved in the administrative side of international eventing. O'Connor has held top coaching roles for the US and Canadian national eventing teams, and was president of the United States Equestrian Federation from 2004 to 2012. During his career, O'Connor and his horses were awarded many honors, including equestrian and horse of the year awards from several organizations. In 2009, he was inducted to the United States Eventing Association's Hall of Fame, and two of his horses have been granted the same honor. O'Connor is married to fellow international event rider Karen O'Connor, and the pair operate two equestrian training facilities in the eastern United States.
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 were held at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, United States, 30 miles or 50 km east of Atlanta. For the first time in Olympic history, the three-day event individual and team events were held as two separate competitions. A rider could compete in both events. This format would continue on to the 2000 Olympics.
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.
Robert Jeffrey Dover is an American equestrian who has had international success in the sport of dressage. Riding from the age of 13, he began specializing in dressage at age 19 and competed in his first Olympics in 1984. He competed in every summer Games between 1984 and 2004, winning four team bronze medals. He also took a team bronze at the 1994 World Equestrian Games. Dover is the most honored dressage rider in the United States, and has been inducted to the United States Dressage Federation Hall of Fame. Outside of competition, Dover founded the Equestrian Aid Foundation in 1996 to assist others in the equestrian world, and hosted a TV show that searched for the next dressage star. From late 2009 to early 2011, Dover served as the Technical/Coach Advisor for the Canadian national dressage team. In April 2013, Dover was named Technical Advisor/Chef d'Equipe for the US national dressage team.
Christopher Bartle, FBHS is a British equestrian who has enjoyed success in both Dressage and Eventing. He is currently the Managing Director of the Yorkshire Riding Centre and Performance Coach to the British Three Day Event Squad. Chris Bartle was a member of the British Dressage Team from 1981 to 1987 and was placed 6th in individual dressage in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. From 2001 to 2016, together with Hans Melzer, he was the German Three Day Eventing National Team Trainer. Chris is the brother of Jane Bartle-Wilson, who was also an Olympian in the '84 Los Angeles Olympics.
Anne Patricia Dunham OBE is a British Para-equestrian who has competed in the Paralympic Games.
Laura Tomlinson MBE is a German-British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 30 June 2012 the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) ranked her 3rd in the world riding Mistral Højris and 36th on Andretti H. In that year, Tomlinson, riding Mistral Højris under her maiden name of Laura Bechtolsheimer, won two medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; gold for Great Britain in the team dressage with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, the first ever Olympic team gold in the discipline for her country, and bronze in the individual dressage behind gold medalist and compatriot Dujardin.
The individual eventing event, part of the equestrian program at the 2000 Summer Olympics, was held from 20 to 22 September 2000 in the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. Like all other equestrian events, the eventing competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division.
The team eventing event, part of the equestrian program at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held from 16 to 19 September 2000. The competition was held in the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. In 2000, as in 1996, the team event was a separate event from the individual competition which was held from the 20–22 September. A rider could compete in both competitions. This would be the final time to date, that this format of two separate events has been used. Like all other equestrian events, the eventing competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. Twelve teams, each consisting of between three and four horse and rider pairs, entered the contest.
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 event, part of the equestrian program at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held on 26 September 2000 at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre 45 miles outside of Sydney, Australia. The results of the first round of the individual dressage were used to award rankings. Like all other equestrian events, the dressage competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. Nine teams, each consisting of four horse and rider pairs, entered the contest.
Mary Hanna is an Australian equestrian. She represented Australia at five Olympic Games in the equestrian discipline of dressage and has competed at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, where she finished 40th in the individual competition.
Richard Davison is an Olympic standard dressage rider.
The individual dressage event, part of the equestrian program at the 1996 Summer Olympics, was held from 26 July to 3 August 1996, at the Georgia International Horse Park, in Conyers, Georgia. Like all other equestrian events, the dressage competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. 48 horse and rider pairs were entered, with round one scores from team event.
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 team eventing event, part of the equestrian program at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held from 21 to 24 July 1996. The competition was held in the Georgia International Horse Park, in Conyers, Georgia. The team event was a separate event from the individual eventing. A rider could compete in both competitions. Like all other equestrian events, the eventing competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. 16 teams, each consisting of between three and four horse and rider pairs, entered the contest.
The team jumping event, part of the equestrian program at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held on 31 July and 1 August 1996 at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia. The results of the second and third round of the individual jumping were used to award rankings. Like all other equestrian events, the competition was mixed gender, with both male and female athletes competing in the same division. Fourteen teams, each consisting of four horse and rider pairs, entered the contest.
Georgia Wilson is a British equestrian, who won bronze in the individual championship test grade II and individual freestyle test grade II events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She also won the individual championship grade II event at the 2019 FEI European Championships.
