Get Ready For The Equstrian Events At This Summers Olympics
Even though there are many horse riding tournaments taking place every year, horse enthusiasts impatiently await the king of them all: the equestrian events in the summer Olympics. This is where the best horses and participants meet on some of the toughest courses in the world. In 2012 the Olympics will be held in London, England, a place famed for demanding hunts where the riders hurtle over brush, water, and other obstacles at break-neck speeds. All of the events this year will be held at Greenwich Park, the oldest royal equestrian park in England. First to be held this year is the eventing competition, which consists of dressage for the first two days, then cross-country, and finally winding up with jumping. Medalists will be determined by those who have the best overall score in the three events, with both teams and individuals competing. This competition starts on July 28 and winds up on July 31. Many horse enthusiasts feel that eventing is one of the toughest competitions, since it requires all-around ability instead of just targeting a single skill. Next are the dressage events, which get started on August 2nd. Horse lovers who appreciate the level of control required for dressage will not want to miss any days of dressage, which includes both team and individual competition. The seven teams and 11 individuals that rank the highest will move on to the finals, held August 7 for the teams and August 9 for individuals. The August 9 event should have something to please everybody, since winners will be determined by the overall results and the result of the freestyle set to music, held on the 9th. Teams and individuals get started with the show jumping on August 4th. This event happens in the arena, allowing spectators to see all of the action. The course will have 12 to 14 jumps that are designed to test both rider and horse. Jumps are typically large and may be made of brush, poles, and material that looks like bricks or a similar material. Despite their appearance, show jumps are designed to come apart if a horse hits them, thus avoiding injury to horse and rider. Often, however, a horse will refuse a jump and an unwary rider may be dumped onto the jump or onto the ground. Both riders and horses can be injured during this event, and at the very least a rider who is dumped is out of the competition. Very tall or wide jumps may have a large number of refusals, especially if the spacing between jumps is very narrow, and spectators sitting near such a jump may see a lot of riders lose their seats. Watching horses clear these big jumps is very exciting, and the crowd will respond favorably with cheers and applause when a rider has a clear round. All qualifying teams will compete in the final two days of jumping, on August 5th and 6th. Medals will be awarded on the 6th, so equestrian fans who enjoy the pageantry of the Olympics awards ceremony as well as the jumping should be sure to attend on the 6th. The finals for individual jumping will be held on August 8th, with medals being awarded the same day. The summer Olympic equestrian events are sure to be both fun and exciting for all horse lovers.
About the Author
Full timings and coverage can be obtained from the Olympic sites and individual riders also have times and events for their events posted on their own eventing pages. Equine resourced http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com
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