Equestrian is a unique Olympic sport in that both men and women compete for the same medals in the same events. As a result, equality is one of the guiding principles of the sport.
And the next Paris 2024 Olympics will not be an exception. Dressage, jumping, and eventing are the three types of equestrian competition that will take place once again. In addition, every one of them is one of a kind, especially with regard to the qualifying procedure.
The dressage, the cross-country, and the jumping are the three components that make up the eventing competition, and they are spaced out over the course of three consecutive days. Because a participant must stay on the same horse throughout the whole competition, they need to have significant expertise in all aspects of equitation.
Athletes need to first get themselves qualified for the Games before they can show off their skills at the Chateau de Versailles, which is where the event will be held during Paris 2024. Find out how cyclists can guarantee their berths at the upcoming Olympic Games by reading this article.
How Many Participants are Expected to take Part in the Equestrian Eventing Competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
The equestrian eventing competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics will include a total of 65 participants, including three competitors from the host nation. There will be a maximum of two individuals or one team of three athletes from each National Olympic Committee (NOC), with the total number of athletes allowed to not exceed three overall.
Athletes must have been born on or before the 31st of December, 2006, in order to be eligible to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. (no younger than 18 years of age in the year that the Olympic Games take place). Every horse’s birthday must fall on or before December 31, 2016, at the very latest (no younger than eight years of age in the year that the Olympic Games take place).
What steps are involved in Being Qualified for the Equestrian Eventing Competition in Paris in 2024?
As a result of the team qualifying procedure, 16 quota spaces will be allotted to teams, giving each team a total of 48 athletes to compete, while as a result of the individual qualification process, 17 competitors will earn one individual quota slot for their respective NOC.
Team Qualifying Procedure
One team place will be reserved for the host nation, fourteen team quota places will be awarded to NOCs that compete in FEI Olympic Group Qualification Events, and the final spot will be awarded to a NOC that competes in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup 2023. The complete list of qualifying competitions can be found below. There are three different combinations of athletes and horses that make up a team.
- One quota is reserved for the nation that is hosting the event.
- The seven highest-ranked teams from the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships, which were held in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy (15-18 September 2022), are eligible to compete for the seven available quotas. The team representing the host nation is not included.
- Two quotas: The two teams that finish in first and second place, respectively, at the FEI European Eventing Championship in 2023, which will be held at Pin du Haras in France (9-13 August 2023), representing FEI Olympic Groups A and/or B (with the exception of the teams that have already been qualified).
- One spot will go to the team that finishes in first place at a Group C 2023 FEI Designated Olympic Qualification Event (the location and date of which have not yet been determined), excluding the teams who have already qualified for the Olympics.
- Two spots are available for the teams who finish in first and second place, respectively, in the FEI Olympic Groups D and/or E competition at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile (October 26-29), with the exception of the teams that have already been qualified.
- Two quotas: The two top-ranking teams from Olympic Groups F and/or G at a 2023 Group F and G FEI Designated Olympic Qualification Event (location and date TBD), eliminating teams qualified as above. These teams must compete at a Group F and/or Group G FEI Designated Olympic Qualification Event.
- One spot will be reserved for the team that finishes highest in the overall standings in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Series 2023 (place and date to be determined), with the exception of the teams that have already been qualified.
Individual Qualification Procedure
Individual quota slots may only be obtained by NOCs that are not part of a team that has already been given a place in the quota. Every athlete has the opportunity to win a maximum of one individual quota slot for their respective NOC.
14 quotas: The two athletes with the best rankings in the FEI Olympic Ranking for Eventing from each of the seven categories listed below will qualify one individual quota slot each for their respective National Olympic Committee (NOC):
A – The Region of North Western Europe
B – Southern and Southwestern Europe
C – Central & Eastern Europe; Central AsiaNorth America, Central America, and D & E – North, Central and South America
F – Africa and the Middle East
G – South East Asia and Oceania
Three different quotas: The highest-ranked athletes in the FEI Olympic Ranking for Eventing (overall ranking/up to a maximum of two quota spaces per NOC) will be given the opportunity to compete for one of three individual quota berths.
What is the structure and timeline for the equestrian eventing sport that will take place in Paris 2024?
At the Chateau de Versailles, the equestrian eventing competition will span over three days, beginning on July 27 with the equestrian eventing dressage, continuing through July 28 with the eventing cross-country, and concluding on July 29 with the eventing jumping.
After each of the three stages has been completed, all of the competitors’ penalty points are totalled up, and the victor is determined by who has the lowest total number of points. The solo competition and the team competition will each have their own separate sets of medals that are up for grabs at the end of the day.
Athletes to Watch in the Equestrian Events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Only four other athletes in the annals of Olympic history will be able to claim the accomplishment of competing in all nine Olympic Games when Andrew Hoy has the chance to do it in Paris in 2024. The 63-year-old Australian athlete became Australia’s oldest Olympic medalist after winning a silver medal in the eventing team competition at Tokyo 2020. He now has a total of six medals to his name in his collection.
Julia Krajewski, a rider from Germany, made history when she won the gold medal in the individual equestrian eventing competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Krajewski became the first woman ever to win gold in the event since Tokyo 1964, which was the first year that women competed in the event at the Olympics. Can the 33-year-old duplicate his previous victory, or will a fresh face steal the show?
On the national team front, France will go into Paris 2024 hoping to improve upon the results they achieved in Tokyo 2020. They entered the competition in Tokyo as the reigning champions, but Great Britain reversed a 49-year drought to win the team eventing competition for the first time since 1972, while the silver medal went to the Australian team. A victory for France at the Chateau de Versailles would be a fantastic way for the country to reclaim its place atop the podium.
For more information regarding OKBET Racing, click here
