Equestrian is one of the oldest disciplines of the Olympic Games. The three equestrian sports include dressage, jumping and eventing. Military officers were the only ones allowed to compete in equestrian Olympic events, until the rules were changed for the Helsinki Games in 1952.

The three sports are mixed events, which means that men and women compete equally. Dressage, the highest expression of horse training, was added to the Olympic program in 1912. Eventing is the most difficult of the three disciplines as it combines dressage, jumping and cross-country, which includes about 40 obstacles.

Although women had been allowed to ride in equestrian events since 1952, it wasn’t until Helena du Pont competed for the United States at Tokyo 1964 that eventing saw its first woman athlete.