Changes to Olympic equestrian teams

Rio 2016 will feature teams of four for each discipline, with three scores to count — meaning that dressage gains a rider while eventing loses one.

“Harmonisation” was the buzzword in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the FEI’s annual sport forum (8-9 April). Christophe Dubi from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) told the forum that “harmonisation” was essential across the disciplines “to make your sport easier to understand”.

There was no opposition to the addition of a dressage rider. But Andrew Finding of the British Equestrian Federation said there was “some discomfort” in eventing about losing a rider.

“We want to see owners have the maximum potential to run a horse,” he told H&H.

Olympic eventing silver medallist Tina Cook used her H&H column (4 April) to criticise the decision, asking: “Why take that dream away from any rider?”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (18 April 2013)

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