Olympics brings the sport of ‘horse dancing’ to a wider audience

“Horse dancing” took the world by storm during the London Olympic Games.

Last week, as the world’s top dressage riders performed their best Olympic freestyle to carefully chosen music, the equestrian community weren’t the only ones glued to their televisions – and the sport has attracted a range of opinions, knowledgeable and not so.

Many of the wider public marvelled at the Olympic sport, not even knowing it was one, while others claimed it shouldn’t be one.

And the world’s press adopted the term “horse dancing”, referring to it as such online, in print and on the radio.

“This is what the Olympics is all about – dancing horses followed by women trying to kick each other’s heads off,” said one Five Live commentator.

And Twitter went wild with celebrities from Hollywood star Zach Braff to former footballer Gary Linekar remarking on the horse dancing.

Radio 1 DJ Matt Edmonson tweeted: “I’ve just seen the horse dancing. What a bizarre sport!”

And journalist Hugo Rifkind commented: “Synchronised swimming. Whose IDEA was this? It’d be better with horses, obvs.”

While restaurant reviewer and journalist Giles Coren, who was at Greenwich, was less positive: “This dressage is utter bollocks. I don’t care if we do win gold. I’m off to the boxing.”

At one point Phil Collins was trending on Twitter, due to routines by Austrian and Danish riders using his music.

But as Dubai Racing Channel presenter Brett Williams tweeted: “All publicity is good publicity I suppose!”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now