The new three-to-a-team format has been described as “carnage” by riders in the Olympic showjumping team competition at the Tokyo Olympics.
Ireland, Israel and Japan were all ruled out owing to, in the first two cases, a horse fall eliminating that combination, and in Japan’s case, the second and third riders withdrawing.
Under the old format, where four horses and riders jumped, teams could have dropped the elimination, or worst score, and continued.
“I think the three-horse rule is actually a very bad rule, no riders are in favour of it,” said Harry Charles after his round on Romeo 88 today (6 August).
“It’s totally unfair on the rider who actually makes a mistake. We all knew coming here that there was going to be a bit of carnage with this rule and you’ve seen it today.”
“Obviously with this new format everything counts, so it’s very hard for the team,” he said. “We are out now, and that’s the negativity of having just a three-man team, that there’s no drop score. These things happen as you’ve seen – a couple of other teams are falling out of bed as well. It’s hard to follow it really and see if it can be the future of our sport.”
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
H&H reported extensively on the controversy around the new format, which FEI president Ingmar de Vos said was “really important for the future of our sport if we are to increase universality in accordance with the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020”.
Rodrigo Pessoa said although the format caused no issues for his team; Brazil made it through to the final in eighth place, he does not agree with it.
“You saw things that happen, when the whole country is eliminated,” he said. “It played in our favour, but I don’t think it’s the right thing.”
Rodrigo added that he and Carlito’s Way will not jump in the final; the new format means combinations can be swapped in, which he said is a positive.
“But there are things that have to be changed for the next Olympics, definitely,” he said.
McLain Ward, whose five-fault round on Contagious helped the US team qualify for the final, described the Olympic team showjumping format as “a little complicated and challenging”.
“I’m very thankful we have a course-designer like Santiago [Varela] who really has been, in my opinion, brilliant,” he said.
“There’s no drop score, no room for error. There’s no room for a mild mishap. I’m not a fan of three-people teams; we’ve already seen this evening some really unfortunate problems.
“There are too many variables in a sport with a horse, an animal, and a rider to make it great sport in this format; my opinion.
“I think that’s something to discuss another day. We’ve got to focus on the task at hand tomorrow and then try to be in the mix.”
What do you think about the new Olympic format? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, and you could win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.
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
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
