Equestrian became an official part of the Olympics in 1912. There are three components to equestrian: dressage, jumping and eventing with individual and team competitions in each.

Much like the compulsory component of figure skating, dressage sees riders perform a series of predetermined movements. Judges award points on the quality of the execution of each movement with zero awarded for an incomplete movement to 10 for an “excellent” execution.

Jumping requires riders and their horses jump a variety of fence-like obstacles with points deducted for any obstacles knocked down or if a horse refuses to jump an obstacle.

Eventing consists of dressage, jumping and a cross country component that requires horses and riders to navigate a 6-kilometer obstacle course of fences, water jumps and hedges as fast as possible.

Equestrian events take place July 24 Aug. 7.

Venue and access information

With the exception of the cross country portion of eventing, equestrian events will take place at Equestrian Park, a facility that hosted the event in the 1964 Games as well. It has a capacity of 9,300 and is about 15 minutes from Sakura-shimmachi Station on the Den-en-toshi Line.

The cross country event will be held at Sea Forest Cross-Country Course, a temporary facility for these Olympics that has a capacity of 16,000. It can be accessed via shuttle bus from Tokyo Teleport Station on the Rinkai Line.