Equestrianism has been in the Summer Olympics since the 1900 Games in Paris. Events have changed over the years, with the Paris Games featuring polo, grand prix jumping, and high jump competitions. None of those events are still included in Olympic equestrian. Now, the Olympic equestrian medal events are individual and team dressage, individual and team jumping, and individual and team eventing.
Eventing is like a triathlon in that it involves three different phases: dressage, cross country, and show jumping. In dressage, the rider showcases their grace and synchronicity with their horse while performing various movements. Cross country tests the horse’s physical abilities in different obstacles and over varied terrain. In show jumping, the rider guides the horse through a course while jumping over multiple fences. Rider-and-horse duos are docked points for penalties throughout each phase, and the pair with the fewest points at the end of the competition wins the gold medal.
Germany is the all-time leading nation in Olympic equestrian with 56 medals (28 gold, 14 silver, and 14 bronze). The country has dominated the individual eventing competition in recent years, winning four of the last five gold medals. Let’s learn about all five winners, however.
1. Tokyo 2020, Julia Krajewski (Germany)
Women have competed alongside men in equestrian events for more than 50 years and have even been quite successful in other disciplines. Germany’s Julia Krajewski made history in 2020 as the first-ever woman to win the gold medal in individual eventing. The 34-year-old rider, on her horse Amande de B’Neville, executed in a near perfect final jump to secure the top spot on the podium. She was in fourth place after the dressage portion of the competition and moved into second place behind Great Britain’s Oliver Townend after the cross-country phase.
Despite Germany’s dominance in eventing, Krajewski was an unlikely winner in Tokyo 2020. Her father passed away not long before the Olympics, and she had recently retired her horse Samouri de Thot. She had doubts that she would even be selected to Germany’s Olympic equestrian team.
“It’s the stuff that films are made of . . . I thought the Olympics would happen without me. And that was fine,” Krajewski recalled after winning the gold medal. “Then slowly with going to Saumur and winning there, and feeling that Mandy really stepped up a level and could deliver something really big, I thought, ‘Okay, Maybe you’ve got a little chance of going.'”
Tom McEwen (Great Britain) and Andrew Hoy (Australia) won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
2. Rio de Janeiro 2016, Michael Jung (Germany)
Already a member of the Eventing Rider Association Hall of Fame, Michael Jung won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in eventing at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. He also won a silver medal in the team eventing competition. Jung had one of the best seasons in eventing history in 2016, becoming only the second rider to win the Grand Slam of Eventing (Kentucky Three-Day Event, Badminton Horse Trials, and Burghley Horse Trials) since 1999.
Astier Nicolas (France) won the silver medal and Phillip Dutton (USA) won the bronze medal.
3. London 2012, Michael Jung (Germany)
Jung was a double gold medalist at the London 2012 Games, winning the individual and team event alongside his German compatriots Peter Thomson, Dirk Schrade, Ingrid Klimke, and Sandra Auffarth. Jung, who celebrated his 30th birthday the day of the individual eventing competition, came into the 2012 Games as the defending European and world champion. He was behind Sara Algotsson Ostholt heading into the show jumping phase, but the Swede and her horse Wega dislodged a pole and had to settle for second place. Auffarth (Germany) won the bronze medal.
4. Beijing 2008, Hinrich Romeike (Germany)
Like Jung in 2012, Hinrich Romeike was a double gold medalist at the Beijing Games in 2008. Romeike finished in fifth place in the individual eventing competition at the Athens 2004 Games and led through all three phases in 2008 to begin a streak of four consecutive years in which a German rider won the gold medal. Gina Miles (USA) and Kristina Cook (Great Britain) won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
5. Athens 2004, Leslie Law (Great Britain)
Great Britain’s Leslie Law originally won the silver medal in individual eventing at the Athens 2004 Games. However, he was awarded the gold medal several days later after returning to his home in England. German rider Bettina Hoy stood atop the podium in Beijing but was later given time penalties by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Law received his gold medal during a reception at Buckingham Palace. Law also won team silver medals in Athens and at the Sydney 2000 Games.
Hoy, after receiving time penalties, finished off the podium in Athens. Kimberly Severson (USA) finished in second place and Philippa Funnell (Great Britain) earned third place.