The 33rd modern Olympics being hosted by Paris is fitting since the city will host the Games for a third time in 2024. Paris first hosted the Olympics in 1900, then again 100 years ago in 1924 and both years have significant ties to equestrian sports. Hosting for the third time ties Paris with London at the top of the list in number of times a city has hosted the Games.Poster for the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, the first of three times that Paris has hosted the Olympics. This was the first year for equestrian sports to be included in the modern Games. In addition to exhibition polo matches, the five Olympic equestrian events were: individual jumping; high jump; long jump; hacks and hunter combined, and mail coach. Five nations competed in the Olympic jumping events, with three more (Germany, Spain, and Austria) in the two driving events. There were three female riders, all of whom competed in the hacks and hunter combined event: Italian Elvira Guerra and Frenchwomen Jane Moulin and Blanche de Marcigny. Public Domain Photo
The year 1900 was the first modern Olympics to include horse sports. Although records indicate the ancient Olympics in Greece did include horse racing and chariot racing, the first modern Games in 1896 did not have any horse events.
Four years later, the 1900 Games staged five Olympic-medal equestrian events, as well as exhibition polo matches (with four mixed teams of players from Great Britain, France, Mexico, Spain and the United States). The five Olympic-medal contests were: individual jumping; high jump; long jump; hacks and hunter combined (included a flat class followed by a course of jumps), and mail coach (driving).
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Five nations competed in those 1900 Olympic jumping events, with three more (Germany, Spain and Austria) in the driving classes. Interestingly, even though we think of female riders competing for the first time in the Olympics at a much later time (the 1950s), there were three female riders who competed in 1900, all in the “hacks and hunter combined” event: Italian Elvira Guerra and Frenchwomen Jane Moulin and Blanche de Marcigny.Constant van Langhendonck (BEL) riding Extra Dry won the long jump, clearing 1.70 meters in the 1900 Paris Olympics. Public Domain Photo
In 1924 at the second Paris Olympics, equestrian competition took on a look more akin to today’s disciplines. And, that year marked the appearance of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) as the governing body for the international equestrian sports. Dressage (individual medals only), eventing (individual and team medals), and show jumping (individual and team medals) were contested. Seventeen nations fielded equestrian teams and a total of 97 riders and 126 horses competed.Poster for the 1924 Paris Olympics, the second time that Paris hosted and the second time in modern Olympic history that equestrian sports were included. This was the first year that the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale or International Equestrian Federation in English) governed Olympic competition. Dressage, show jumping and eventing were the competitions offered. Seventeen nations competed, including the USA, with American Sloan Doak riding Pathfinder to individual bronze in eventing (the first medal for an American rider in the modern Olympics). Public Domain Photo
Notably, the 1924 Olympics marked the the first-ever Olympic individual equestrian medal for the USA when U.S. Army Major Sloan Doak won individual bronze in eventing aboard Pathfinder. He also competed in eventing in the 1920 and 1928 Olympics and was multi-talented, competing in the dressage competition at the 1920 Games and in show jumping in the 1920 and 1924 Games as well. Later, he served as the Chairman of the Olympic Equestrian Jury, the first American to serve in that capacity. He was co-designer for the Olympic show jumping course at the 1932 Olympics. An equestrian procession at the Paris Olympics in 1924. Public Domain PhotoU.S. Army Major Sloan Doak aboard Pathfinder, the USA's first individual medalist in equestrian sports. Public Domain PhotoAlphonse Gemuseus and Lucette from Switzerland took the top prize in individual jumping at the 1924 Paris Games. Public Domain Photo
This was also the first year that an Olympic Games was broadcasted live. They used the Eiffel Tower as a radio broadcasting structure to report on the competition. The show jumping and eventing jumping that year were held in the Olympic Stadium in Paris.
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Kim MacMillan graduated from Purdue University where she majored in agriculture communications and animal science. She has been reporting on equestrian sports, agriculture, science, travel and history for over 35 years. She and her husband Allen, who is a professional photographer, have covered several World Equestrian, Olympic and Pan American Games. The MacMillans share their Northeastern Indiana farm with several much-loved horses, dogs and cats.
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