Sports
The New Zealand

Equestrian Team

Equestrian is the ultimate in team sport, a horse and rider working together for years to hone feats of grace, daring, agility and speed.

Chariot races and horseback riding appeared in Greece's ancient Games, but most of the equestrian as we know it began in the Olympic Games of 1912. It includes three disciplines &emdash; dressage, jumping and three-day event &emdash; each with individual and team competition. 

Dressage

This is a French wordwhich means training. Horse and rider are both dressed and groomed impeccably and the aim is to take the horsethrough its paces faultlessly. Horses have to walk, halt, trot, canter, change leg, piroutte and do an extended trot.

Jumping

 

Jumping, both exciting and easy to follow, is the most popular discipline. Jumping requires horse and rider to complete a course of about 15 obstacles, including triple bars, parallel rails, water jumps and simulated stone walls.

Penalties are incurred if jumps are taken in the wrong order, if a horse refuses a jump or knocks down a rail, and if time limits are exceeded.

Three-day event

The first day is dressage. The second day is a 24 kilometre speed and endurance test. The third day is show junping over fences in the stadium. The rider with the least penalties overall is the winner.

New Zealand is hoping to gain a medal in the equestrian events at Sydney.