Equestrian competitions at the Olympics. What sports should be kicked out of the Olympics?

This type of competition includes several disciplines, united by the fact that horses participate in all. In equestrian sports, it is impossible to say what means more - the quality of the rider or the horse itself. This is a sport where men and women compete together, there is no division into male and female disciplines, since the gender of the athlete does not matter. For the first time, equestrian sport was decided to be included in the Summer Olympic Games in 1912. That Olympics was held in Stockholm, and the representatives of the Swedish team won almost all the medals.

Competitors in equestrian sports

The Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 will allow you to win six sets of medals in equestrian sports - according to the number of disciplines included in the program.

• personal dressage;
• team dressage;
• individual triathlon;
• team triathlon;
• personal show jumping;
• team competition.

Dressage is a training of the highest class. It is considered one of the most elegant sports. To show nice results When going in for equestrian sports, the rider must demonstrate all the horse's abilities to perform beautiful and productive movements in different conditions.

Of great importance is how the horse correctly maintains its position, how obediently follows the movements of the rider. Also evaluate and appearance animal, how harmoniously it is built and able to perform movements beautifully.

Equestrian eventing is a complex sport that requires a lot of endurance from both horse and rider. In the past, this was a military discipline: this is how horses were prepared for use in the troops. Equestrian triathlon includes such disciplines as riding in the arena, field trials or cross-country, overcoming obstacles (show jumping). It is obligatory that the participants in all competitions were on the same horses. Evaluate the obedience of the animal, its endurance, as well as the ability to jump.

Jumping is a sport in which a rider on a horse overcomes obstacles. They set up bars of various heights, and the horse must jump over them. This sport requires a long training of the horse, as well as the ability of the rider to plan and decisively command the animal how to behave.

The qualification of the competition and the selection of teams from different countries for participation are based on a qualifying tournament, one of the following:

• World Equestrian Games 2014;
• Equestrianism at the Pan American Games;
• European Dressage Championship 2015;
• Olympic qualification.

Equestrian competition calendar

Equestrian competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics will be held from 6 to 12, from 13 to 17 and 19 August at the National Equestrian Center.

Summer Olympic Games, schedule:

• August 6th Dressage, day 1: individual eventing, team eventing.
• August 7. Dressage, 2nd day: individual triathlon, team triathlon.
• 8 August. Cross: individual championship in triathlon, team championship in triathlon.
• August 9th. Eventing individual championship: show jumping qualification, final. Eventing team championship: show jumping, final.
• August 10. 1st day of individual and team dressage championships.
• 11th August. 2nd day of individual and team dressage championships.
• 12th of August. Special program for individual and team dressage championships. Team championship final.
• August 14th. Individual show jumping championship, qualification;
• August 15. Individual dressage championship: free program and final;
• August 16th. Jumping individual championship, second qualification. Show jumping team championship, 1st round;
• August 17th. Individual show jumping championship, third qualification. Show Jumping Team Championship, 2nd round and final;

Horse riding has long been turned into a spectacular and exciting sport. The rider communicates with the horse through voice commands, shifting the center of gravity of the body, moving the legs and pulling the reins. The power and grace of the horse, thanks to the skills of the rider, add entertainment to the competition. Equestrian sport is a collective concept. It includes several sports disciplines, in which riders show the skill of riding and managing a horse.

Equestrianism at the Olympics

Equestrian sport was introduced into the Olympic Games in 1900. Initially, riders competed in show jumping and jumping. After a while, the high jump and long jump were canceled.

Did you know?Equestrian competitions were part of the mandatory program of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. The riders demonstrated to the audience the skill of jumping and driving a chariot.

After 12 years in Stockholm, dressage and triathlon were introduced into the competitive program.

classic views

Equestrian disciplines include:

• dressage;
• jumping;
• triathlon;
• driving;
• horse races;
• vaulting.

Dressage (training)

Dressage is considered the highest school of riding and is also an Olympic sport. The rider shows mastery of control over the horse.
The animal must perform the following elements of the program without errors:

• rack;
• side bends;
• backward movement;
• half-pirouettes and pirouettes;
• passage;
• change of legs in a canter.

Horse movements are performed at a different pace. In addition to the correctness and ease of animal movements, the judges evaluate the appearance of the horse and rider.

Show jumping, they are also overcoming obstacles, is considered the most common discipline in classical equestrian competitions. These competitions are rightly called the most spectacular among equestrian sports disciplines.

The number and size of obstacles may vary. The judges evaluate the obedience of the horse, the rider's ability to stay in the saddle and the time for which the route was completed.

Equestrian Eventing is a three-day event.

It consists of:

• riding arena;
• field trials;
• overcoming obstacles.

The dressage test is held on the first day of the competition program. It is a somewhat simplified version of dressage. The horse performs natural movements and a couple simple exercises from the training program.

The second day is devoted to field tests. They are carried out on a route divided into sections. The first section is about 10 km of rough terrain, which the animal passes at a variable pace.
The second section of the route is jumps with obstacles. The third and fourth sections repeat the previous ones, but are more complex. The passage of each section has time limits. The stage of field trials is considered the most responsible and significant in triathlon.

The final result depends on the result of this stage of the competition. Overcoming obstacles is carried out on the third day of the competition. A rider with a horse must overcome 13 artificial obstacles in a certain sequence.

Driving is called the competition of horse teams. Riders demonstrate the skill of crew management. A team can carry from one to four horses.

Did you know?Driving is considered the most expensive equestrian sport. The cost of a simple carriage with one horse, not including the maintenance of the animal, is comparable to the cost of a Mercedes S-class.

They have to overcome special obstacles.

Runs are a test of a horse's agility and endurance. The rider needs to calculate the physical capabilities of the horse and correctly distribute them throughout the distance. The length of the distance varies from 10 to 160 km. Riders pass it for a while.

A few days are given to cover long distances. Horse races for 7, 12 and 25 km are popular.

Unlike previous competitions, vaulting puts a lot of stress on the rider. The horse runs in a circle, and the rider shows a gymnastic program at this time.

Ammunition for the horse

Animal ammunition performs several important functions at once:

1. Horse protection.
2. Horse management.
3. rider comfort.

To protect the animal use the following ammunition:

• - a blanket of a special cut, which is necessary to maintain the cleanliness and thermoregulation of the horse;
• cotton or crepe bandages- used as protection against stretching, as well as for additional insulation in the cold;
• - special padding under the saddle. The saddle pad protects the horse's back from damage and namin.

To control a horse, you will also need special equipment:

• bit- this design consists of a pair of metal rings and a rubber bite. Due to the physiological characteristics of the horse's jaw, the bit controls the movements of the head and upper body of the animal;
• – leather straps that fix the bits and allow them to be manipulated. In this way, signals are transmitted from the rider to the horse;
• reins- the main means of controlling the horse. They are leather straps connected to the bits;
• martingale- additional reins that prevent the horse from tipping its head back;
• - it may seem that this device is needed only for the convenience of the rider. Although in fact, the saddle protects the horse's back from improper load, distributing the rider's weight throughout the body of the animal;

• - stops under the rider's legs. They are a continuation of the saddle. Allow the rider to maintain balance while riding;
• spurs- a special device for the legs, with which the rider acts on the sides of the horse.

Important! The saddle must be made individually, according to the parameters of the horse. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury to the animal.

Rider equipment

The rider needs ammunition primarily for protection and convenience.

The main elements of the rider's equipment:

• helmet- protects the head from serious injuries when falling;
• shoes and leggings- It is advisable to choose shoes with a high and hard bootleg. If there are no suitable shoes, leggings will come to the rescue. This is a separate shaft that can be worn with low shoes. The sole should be smooth, with a small heel;

• breeches for equestrian sports- differ from casual wear in dense leather inserts on the inner surface of the thighs and on the knees. These inserts protect the rider from strong friction;
• gloves- the main protection of the rider's hands from cold and dirt. They also provide better grip on the hands and reins.

Important! You can not choose shoes with corrugated massive soles. Such shoes do not allow the rider to quickly stretch their legs out of the stirrups, which is fraught with injury.

At the same time, contact with a horse brings tremendous pleasure to the rider and has a general strengthening effect on the body.

The history of equestrianism at the Olympic Games began in 1912.

The modern history of the Olympics began in 1894, when Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee, whose task was to revive Olympic Movement. In 1896, the first modern Games were held, and Athens became their venue. However, the debut of equestrianism at the Olympics occurred much later, in 1912, in Stockholm, thanks to the efforts of Count Clarence von Rosen, the equestrian (Master of the horse) King of Sweden. The count developed the first rules and competition program. In Stockholm, there were competitions in dressage in the individual classification, show jumping in the individual and team classification (Prize of Nations) and triathlon for regular officers.

In 1921, another equestrian governing body was formed: the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). It is quite natural that over the almost century-long history of the development of sports, a lot has changed in the rules for holding competitions. Triathlon, which at the beginning of the century was called Military, was the lot of the military. Only officers serving in the army on their own horses were allowed to compete. The competition was held in four days: running and cross-country on the first day, then testing the speed of the horse, show jumping and dressage.

Olympic show jumping competitions at the beginning of the century were also open to athletes who were not in military service. Only horses belonging to military cavalry schools were not allowed to show jumping. But dressage competitions have undergone the most serious change. Modern fans of this elegant sport may not believe it, but in 1912 dressage competition included overcoming obstacles. Participants had to jump four low (up to 110 cm) obstacles, as well as one latitudinal obstacle. The test also included movements in various gaits, circles, figure-eights and leg changes. In modern terminology Olympic program of that time, in terms of complexity, it did not even reach the Small Prize.

Except three Olympic disciplines, which are now included in the program of the Olympics, competitions in other equestrian sports were also held at the Games. In 1900, in Paris, four teams, which included athletes from the USA, Great Britain, Spain, France and Mexico, participated in a polo tournament. The last Olympics to feature polo medals was in Berlin in 1936, and Argentina was the last Olympic gold medal winner.

In 1920, in Antwerp, the one and only time at the Olympics, the voltazhirovka competition took place. Athletes performed various exercises on a horse standing still and galloping, both with a saddle and without a saddle. Athletes from three countries took part in the competition, and cavalrymen from Belgium became the winners.

Although equestrianism is strongly associated with summer sports, in 1948 the program Winter Olympics, which took place in the high-altitude Swiss resort of St. Moritz, the winter pentathlon was included. This sport involved hurdling across the ice of a frozen lake. However, since then winter equestrianism in St. Moritz has remained more of a commercial attraction to attract tourists than a competition of great sporting significance.

A team of Russian officers in the amount of five people also took part in the 1912 Olympics. They could not compete with the Swedes in the fight for medals, however, they took fifth place in one of the types of the program. From Russia, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, captains Rodzianko and Ekimov, lieutenants Pleshkov, Zagorsky, Rummel, Selikhov acted in the competition. In the competition for the Prize of Nations, the Russian team was fifth. In the higher riding school, Captain Ekimov, on his horse Tritonych, took ninth place. The Swedish equestrians were the first in both personal and team competitions.

At the first Olympics, the same horses under the saddle of the same riders could participate in several types of programs, for example, in dressage and eventing, or in show jumping and eventing. Competitions were held according to national rules, which were developed specifically for the Olympics. In 1921, it was decided to create an international organization that could regulate the holding of equestrian competitions.

On November 24-25, 1921, the first FEI Charter was adopted in Paris. The national federations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the USA took an active part in its development. Baron du Teil (Belgium) became the first President of the FEI. Since then, the FEI, in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee, has dealt with all matters relating to equestrian competition within the framework of the Olympic Games. Despite the large number of tournaments at various levels, Olympic medals are the most desirable and honorable for equestrian athletes.

Horseback Riding This is a horse riding competition.

Competitions of equestrians on chariots drawn by four horses were first held in 680 BC. at the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, and horse racing was first included in the program of the ancient Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. e.

The first riding schools appeared in the XVI-XVII centuries in Italy - Naples, France - Versailles, Spain - Madrid, Austria - Vienna. In the XVIII - XIX centuries equestrian sport is widely developed in many European countries.

In 1921, the International Equestrian Federation FEI was founded, which unites more than 110 national federations.

Equestrian sport has been on the program of the Olympic Games since 1900.

The program included: a personal championship in overcoming obstacles, long jumps and high jumps, which were subsequently excluded from the program of the Olympic Games.

In 1912, the program included: individual and team championships in triathlon and overcoming obstacles and an individual dressage championship.
At the 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, there were no equestrian competitions.

In the program of 1920, additional competitions were held in vaulting and two runs of 20 and 50 km, which were later excluded from these types.

In 1928, the program included individual and team championships in eventing, overcoming obstacles and dressage.

The 1900, 1908, 1920, 1924 and 1936 Olympic Games featured equestrian polo competitions.

The main types of equestrian sports: dressage - higher riding school ( olympic look); show jumping-ippik - overcoming obstacles (Olympic type); triathlon: dressage riding - exercises on the main gaits, field trials - driving on roads, steeple chase, cross-country, and overcoming obstacles (Olympic view); horse racing; horse hunting; vaulting, etc.

In the modern program of the Olympic Games, 6 sets of medals are played: individual and team championships in dressage, overcoming obstacles and triathlon. In competitions, women participate in all numbers of the program on an equal basis with men.

The program of the 1996 Olympic Games included a free program, KUR, containing all the elements of higher education, performed to music. In overcoming obstacles, the Olympic program includes three show jumping: personal qualifying, team.

Since 1972, the team championship is determined by the best three out of four results in each of the two rounds of the team competition. Triathlon includes arena riding - dressage according to a simplified program, field trials and overcoming obstacles - 12-13 obstacles up to 1.2 m high.

Since 1996, the team and individual eventing championships have been held separately.

World and European championships have been held since 1953, and horse racing was first included in the program of the ancient Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. e.

Horseback Riding- competitions in the art of riding a horse. When riding, the rider does not sit passively on the horse, but interacts actively with the movement of the horse. The horse is orchestrated by moving the rider's weight, squeezing the hips, and loosening or tightening the leashes. The voice of the rider can also influence the movement of the horse, but this is not allowed in all equestrian sports.
Equestrian sport originated several thousand years ago. The prerequisites for its appearance was the use of horses in military operations. The life of the rider during the battle largely depended on the behavior of the horse, so there was a need for special preparation of the horse: the development of strength, endurance, unquestioning obedience to man. Often, the horse was required to be able to stop abruptly, change gaits, overcome obstacles, gallop over rough terrain, etc., which later became equestrian disciplines. In the countries of the Ancient East, in Babylon and Assyria, as early as the 17th century. BC. horse races harnessed to chariots were held. In Egypt, during the time of Pharaoh Ramesses III (1200 - 1168 BC, XX dynasty), there was an ancient hippodrome, which occupied a space of 2432 m in length and 1000 m in width, which was called Birket-Abu, since it is located on the site of a dried-up lake . Nearby are the ruins of Medinet Abu, the tomb of the great pharaoh, on the walls of which large relief images of Ramses III in everyday life are carved. On one of them, he is shown riding magnificent horses in the arena. Pharaoh makes them walk in a "dance" step. musical accompaniment of flutists. But the most pronounced, so to speak, the starting period of the true heyday of equestrian sports and the emergence of an equestrian circus inextricably linked with it should be sought in Hellas in the 5th - 3rd centuries. BC. Equestrian sport in ancient Greece develops well-defined principles with the introduction of the Olympic Games. There, the most complex problems of horse training, organization of equestrian competitions, refereeing, equipment and construction of special places for conducting are raised and solved. With the development of equestrian sports in Ancient Greece, a cult of spectacular events was created, the basis of which was a horse, horse riding, a competition held in a specially erected structure - a circus, and then a hippodrome. Hence the concept of the circus, as a place of performance - a place of a crowded folk spectacle of equestrian competitions, is unthinkable without horses. In 680 BC at the 25th Olympiad, running of fours appears, and in 648 BC. at the 33rd Olympiad - riding horses. Over time, other forms of equestrian competitions develop, which are becoming more organized and mass. Horse competitions are in the center of attention of the peoples of the ancient world, they are dressed in the form of a grandiose, full of excitement equestrian spectacle, bringing unfading glory to its heroes. The winners of equestrian competitions in Greece were waiting for a wreath and a palm branch, in Byzantium a golden chain was put on the neck of the winner and a liter - one pound (400 r) of gold was given out from the imperial treasury in the form of 72 gold coins.
In the Middle Ages, knights were the only military class. Manuscripts of the 11th century lists the "seven arts of a knight": horseback riding, swimming, archery, fencing, birding, poetry and chess. The knights were excellent riders, perfectly mastered weapons, constant exercises in various equestrian games, carousels and tournaments improved and maintained their combat skills and riding technique. This contributed to the creation of special riding schools, arena and tournament dressage of horses. The first riding schools appeared in the 16th-17th centuries. in Italy - Naples, France - Versailles, Spain - Madrid, Austria - Vienna. In the XVIII - XIX centuries. equestrian sport is widely developed in many European countries. In 1921, the International Equestrian Federation FEI was founded, which unites more than 110 national federations. Since 1900, equestrian sport has been included in the program of the Olympic Games. The program included: a personal championship in overcoming obstacles, long jumps and high jumps, which were subsequently excluded from the program of the Olympic Games. At the Olympic Games of 1904 and 1908, equestrian competitions were not held. In 1912, the program included: individual and team championships in triathlon and overcoming obstacles and an individual dressage championship. The program of 1920 additionally included vaulting competitions and two runs of 20 and 50 km, which were later excluded from these events. In 1928, the program included individual and team championships in eventing, overcoming obstacles and dressage. At the Olympic Games 1900, 1908, 1920, 1924 and 1936. equestrian polo competitions were held. In the modern program of the Olympic Games, 6 sets of medals are played: individual and team championships in dressage, overcoming obstacles and triathlon. In competitions, women participate in all numbers of the program on an equal basis with men. The program of the 1996 Olympic Games included a free program, KUR, containing all the elements of higher education, performed to music. In overcoming obstacles, the Olympic program includes three show jumping: personal qualifying, team. Since 1972, the team championship has been determined by the best three out of four results in each of the two rounds of the team competition. Triathlon includes arena riding - dressage according to a simplified program, field trials and overcoming obstacles - 12-13 obstacles up to 1.2 m high. Since 1996, team and individual triathlon championships have been held separately. World and European championships have been held since 1953. Equestrian sports are exceptionally diverse. It includes the following groups:
classic equestrian sports - competitions held under the auspices of the FEI - International Federation equestrian sports;
racing and running sports;
national equestrian games;
children's sports - "pony clubs";
other types of equestrian sports, widespread in the countries of the world.

Classic (Olympic) equestrian sports:
Dressage - the highest school of riding - is a sport in which the rider must demonstrate: the horse's ability to correct and productive movements at all gaits at different tempos - from reduced to extended, smooth and rhythmic transitions from one gait to another, correct stance, reining (moving backwards), movements with lateral bendings, developed by special training, complex movements (pirouettes, changing legs at a canter in 4-1 pace, passage, piaffe). When performing these exercises, the horse must move, maintaining one or another position of his body, corresponding to the number of the program. In dressage, it is important to have momentum - the desire to move forward, complete obedience to the controls, the actions of which should be almost imperceptible. The general appearance of the horse, its harmony and natural ability for elastic beautiful movements are also evaluated. Dressage competitions are held in a standard arena 60x20 m, which has a letter marking of its area. The programs used in dressage, according to complexity, can be divided into three groups: the first is schemes, or, as they are commonly called, rides for young horses and beginner athletes; the second - "small" and "1st medium" prizes, and the third - "2nd medium and" large "prize. In addition to the compulsory programs with established schemes in high-ranking competitions, including Olympic Games, there may be free programs, the so-called "kur", where athletes, accompanied by musical accompaniment, demonstrate in any sequence the exercises adopted in dressage. These are the most colorful and interesting performances, where much depends on the composition and the music chosen for it. Dressage competitions are observed by five judges, each of which sequentially evaluates all the exercises provided for by the program according to a ten-point system. The sum of the points of all marks is the result of the performance of the rider. For a more convenient comparison of performances and determining the level of each athlete, it is customary to express the result as a percentage of points scored in relation to their maximum amount. These percentages are taken into account when assigning a sports category to a rider. The Soviet and Russian school of dressage has always been famous for the high skill of coaches and athletes. Our equestrians have victories and prizes in personal and team championship at the World Championships and the Olympic Games. We are proud of the performances of Sergei Filatov on Absent, Ivan Kizimov on Ichor, Elena Petushkova on Ash and many of our other riders. Today, Nina Menkova, Elena Sidneva, Elena Irsetskaya and other athletes made a worthy replacement for these masters. For dressage competitions, horses of half-breed breeds are most suitable: Trakehner, Hanoverian, Ukrainian riding. In recent years, the horses of the revived Russian riding breed have been especially successful. Experts believe that for successful work in dressage, horses with a height of 165-167 cm, a body length of 166-168 cm, a chest girth of 194-196 cm and a metacarpus girth of 21-22 cm are most desirable.

Jumping (overcoming obstacles) - the most massive and popular type of equestrian sport. In this event, a rider with a horse must go through a route, overcoming obstacles installed on it, consisting of separate wooden parts. When touched, obstacles are easily destroyed, thereby preventing participants from injury and falls. Show jumping obstacles are quite diverse: sheer pole fences (Chukhons), parallel bars (oxers), streamlined tees, stone walls, bridges and other structures made of wood, ditches with water - open and with obstacles made of poles installed above them, as well as their various combinations. The height of obstacles, depending on the class of competition, is from 100 to 180 cm. On the route, in accordance with the class of difficulty, from 8 to 16 obstacles are installed. Two or three of them are a system of several barriers located at a distance of 7-12 m. By their nature, competitions in overcoming obstacles are quite diverse. They may follow a predetermined route with a certain sequence of jumps, and sometimes the rider is presented with the choice of the route himself. There are competitions in which only a part of the obstacles of the rider's choice are overcome, relay races with the participation of two athletes and a number of other types of show jumping. The judging of these competitions is also different. In show jumping along a predetermined route, the cleanliness of the passage and the speed of movement are evaluated. For the destruction of an obstacle or part of it, the rider receives 4 penalty points, for a refusal (refusal of the horse to jump) also 4 penalty points, the second refusal entails the removal of the rider from the competition. The rider is also removed if he falls from the horse or together with it, as well as when the animal leaves the jumping field. For overtime, the rider receives 1 penalty point for each extra second. In case of equality of the best results for the participants, a jump-off is assigned along a shortened route with an increase in obstacles by 10 cm, while the result is determined already taking into account the time spent. Jumping competitions are especially spectacular. The field is decorated with greenery and flowers, decorative slopes in the form of various architectural or ethnographic attributes are installed near the obstacles, riders perform in bright redingotes. All this creates a festive atmosphere. Athletes - show jumpers of our country have repeatedly demonstrated high results, speaking at the European and World Championships and the Olympic Games, although we did not have many gold medalists in this sport. In recent years, unfortunately, our athletes are significantly behind the best world-class riders. Desirable measurements for show jumping horses are: height at the withers: 167-169 cm, body length 164-166 cm, chest girth 193-195 cm and metacarpus girth about 22 cm. and purebred riding breed.

Triathlon is the most difficult of the Olympic equestrian sports. These competitions are held for three days. On the first day, riders show off their skills in the dressage show, which is similar to simple dressage programs. On the second day, field trials are held, consisting of road driving, steeple chase and cross country. The main difficulty in these competitions for most participants is the passage of the route over rough terrain. It includes up to 28 deaf, not collapsing when hitting obstacles up to 120 cm high and up to 180 cm wide. Its length is up to 7200 m in competitions for horses aged 5-7 years. For the latter, the height of obstacles in steeplechase and cross-country is 110 cm. On the last day of the competition, after a thorough check of the horses by the veterinary commission for safety, obstacles up to 120 cm high for adults and up to 110 cm high for young horses are overcome according to show jumping rules. Domestic athletes in this sport in previous years had notable successes, but in Lately we don't have any achievements here. The reason for this is the lack of funding and the collapse of the training system. Thoroughbred riding horses and their crosses are especially successful in triathlon. Good results are also shown by horses of the Trakehner and Budyonov breeds. According to available recommendations, horses with the following measurements are desirable for effective use in triathlon competitions: height at the withers 164-166 cm, body length 161-163 cm, chest girth 187-189 cm and metacarpus girth about 91 cm. In some cases, this In a sport, competitions can be held according to an abbreviated program - in the form of biathlon (dressage riding with show jumping, dressage riding with field trials).

Other equestrian sports:
■ Dzhigitovka― (from the Turkic dzhigit - a skillful and courageous rider), a type of equestrian sport, a gallop ride on a horse, during which the rider jumps off the horse at full speed and jumps on it, picks up objects from the ground, hangs on the side or under the belly of the horse , performs acrobatic numbers, shoots at a target, etc. It is used in the training of cavalrymen and equestrian athletes.

■ Vaulting- these are gymnastic exercises (jerks, jumps, dismounts, stops, scissors, racks, etc.) performed by an athlete on a horse moving in a circle with a diameter of 12-15 m at a trot or gallop. The horse goes under a special vaulting saddle with handles. The horse's head is fixed in the desired position with interchanges - auxiliary reins. Cordova keeps the horse on the cord and, if necessary, drives it with a whip.

■ Steeple Chase- jump with obstacles - is carried out on a specially equipped track up to 8 km long, which passes through terrain with small elevation changes and various soils (green or sandy path, plowed field). Up to 30 different obstacles are installed at the distance, the height of which reaches 150 cm and the width is 6 m. and water-filled channels, etc. Steeple Chase riders on horses of older age (not younger than 5 years old) participate.

■ horse racing- testing of breeding horses of riding breeds in order to identify and develop their performance (agility, endurance, jumping ability).

■ Trotting runs- testing horses of trotting breeds for running speed and endurance. A trot or amble with a rider in a two-wheeled carriage (rocking chair) is carried out at the gait.

■ Competitions- on distance equestrian runs, they aim to test the endurance and speed data of the horse at distances exceeding the routes of triathlon field trials, and the ability of the rider to correctly distribute the forces and capabilities of his horse.

■ Cutting vines from a horse- a kind of military-applied sport, especially popular in the cavalry. Until the mid 1950s. was included in the program of all major equestrian competitions in the USSR. At a straight distance of 200 m to the right and left, 12 racks were alternately installed at a distance of 12-15 m from one another with different targets for cutting and pricking (straight vine, clay cone, clay ball, scarecrow). Competitors jumped one at a time along the distance at a speed of at least 500 m / min and, striking with a saber on both sides, cut down the vines and the cone, hit the ball (head) and the scarecrow with a prick and tore off the ring.