Category Archives: Dressage

The 2012 London Games Equestrian competition begins on July 28 and ends on July 30. The three-day events have three individual and team elements: eventing (cross-country riding), dressage and jumping.

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Forty countries will compete in one or all three events. Not surprising Europe, the United States and Australia dominate the sport, but Brazil is a strong contender having won the Gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.

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Overall, 300 riders will vie for the Gold, the Silver and the Bronze in one or two or three categories.

Here’s an interesting side to this sport: animals compete with humans in the way they ride, jump or are dressed. It is an equal opportunity in that it is one of three sports where male and female compete with each other–the  other two are sailing and mixed tennis doubles.

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And yet, although horse competition originated in the blue dust of ancient Grecian games, the sport, as the world-renown Viennese Spanish Riding School describes it, has its roots in “die Renaissance Tradition,” inspired by knights on horseback.

Not all eyes will be turned on 71-year-old Hiroshi Hoketsu in the 2012 Summer London Olympics, as he will put his 15-year-old mare Whisper through her paces for a medal in Dressage.

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Already in the 2008 Games in Beijing, the then 67-year-old Japanese rider was the oldest contender in this equestrian sport. Yet, he was no novice at the Olympics; he has been competing since 1964 when Japan once again took her place in sponsoring the summer Olympic games after being banned for its role in world war two.

“Last Summer, I thought it would be impossible to make London, so it fills me with deep emotions,” Hoketsu said when he locked in a place in the summer games.

Some might seen in him the great white hope of old, in an age when baby boomers are entering their golden years. But win or lose, Hoketsu has the distinction of being the oldest Japanese athlete to participate in any event.

Still more, Dressage is the kind of Olympic sport that is comes closest in spirit to the annual Westminster Dog Show in its appeal.

Nonetheless, the eyes of the British who are famously known for their passion for dressage from the Royals to the wealthy horsey set, will be watching Hoketsu with interest.