The Tokyo 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games have been described by many as a ‘Games like no other’ and they really were in so many ways. Following a year’s delay due to the ongoing global pandemic, the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in a unique environment with strict travel restrictions and regulations, athletes confined to a bubble and no spectators allowed into the stadiums.

But even with all the challenges, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games delivered truly great champions in all equestrian disciplines, across both the Team and Individual competitions.

Jumping

Individual first timers:

• Dominican Republic
• Israel
• Sri Lanka

Team first timers:

• Egypt
• Morocco

Course designer:

Santiago Varela (ESP)

A total of 73 horse-and-athlete combinations took part in the first competition of the individual Jumping in Baji Koen. Only the top 30 combinations made it to the Final, which started again on a zero score in the battle for the medals.

Great Britain’s Ben Maher was a clear favourite for the Individual title together with his aptly-named horse Explosion W, but Sweden’s Peder Fredricson had set a serious target with his horse All In and went clear in the jump-off in just 38.02 seconds. The suspense could not have been greater when Maher followed with a sensational run, and an unbeatable 37.85 seconds which won him the gold medal.

Fredricson and his brilliant 16-year-old gelding took their second Olympic silver medal, while bronze went to the last man entering the ring The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten together with Beauville Z.

Sweden were the strong favourites for the team title, especially as Swedish athletes   produced one clear round after the other across the individual competition in the days preceding the team competition. In a thrilling jump-off against the clock, Henrik von Eckermann & King Edward, Malin Baryard-Johnsson & Indiana and Peder Fredricson & All In reigned supreme. But Team USA chased Sweden all the way to the line, with tremendous performances from Laura Kraut & Baloutine, Jessica Springsteen & Don Juan van de Donkhoeve and McLain Ward & Contagious to win team silver. Belgium’s Pieter Devos & Claire Z, Jerome Guery & Quel Homme de Hus and Gregory Wathelet & Nevados S took home the bronze.

This was Sweden’s fourth victory in the history of Jumping at Olympic Games, and it had been a long time coming. Sweden had taken the team title three times in a row: when Jumping was first introduced to the Games on home ground in Stockholm in 1912; in Antwerp (BEL) in 1920; and Paris (FRA) in 1924.

Team Podium

Individual Podium

Dressage

Individual first timers:

• Estonia
• Luxembourg
• Singapore

Team first timers:

• Belgium

With a new team competition format, separating athletes into groups and reducing team numbers to three with all scores to count, the intensity and excitement of the deciding Grand Prix Special was clearly palpable. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl & TSF Dalera, Isabell Werth & Bella Rose, and Dorothee Schneider & Showtime delivered stunning performances to win the Olympic Team Dressage title and ensure Germany’s place in the history books. Over 27 years, Germany which has long been the cradle of classical horsemanship, has been unbeatable at this level of the sport. Team USA took silver and Great Britain, bronze.

The Individual Dressage title in the Freestyle to Music revealed a new superstar, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, who claimed gold with her mare TSF Dalera while long-time compatriot and Dressage legend Isabell Werth & Bella Rose had to settle for silver. Bronze went to former Olympic Champion, Charlotte Dujardin for Great Britain together with her fantastic little horse Gio.

As the freshly crowned Olympic Champion von Bredow-Werndl was truly on fire in each competition, throwing down the biggest score in the opening Grand Prix and then setting a new Olympic record in the Grand Prix Special which secured the team title for her country. She then went on to produce another performance in the Freestyle that displayed class and elegance worthy only of gold.

Team Podium

Grand Prix Freestyle to Music Podium

Eventing

Individual first timers:

• Hong Kong

Team first timers:

• China
• Thailand

Britain’s Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen were in a league of their own as they cruised to Eventing team gold in Tokyo.

The British team had taken an early lead after the final session of the Dressage phase. Team Germany were second ahead of New Zealand, while host nation Japan were impressive in fourth place going into the cross-country. British dominance continued on the Sea Forest cross country course designed by Derek di Grazia (USA).

World number one, Oliver Townend (GBR), regained the individual lead established on the first day of the Dressage phase with a perfect ride on Ballaghmor Class, and with solid performances from team mates Laura Collett & London 52, and Tom McEwen & Toledo de Kresker, the British team went into the final Jumping phase with four fences in hand over their nearest rivals. Under no threat from their closest rivals, the Jumping phase was a formality for the Brits in sealing the deal and taking gold.

The real battle was played out between Australia and France, who entered the Jumping phase with a hair’s breadth between them. In the end it came down to 1.3 penalties which separated both countries and with a clear round, Andrew Hoy secured silver for Australia putting France in third position.   

Germany’s Julia Krajewski entered the equestrian history books as the very first female athlete to take the Individual Olympic Eventing title with her 11-year old Selle Français mare Amande de B’Neville. Female firsts and the Tokyo Olympics seem to be intrinsically linked as USA’s Lana du Pont was the first woman to compete in the three-day event when the Games took place in Tokyo in 1964.

Krajewski had been the German pathfinder on the cross country and had picked up only 0.4 time penalties with her mare, reaching the final Jumping phase in silver medal spot. The margins were generally tight on the Individual leader board with Oliver Townend just two penalty points ahead of Krajewski, and Laura Collett only 0.2 further adrift. Last in the Jumping arena, 32-year-old Krajewski could have been completely overwhelmed but held her nerve to deliver a fabulous round crowning her individual Olympic Champion.

In the battle for the remaining Individual podium places it was Britain’s Tom McEwen who took the silver while Australia’s Andrew Hoy clinched the bronze for a result that was nothing short of sensational. The three-time team gold medallist has a staggering record of participation at eight Olympic Games dating all the way back to Los Angeles in 1984. He was only 25 years old back then, and in Tokyo, at the age of 62, he was as competitive as ever.

Team Podium

Individual Podium

Para Dressage

With a mix of debutant and experienced athletes from 27 nations taking centre stage at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the Para Equestrian competition results were difficult to predict.

Grade I was the only Grade to have three athletes with a score of over 80% on the podium for the Freestyle tests. World No. 1 Roxanne Trunnell (USA), who also secured gold in the Grade 1 Individual test, scored 86.927% on Dolton to break the previous Freestyle record of 84.750% set by Sophie Christiansen (GBR) in London 2012.

Grade II was dominated by the legendary Sir Lee Pearson CBE (GBR) who left Tokyo with his 14th Paralympic gold medal after completing a hat-trick of Individual, Freestyle and Team Para Dressage triumphs with his horse Breezer.

Emotions continued to peak when, in his first ever ride in a Paralympic arena, Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN) took home the gold medal in the Grade III Individual Test. Riding Jolene Hill, Tobias dethroned two-time Paralympic Champion, Natasha Baker (GBR) who had to settle for silver behind the Dane in both the Individual and Freestyle Tests.

Sanne Voets (NED) was all smiles as she completed her collection of European, World and Paralympic Individual gold medals by winning the Grade IV Individual Test on Demantur N.O.P. Rodolpho Riskalla (BRA) took the silver medal on Don Henrico and Belgium’s Manon Claeys marked her Paralympic debut with a bronze on San Dior 2.

In Grade V, Michele George (BEL) took home Individual and Freestyle gold on her horse Best of 8, ahead of Sophie Wells (GBR) who rode her reserve horse Don Cara M while Frank Hosmar (NED) took bronze on Alphaville N.O.P.

Suspense and pure grit were also on display in the Team competition, as Great Britain claimed the Tokyo 2020 Para Dressage Team gold medal, continuing their seemingly unbreakable hold on the title which started in Atlanta 1996.

Great Britain’s trio of Sir Lee Pearson (Grade II), Natasha Baker (Grade III) and Sophie Wells (Grade V) scored 229.905 to finish just 0.656 ahead of The Netherlands. Team USA’s bronze medal, their first Paralympic Team honour, marked a momentous shift in the sport which for the first time saw a competition podium not made up entirely of European nations.

Team Podium

Individual Podium Grade I

Individual Podium Grade II

Individual Podium Grade III

Individual Podium Grade IV

Individual Podium Grade V

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade I

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade II

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade III

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade IV

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade V

Top notch venues with a lasting legacy

The top class Olympic and Paralympic sporting success would not have been possible without the high quality facilities at the Sea Forest Park and the Baji Koen Equestrian Park.

The Japan Racing Association (JRA), owner of the Baji Koen facility, invested in a complete refurbishment of the venue that was also used for the equestrian events during the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The renovations included a brand new veterinary clinic and stables, providing an unprecedented legacy for the equestrian community in Japan.

But importantly, the JRA’s plans were developed, not just with the delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in mind, but also with a view to boosting the long term development of the sport. While the Baji Koen Equestrian Park was not initially built to cater to the specific needs and requirements of people with disabilities, the Paralympic Games have ensured that there will be barrier free access to equestrian sport in Japan in the future.

The efforts put into making the Olympic and Paralympic Games a success were immense, and they paid off allowing equestrian athletes to experience the Olympic and Paralympic vibe in the best possible conditions while leaving a lasting legacy for the people of Tokyo.