Equestrian factbox for Athens 2004

ATHENS, July 7 (Reuters) -- Factbox on equestrian events at the August 13-29 Athens Olympics:

HISTORY

Chariot races and horse riding appeared in Greece's ancient Games but most of the equestrian programme which will be followed in Athens evolved in the 20th century.

Jumping was the first equestrian discipline included in the Olympics, in Paris in 1900. It was left off the programme for the following two editions of the Games but reappeared, with dressage and three-day eventing, at the 1912 Games in Stockholm. The three disciplines have been Olympic fixtures ever since.

Dressage began as a method of training for military horses. Only commissioned cavalry officers were allowed to compete in equestrian events until 1952 when the sport was opened up to civilians, including women for the first time.

Equestrian is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete as equals, and in which animals and humans work as a team.

EVENTS

All events are for individuals and teams.

Dressage: Often described as horses performing ballet, dressage consists of three rounds in which the horse performs movements, or tests, in response to its rider's signals. In the first two rounds, horse and rider perform a set routine of dressage movements. The third round is freestyle, with routines individually choreographed and performed to music. The scoring is done by judges.

Jumping: Horse and rider complete a course of some 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 a rail, and if time limits are exceeded.

Eventing: Combines the disciplines of dressage and jumping, and adds a third competition of riding a cross-country course which tests endurance.

2000 CHAMPIONS

Three-Day Team Event: Australia (Phillip Dutton/House

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Doctor, Andrew Hoy/Darien

Powers, Stuart

Tinney/Jeepster, Matthew

Morgan Ryan/Kibah

Sandstone)

Three-day individual event: David O'Connor/Custom Made

(U.S.)

Team dressage: Germany (Isabelle Werth/Gigolo, Nadine

Capellmann/Farbenfroh, Ulla

Salzgeber/Rusty, Alexandra Simons de

Ridder/Chacomo)

Team show jumping: Germany (Ludger Beerbaum, Lars Nieberg,

Otto Becker, Marcus Ehning)

Individual dressage: Anky van Grunsven/Bonfire (Netherlands)

Individual show jumping: Jeroen Dubbeldam/Sjiem

(Netherlands)

OLYMPIC PROGRAMME

August 15: Individual eventing dressage

Team eventing dressage

August 16: Individual eventing dressage

Team eventing dressage

August 17: Individual eventing cross-country

Team eventing cross-country

August 18: Individual eventing jumping qualifier

Team eventing jumping final

Individual eventing jumping final

August 20: Team dressage

Individual dressage

August 21: Team dressage

Individual dressage

August 22: Individual jumping first qualifier

August 23: Individual dressage

August 24: Team jumping final

Individual jumping second and third qualifiers

August 25: Individual dressage final

August 27: Individual jumping final

VENUE

Markopoulo Equestrian Centre in southeast Athens.

Accommodates 6,170 spectators for the dressage, 7,780 for jumping and 13,100 for cross country.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.horsesport.org

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