The most challenging olympic equestrian sport is the triathlon. Initially, the multisport competition (as it was previously called) was designed to test the cavalry horses for obedience, endurance, courage and fitness. From the whole complex of all-round events a complex type of competition consisting of three types of tests gradually emerged and entered into everyday practice of equestrian sports. This type of all-round events was called the triathlon. Triathlon became an Olympic discipline in 1896.
Eventing is a comprehensive Olympic equestrian sport, which includes equestrian riding (dressage), overcoming obstacles, and, most importantly – field trial – cross-country cross-country with overcoming of non-destructible barriers and water obstacles. Only specially trained athletes and horses can take part in the equestrian triathlon. Cross-country participants have to overcome all kinds of descents, climbs, obstacles of different configuration and complexity up to two or three meters in width, to jump into the water, through the ditches of special triathlon tracks.
These competitions are held over three days. The day before the competition a check on the horse’s physical condition is carried out: the horse must be in the best possible shape and have maximum reserve power.
On the first day, riders show their skills in dressage riding, which scheme is similar to the simple dressage programs. Horse and rider in a certain sequence show a series of elements before the judges. The judges evaluate the riding in points, which are then converted into penalty points. This means that the lower the sum of the penalty points, the better the result shown by the rider and horse.
The second day is the field trial or cross country. The field trial course is located on rough terrain and consists of non-destructible obstacles that test the competitor’s courage, skill and sound judgement in a variety of ways.
Riders are evaluated at each obstacle, earning penalty points for each error as well as for exceeding the time limit. Each rider and horse is allowed to stop at an obstacle only twice, for a third failure at an obstacle they are eliminated from the competition. Falling the rider or horse will result in exclusion.
On the third day of competition, the athletic pair performs in the overcoming of obstacles. But beforehand, as a rule, in the morning the horses have to pass the veterinary commission, which decides on their further participation in the competition. Consequently, appropriate measures should be taken after the field trials to help relieve fatigue and restore the horse’s strength.