2008 Equestrian Events -- Beijing, China -- Results, Schedules and Interesting Facts
Equestrian competitions have been the favorite Olympic Events for horse lovers, for most of us, since we were children. For many horse people, this may be the only Olympic event they will follow. This is "the" venue to see best of the best in the equestrian competition world. The skill, stamina and courage of these athletes, both horse and rider, is nothing short of breath-taking. These teams of riders and their horses have spent years and years honing skills, improving communication and increasing stamina. We must be in awe of the physical and mental discipline required to reach this level of riding.
Flying Horses to China -- An Event In Itself: The transportation of 297 horses from 47 countries to Hong Kong for the 2008 Olympics is an acheivement in itself. Those of us who transport our own horses "on the ground" can only imagine what would be involved in flying these wonderful animals to the other side of the world. This is a great article by Katie Thomas in the New York Times to give us a peak inside this fascinating world of transporting these high-end equine athletes to the Olympics.
When Horses Fly The Service Is Smooth by Katie Thomas
TV Schedule of Equestrian Events We can't watch many of the events live, but here is the schedule of events with times and channels to be broadcast. Use this schedule to program your TVVO or VCR.
TV Schedule of Equestrian Events - 2008 Olympics
Online Streaming Video - Live Online Another viewing alternative is to watch your favorite event in online streaming video. NBC is covering live through their online video streaming. See the link below for a complete schedule of online equestrian coverage as provided by Regarding The Horse.com
Online Streaming Video - Schedule of Equestrian Olympic Events
Current Results - Equestrian Events What better place than the Official 2008 Olympics website to get current results, country by country for each event. This link will take you directly to the equestrain event page::
Current Results - 2008 Olympics Equestrian Events
Equestrian Event Trivia - Did you know? Did you know that the first woman did not compete in the 3-day eventing until 1964? Lana DuPont took part in this challenging event riding Mr. Wister in the games at Tokyo, showing that women weren't too delicate to participate. Previous to this year, women had been prohibited from entering this event. Are you a trivia buff? Learn more interesting Equestrian Olympic facts:
Equestrian Olympics Trivia
2008 Cross Country Course Most Difficult Ever The course is relatively short for an olympic level competition. For that reason, greater difficulty was incorporated into the design and has been described as the most difficult Olympic cross country course, ever. The designer of the course, Britain's Mike Etherington-Smith, said he "would not be surprised if no one got around inside the time, especially if it is hot on Monday." Click on the link below to read the full article on Telegraph.co.uk
Beijing Olympics: Cross-country course will push competitors to the limit
