If you ran the Olympics...

[MsM]

How would you structure the existing Olympic equestrian disciplines? Which other equestrian disciplines are worthy (and practical) to include?

The eventing seemed odd with the extra showjumping to determine individuals. What would you do if we can’t go back to the event determining both Team and Individual medals?

Show jumping had lots of rounds. Problems with this set up? Better ideas?

Dressage apparently now includes GP and GPS for Team medals. Then scores are dropped and the Freestyle determines the Individual medals from the top 18.
I’ll take a stab at this one! I think the GP should determine Team medals. The Team would be best three out of four scores. Then I would like to see two sets of Individual medals. One for test dressage determined by a GPS. The other set is for “artistic dressage” and is determined by a Freestyle with less restrictive rules. This way riders can capitalize on their strengths and the brilliant horse can be rewarded even if there is not a brilliant choreographer to create a program. Maybe the Teams can declare two riders for each type before the competition although they still have to qualify. I think we could reward correct dressage and get more creative Freestyles - more fun!

[LulaBell]

What happened to the separate individual and team competitions, at least run in Sydney for eventing, if not for the other disciplines and at other Olympics? I have no clue.

For example, I remember DOC winning as an individual on Giltedge as well as with the team on Custom Made. Was this format unique to eventing just in Sydney? What has the format been like at other Olympics - in SJ as well as eventing?

I preferred that format to this year’s, as it made SJ a much more important event in the individual competition. As far as SJ goes, I wasn’t wild about the format but don’t know how it’s been run in the past. It probably would have been nice to have another day off somewhere, and the who moves on/what exactly counts for team vs. individual/when is the slate clean seemed more confusing than it probably needed to be.

Also, and this might be a really dumb question, but what class/competition is it where the top 4 riders switch horses? WEG?

[fordtraktor]

I like the new Dressage system. The Special seems to just be a second test. I think it is good to make the teams perform at least twice, it ensures the first is not a fluke and requires a different set of consistency and pressure. Kind of like the jumpoff in show jumping. There’s a reason the GP is not a speed class in SJ.

Plus, it’s the Olympics. The more amazing dressage I get to see as an observer, the better.

WEG is fun but IMO the horses jump enough at the Olympics. 3 rounds, a day off and 2 rounds on one day. Another 3 rounds for the top 4, even short rounds, is asking too much. They perform way more than the dressage horses and perhaps nearing as much as the 3 day horses when it comes to jumping efforts – much bigger ones at that.

I don’t think any other sports have the international following to make an Olympic sport. Maybe in 20 years reining will be there.

[joiedevie99]

Dressage Team: GP and GPS count 50/50 for team medals (like London). However, I’d do four riders up, three count (i.e. drop the lowest score).

Dressage Individual: 25% GP, 25% GPS, 50% Freestyle.

Show Jumping: 4 up, 3 count.

Day 1- Team Round 1: all teams jump first round (individuals do not jump).
Day 2 - Individual Qualification Round: Teams are off; individuals only jump qualification round
Day 3 - Team Round 2: Top 10 teams jump in team final. Rounds 1 and 2 together determine team medals.
Day 4 - everyone off
Day 5 - Individual Round 1: Everyone who got 12 or less penalties in Team Round 1 jumps; Everyone who got 12 or less penalties in Individual Qualification Round jumps.
Day 6 - everyone off
Day 7 - Individual Round 2: Top 30 individuals jump a second round. Individual Rounds 1 and 2 determine medals. Jump-off if necessary.

Eventing format is fine.

I’d add reining in the WEG format if there are enough nations.

[LulaBell]

[QUOTE=fordtraktor;6487847]
WEG is fun but IMO the horses jump enough at the Olympics. 3 rounds, a day off and 2 rounds on one day. Another 3 rounds for the top 4, even short rounds, is asking too much. They perform way more than the dressage horses and perhaps nearing as much as the 3 day horses when it comes to jumping efforts – much bigger ones at that.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I absolutely agree with you, they were all pooped from what little bit I saw today. Another day off in there somewhere probably wouldn’t have been a huge inconvenience to the schedule and probably very appreciated. Is it just at WEG that they run the class like that?

[mayhew]

I’d add polo. It has as much if not more of a worldwide following as the other equestrian events do, and is fun to watch.

[pds]

Polo was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1936. They should bring it back.

[mayhew]

After tonight’s ride I’d add “weird and wonderful things horses can do with their right shoulders.” We’d win gold for sure. :winkgrin:

[RPM]

I would bring polo back and maybe add reining if there were enough worldwide interest in it. I also think some sort of endurance ride (like the human marathon) but I realize that that might be impractical with all the varying climates/terrains of the different host countries.

Would love to add ice harness racing to the winter Olympics!

[Crockpot]

Bring back the 4 members and drop score for dressage.

Have team and individual medals based on results of GP and GPS

Keep the qualification requirements for freestyle entry but have separate individual medal for freestyle.

I don’t think freestyle should be sole determination for individual medal but could have separate individual medals for freestyle.