Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Equestrian Superheroes! Three-Day Eventing
Almost faster than a speeding bullet. Almost able to leap tall obstacles in a single (four-footed) bound. It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a -- horse? Some horses are born to perform more than one sport. These equestrian superheroes compete in the Olympic competition called three-day eventing. Olympic three-day eventing combines dressage, a grueling cross-country run, and show jumping. Three-day eventing is also called the horse triathlon.
For over two centuries, three-day eventing has thrilled spectators. It is a rigorous sport for both horse and rider. This event originated with a race between riders from Vienna and Berlin. Later, French riders created the raid militaire to train their cavalry horses in the nineteenth century. Three-day eventing became part of the Olympics in 1912. At first, only military men could compete. In 1952, civilian men were added to the competition. Women did not enter this sport until 1964.
During this sport, strong and well-trained horses and riders compete for three intense days. Each day covers a different aspect of riding. On the first day, they do a dressage test. Dressage is a type of riding that began in ancient Greece. The pairs perform a series of patterns in a rectangular arena. Dressage is elegant and formal. The rider wears a top hat and tails. The shiny horse often has a beautifully braided mane. Dressage requires years of training for both horse and rider. In the freestyle part of a dressage competition, the pair does a routine to music!
