Dressage, one of few Olympic sports in which men compete directly with women, is held over three rounds.
Riders guide the horses through a series of precise movements in a perfectly flat arena.
The riders are judged over three rounds, two of which must follow a set routine, including passages, pirouettes and piaffes and are awarded points according to the ease with which they perform allied to the subtleties and grace of the horses movements. The third round is freestyle, with routines choreographed by the riders themselves and performed to music of their own choosing. Irish spectators are most familiar with - indeed it s origins are from these shores. The jumping event consists of three qualifying competitions, after which the field is narrowed for two final rounds that determine the medalists. Riders, again men and women compete against each other, are required to guide their horses around a course containing 15-20 obstacles within a specified time.