Forget the rumors. There were always whispers that at least one of the three traditional Olympic equestrian disciplines might not be held during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. But dressage, eventing and show jumping will have their place in the line-up, just as they did at the last LA Olympics in 1984, the International Olympic Committee has decided. The number of competitors and other details will be decided after next year’s Paris Olympics.
Modern Pentathlon, which made headlines in Tokyo when a trainer punched a horse, will be part of the 2028 Games as well. There was a real question as to whether it would have a spot in LA, although it’s already booked for Paris. But the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board said replacing show jumping with obstacle racing did the trick, along with work by the Modern Pentathlon Union to “reduce costs and complexity.”
They added, “Without the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing, the sport would not have been included in the program.”