The equestrian events at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics included dressage,

eventing Eventing (also known as three day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...

, and show jumping. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions and were held from 28 July to 3 August 1952. One of the biggest changes at the 1952 Olympics was the demographics of competitors. Before this, most of the riders were officers (41 of 44 starters at the 1948 Olympics were riding in uniform), whereas the Helsinki Games saw over 50% of competitors from the civilian ranks. Additionally, women were now allowed to compete for the first time in equestrian events. At the 1952 Games, they were permitted in the dressage competition, although prohibited from the jumping (per a ruling in 1951) and most definitely not in eventing which was considered too dangerous. A total of 4 women competed out of 134 riders. 25 nations competed: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. This was the first appearance for Canada, Egypt, Korea, and the Soviet Union. Russia had sent riders to the 1912 Games, but had not competed since. The youngest participant was Walter Staley (19) from the United States, while the oldest rider was the Danish Kristian Jensen (63).

Disciplines

Show jumping

52 riders from 20 nations competed at the 1952 Games. For the first time, individual and team medals were awarded based on a two-round Prix des Nations (Nations Cup). 16 teams rode around Björn Strandell's 786 meter course with a 1 min 57.2 second time allowed and fences up to 1.60 meters in height and a 5-meter water jump. The individual gold was won by the French rider Pierre d'Oriola, aboard the gelding, ''Ali Baba''. D'Oriola would repeat the feat in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

and remains the only rider to win two gold medals in this discipline. The team event was won by

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

, anchored by a clear round for Harry Llewellyn and '' Foxhunter''. This gold medal, attained on the last day of competition, was Great Britain's only gold of the 1952 Games. They remain the only nation to have won gold medals in every Summer Olympics since 1896.

Dressage

27 riders, including for the first time 4 women, from 10 nations rode in the dressage competition. One of these women was Denmark's

Lis Hartel Lis Hartel (March 14, 1921 – February 12, 2009) was an equestrian from Denmark. She was originally coached by her mother, Else Holst, but began to be coached by professional horseman Gunnar Andersen when she became nationally competitive. She ...

, who in 1944, at age 23, had been paralyzed by polio. She gradually regained muscle function but remained paralyzed below the knee. Amazingly, despite not being able to mount or dismount unassisted, she won individual silver. 5 judges were present at the test, with the lowest and highest scores of the panel being dropped (the only time in Olympic dressage history this method was used). The test reintroduction of the

piaffe The piaffe () is a dressage movement where the horse is in a highly collected and cadenced trot, in place or nearly in place. The center of gravity of the horse should be more towards the hind end, with the hindquarters slightly lowered and great ...

and

passage Passage, The Passage or Le Passage may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Passage'' (2008 film), a documentary about Arctic explorers * ''Passage'' (2009 film), a short movie about three sisters * ''The Passage'' (1979 film), starring ...

, and was 15 minutes in length.

Eventing

The eventing competition was slightly harder in 1952 than in 1948. Phase A was 7 km at 240m/min, Phase B (steeplechase) was 4 km at 600m/min, Phase C 15 km at 240 m/min, Phase D (cross-country) was 9 km at 450 m/min with jumping efforts up to 1.20 meters, followed by the final phase which was a 2 km "gallop" at 333m/min. The final stadium jumping round also had fences up to 1.20 meters. 59 riders from 21 countries competed, forming 19 teams. 13 of those teams were strictly officers, while 2 were a mix of officers and civilians (Great Britain and Ireland) and four had civilian-only teams (Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA). Of the 12 medals awarded between the individual and team competitions, 7 went to civilians.

Medal summary

Medal table

Officials

Appointment of officials was as follows: ;Dressage * Max Thommen (Ground Jury President) * Idzard Sirtema van Grovestins (Ground Jury Member) *

Claës König Claës Henrik Magnus König (15 January 1885 – 25 November 1961) was a Swedish nobleman, officer, Crown Equerry (1935–1946) and horse rider, who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics and in the 1924 Summer Olympics. In 1920 he and his ho ...

(Ground Jury Member) * Challan Belval (Ground Jury Member) * Maj. Hanoteau (Ground Jury Member) ;Jumping * Ake Wahlroos (Ground Jury President) * Arne Francke (Ground Jury Member) * Henri von der Weid (Ground Jury Member) * Earl F. Thomson (Ground Jury Member) * José M. Cavanillas (Ground Jury Member) * Björn Strandell (Course Designer) ;Eventing * Ranieri di Campello (Ground Jury President) * Arthur Kalita (Ground Jury Member) * V.D.S. Williams (Ground Jury Member) * José M. Cavanillas (Ground Jury Member) * Arne Kristensen (Ground Jury Member) * Björn Strandell (Course Designer)

References

External links

International Olympic Committee medal database
{{Equestrian at the Summer Olympics 1952 Summer Olympics events

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...