Olympic Equestrian Events

Although the 2008 Olympics are officially held in Beijing, China, the Olympic equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong. The Olympic equestrian events are categorized into three disciplines – dressage, jumping and eventing. Each of these event winners are awarded individual and team medals. The Hong Kong Sports Institute has organized the Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue as the venue for the dressage and jumping events. The 18,000 seater outdoor arena includes four blocks of air conditioned stables which can keep a maximum of 200 horses. The venue was specially constructed for the Olympic equestrian events from a part of the Shatin Racecourse. The cross-country events of the games will also be held in Hon Kong, although they'll be held at the Bead River Country Club and Hong Kong Golf Club, instead of at the racecourse.

The dressage event includes the horse and rider completing a predefined set of movements. The horse's strength, agility and obedience are tested here, as well as the rider's ability to lead the horse in subtle manners all throughout the event. Free-flow, lightness and balance are all important in the team during dressage. Held in three rounds, the final aspect of the event includes a musical freestyle test, which tests the horse-and-rider team for their technique and prowess. Interestingly, only commissioned officers were allowed to participate in the Olympics dressage events between the years 1912 and 1952. This was partly due to the fact that 17th and 18th century cavalry officers were the most notable for their horse maneuvering techniques.

The jumping events include a course with 15 to 20 obstacles and a specified time period. Similar to an obstacle race, the aim of this event is to finish the course with the least penalties. Penalties are given if obstacles fall down, the horse balks at the jumps or the rider or horse falls.

The 3-day eventing is the toughest part of the Olympic equestrian events. It requires strength and endurance, because it combines dressage, cross-country racing and show jumping. The first day is for the dressage part. Then the second day involves the cross-country racing, which includes 45 obstacles and 5700 meter galloping. The third and last day is for show jumping, which calculates the ability of the team to recover from the previous day's ordeal, as well as allows them to demonstrate their superior abilities. The winner in eventing is the team which has the lowest number of penalties.

If you are planning to visit Hong Kong to enjoy the Olympic equestrian events, remember to book your hotel in Hong Kong before you go there. The Olympics is obviously a crowd-gatherer, so booking your Hong Kong Island hotel in advance will ensure you don't have to go in search of accommodations. If you are keen on staying at a place appointed with all the modern amenities and includes great service, check out the Hotel Jen, a highly acclaimed hotel in Hong Kong.

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Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing company that offers integrated Internet marketing services and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry.

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