Equestrian Eventing at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Equestrian events had previously only been contested at the 1900 Paris Olympics. In 1909 at the 10th IOC Session (Berlin), the Swedish committee made a proposal concerning equestrian events at Stockholm, which was adopted in principle by the IOC. A Swedish committee was formed, under the patronage of HRH Prince Carl, for what was termed the “Horse Riding Competitions.”

At the 12th IOC Session (1911 in Budapest) a committee of IOC members was organized to assist with the preparations for equestrian sports at the 1912 Olympic Games. This committee consisted of the following IOC members, all nobility: Prince Otto zu Windisch-Grätz (AUT), Karl, Baron von Venningen-Ullner von Diepburg (GER), Géza, Count Andrassy (HUN), Eugenio, Count Brunetta d’Usseaux (HUN), and Clarence von Rosen (SWE).

The eventing was only for commissioned officers on active duty. Each nation was allowed a maximum of four competitors. Not strictly a true “3-Day Event” as we now know it, the event was termed the “Military Riding Competition” in 1912. In addition, it took place over four days, not three. Both individual and team competitions were held, but they were contested concurrently. Axel Nordlander won the individual title and led Sweden to the team gold medal.

Cash prizes were normally given at equestrian events in that era, but at Stockholm there were no cash prizes, only Olympic medals to be won. The Organizing Committee feared that the absence of cash prizes would severely limit the number of entrants. In order to counter that, and to spur the interest of the better riders, they persuaded Kings and Emperors to set up prestigious Challenge Prizes. For eventing, this was The German Emperor’s Challenge Prize, a silver shield with the portrait of the Emperor engraved upon it, which went to Sweden.