Individual, Men

The three-day event was contested as two days of cross-country and one day of jumping. The first day was a 50 kilometre ride, of which 5 kilometres were cross-country with 20 obstacles. The second day was a 20 kilometre cross-country ride, to be covered in one hours time, followed by a 4,000 metre steeplechase. This section was held in a pouring rain, and the course was thought by many to be 3 km too long. The final day was devoted to jumping.

No dressage was held in the three-day in 1920. Since 1924, the three-day event has always consisted of a day each of cross-country, dressage, and jumping. The 1920 format, however, was also used at the 1919 Inter-Allied Games in Paris. That competition had been won by the French rider, Major Joseph de Soras, who, for some reason, was not entered at Antwerp. The sixth-place finisher at Antwerp, Harry Chamberlin (USA), had finished second at the Inter-Allied Games after leading through the first two days.