Individual, Open
| Date | 19 – 22 September 1988 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Seo-ul Gyeong-ma Gong-won, Gwacheon / Gyeong-ma Gyu-yug-won, Won-dang, Goyang | |
| Participants | 50 from 16 countries | |
| Format | Dressage, cross-country, and jumping. | |
The endurance course was designed by Hugh Thomas. It was held at Wondang Ranch, 43 km north of Kwachon, which was a hilly terrain and after inspection, six of the obstacles had to be lowered and the first element of #27 was removed. The four phases measured a total of 26,761 metres in length.
There was no clear favorite in 1988, as the big three competitions, Burghley, Badminton, and Rolex (Kentucky) had been won by several different riders in the last few years. However the defending champion was New Zealander Mark Todd and he had won at the Burghley Horse Trials in 1987, and Virginia Leng was the reigning World and European Champion. Todd opened up with the best score in the dressage phase, and in the endurance competition, he and his teammate Tinks Pottinger both had perfect rides, with no faults. Todd went into the jumping with a comfortable lead over British riders Virginia Leng and Ian Stark. Unusually, for someone who won the endurance phase, Pottinger was well back, in seventh place, because of a poor performance in dressage – she was only 23rd. Todd secured his gold medal with a safe ride, with only one fault. Seven riders went clean in the jumping, including Stark and Pottinger. This moved Stark ahead of Leng for the silver medal, while Pottinger, due to her difficulties in dressage, could only place fifth. Todd became the second eventing rider to defend his individual gold medal, after Dutch rider Charles Pahud de Mortanges in 1928 and 1932.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | Horse | NOC | Points | Dressage | Cross-Country | Jumping | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Mark Todd | Charisma |  NZL | -42.60 | -37.60 (1) | 0.00 (=1) | -5.00 (=11) | Gold | ||
| 2 | – | Ian Stark | Sir Wattie |  GBR | -52.80 | -50.00 (5) | -2.80 (3) | 0.00 (=1) | Silver | ||
| 3 | – | Virginia Leng | Master Craftsman | GBR | -62.00 | -43.20 (3) | -8.80 (5) | -10.00 (=22) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | – | Claus Erhorn | Justyn Thyme |  FRG | -62.35 | -39.60 (2) | -16.00 (7) | -6.75 (20) | |||
| 5 | – | Tinks Pottinger | Volunteer | NZL | -65.80 | -65.80 (23) | 0.00 (=1) | 0.00 (=1) | |||
| 6 | – | Matthias Baumann | Shamrock II | FRG | -68.80 | -50.60 (7) | -13.20 (6) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 7 | – | Jean Teulère | Mohican V |  FRA | -69.00 | -57.60 (15) | -6.40 (4) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 8 | – | Andrew Hoy | Kiwi |  AUS | -89.00 | -57.00 (13) | -32.00 (9) | 0.00 (=1) | |||
| 9 | – | Thies Kaspareit | Sherry 42 | FRG | -94.80 | -46.80 (4) | -38.00 (11) | -10.00 (=22) | |||
| 10 | – | Phyllis Dawson | Albany II |  USA | -99.60 | -54.60 (10) | -40.00 (13) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 11 | – | Bartolo Ambrosione | Phoenix |  ITA | -107.90 | -58.80 (17) | -47.60 (17) | -1.50 (10) | |||
| 12 | – | Bogusław Jarecki | Niewiaza |  POL | -111.40 | -56.60 (12) | -44.80 (15) | -10.00 (=22) | |||
| 13 | – | Krzysztof Rogowski | Alkierz | POL | -114.80 | -80.20 (41) | -29.60 (8) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 14 | – | Nick Holmes-Smith | Espionage |  CAN | -117.40 | -71.80 (31) | -45.60 (16) | 0.00 (=1) | |||
| 15 | – | Santiago de la Rocha | Kinvarra |  ESP | -121.00 | -69.60 (29) | -44.40 (14) | -7.00 (21) | |||
| 16 | – | David Foster | Killiney Bay |  IRL | -122.70 | -72.80 (34) | -34.40 (10) | -15.50 (=30) | |||
| 17 | – | Choi Myeong-Jin | Snuffler |  KOR | -130.55 | -69.40 (28) | -60.40 (18) | -0.75 (=8) | |||
| 18 | – | Bruce Davidson | Dr. Peaches | USA | -141.80 | -50.40 (6) | -76.40 (20) | -15.00 (29) | |||
| 19 | – | Karen Straker | Get Smart | GBR | -142.00 | -53.20 (9) | -88.80 (23) | 0.00 (=1) | |||
| 20 | – | Andrew Bennie | Grayshott | NZL | -162.80 | -52.20 (8) | -85.60 (21) | -25.00 (34) | |||
| 21 | – | Krzysztof Rafalak | Dzwinograd | POL | -163.40 | -72.40 (=32) | -86.00 (22) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 22 | – | Francesco Girardi | Moreado | ITA | -166.35 | -70.80 (30) | -94.80 (26) | -0.75 (=8) | |||
| 23 | – | Scott Keach | Trade Commissioner | AUS | -176.60 | -67.60 (26) | -104.00 (28) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 24 | – | David Green | Shannagh | AUS | -192.00 | -56.00 (11) | -136.00 (30) | 0.00 (=1) | |||
| 25 | – | Barry Roycroft | Last Tango | AUS | -195.80 | -85.40 (=42) | -100.40 (27) | -10.00 (=22) | |||
| 26 | – | Eiki Miyazaki | Scrooge |  JPN | -201.60 | -97.20 (49) | -94.40 (25) | -10.00 (=22) | |||
| 27 | – | Vincent Berthet | Jet Crub | FRA | -202.20 | -59.40 (19) | -142.80 (31) | 0.00 (=1) | |||
| 28 | – | Park Dong-Ju | Aqaba Legend A | KOR | -227.00 | -99.80 (50) | -117.20 (29) | -10.00 (=22) | |||
| 29 | – | Pascal Morvillers | Frangin III | FRA | -227.60 | -64.60 (22) | -158.00 (33) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 30 | – | Marie-Christine Duroy | Harley | FRA | -233.80 | -60.00 (20) | -168.80 (35) | -5.00 (=11) | |||
| 31 | – | Peter Gray | Somers |  BER | -240.70 | -75.60 (=37) | -149.60 (32) | -15.50 (=30) | |||
| 32 | – | Ramón Beca | Count De Bolebec | ESP | -272.80 | -85.60 (44) | -167.20 (34) | -20.00 (33) | |||
| 33 | – | Eugeniusz Koczorski | Idrys | POL | -277.30 | -90.00 (46) | -170.80 (36) | -16.50 (32) | |||
| 34 | – | Park So-Un | Moisson d'Avril | KOR | -382.60 | -86.60 (45) | -250.00 (37) | -46.00 (35) | |||
| 35 | – | Eric Brodnax | Marcellus |  ISV | -417.80 | -74.20 (35) | -333.60 (38) | -10.00 (=22) | |||
| 36 | – | Kazuhiro Iwatani | Copen Hagen V | JPN | -517.25 | -79.00 (40) | -382.00 (39) | -56.25 (36) | |||
| – | Ralf Ehrenbrink | Uncle Todd | FRG | – | -66.20 (24) | -39.60 (12) | – | ||||
| – | Dino Costantini | Boardmans Beauty | ITA | – | -67.80 (27) | -62.00 (19) | – | ||||
| – | Marges Knighton | Enterprise | NZL | – | -74.60 (36) | -90.00 (24) | – | ||||
| – | Ann Sutton | Tarzan | USA | – | -57.20 (14) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Thomas Wilson | Personal Touch |  PUR | – | -59.20 (18) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Karen Lende | The Optimist | USA | – | -64.20 (21) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Hiroshi Watanabe | Yakumo Masonori | JPN | – | -67.20 (25) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Jo Tudor | Sparrow Hawk | CAN | – | -75.60 (=37) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Mark Phillips | Cartier | GBR | – | -78.20 (39) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | John Watson | Tullineaskey | IRL | – | -85.40 (=42) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Carol Ann Blackman | Sneak Preview | BER | – | -92.60 (47) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Hisashi Wakahara | Lord Waterford | JPN | – | -96.40 (48) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Ranieri Campello | Cotton End | ITA | – | -57.80 (16) | – ( | – | ||||
| – | Kim Hyeong-Chil | Casson Road | KOR | – | -72.40 (=32) | – | – |