IN a positive move, and reverting back to pre-Tokyo, the team competition will take place first at the Paris Olympic Games, beginning on Thursday, August 1st. However, like Tokyo, the format of three combinations to a team with no drop score remains.

The discard score was done away with in a bid to make the competition easier to understand for people that are not involved in the sport, as well as allowing more countries the chance to compete at the Olympic Games. Twenty teams will start in the team qualifier.

The top 10 teams after day one make it through to the team final on Friday, August 2nd, where all teams start on a score of zero. That means a team that scrapes through in 10th place will still have a chance of a medal in the final round. To make the medal decider even more interesting, after the first two riders for each team have gone, a classification of teams will be established and the third rider will go in reserve order of merit.

After a two-day break, the individual competition begins on August 5th. A total of 75 athletes start in the qualifier and the top 30 will qualify for the individual final the following day. All combinations start the final on a score of zero. A jump-off will decide the medals, if more than one combination jumps clear.

Substitutions

One substitution per team is permitted. Such substitution may only occur during the period between the end of the team qualifier and up to two hours before the start of the team final.

Substitutions are not permitted for a jump-off. A rider who retired, withdraws or is eliminated from the team competition will not be given a score. Substitutions can also be made between the end of the team competition and before the individual competition starts.

The show jumping courses in Paris will be designed by Spain’s Santiago Varela and Frenchman Gregory Bodo.

How to watch

RTÉ will broadcast action from the show jumping competition in Paris, commentated on by The Irish Field’s Brendan McArdle, alongside Cameron Hanley and analyst Lt Col Tom Freyne.

BBC will also broadcast part of the equestrian action. However, every minute of the action belongs to Eurosport and will be streamed on Discovery+. A subscription to Discovery+ costs €6.99 per month and lets you tune in on a wide range of devices, as well as the Eurosport TV channels.

Timetable

Thursday, August 1st

Team qualifier

11am (Paris)

10am (Ireland)

Friday, August 2nd

Team final

2pm (Paris)

1pm (Ireland)

Monday, August 5th

Individual qualifier

2pm (Paris)

1pm (Ireland)

Tuesday, August 6th

Individual final

10am (Paris)

9am (Ireland)