Los Angeles 2028: Official Equestrian Competition Schedule Unveiled
With less than three years to go until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28), the Organising Committee has officially presented the competition schedule. As tradition dictates, equestrian sport will feature three core disciplines: Eventing, Dressage, and Jumping. The programme will open with Eventing and conclude with Jumping, offering 16 days of world-class sport.
A schedule designed for climate and horse welfare
The detailed timetable of the equestrian competitions — available online — has been carefully planned with California’s July climate in mind. The goal is to ensure the best possible conditions for horses and athletes, as well as for spectators and all participants.
Photo caption: The equestrian events of the LA28 Olympic Games will take place from 14 to 29 July at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
As with previous Olympic Games, the schedule remains provisional and may be adjusted between now and 2028. The Paralympic equestrian programme will be announced at a later stage.
FEI President Ingmar De Vos comments on the announcement
“Following the presentation of LA28 progress at the FEI General Assembly on 7 November in Hong Kong, the announcement of the competition schedule is very good news,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. “The equestrian events will be held from 14 to 29 July, with three days without competition to provide horses and athletes with sufficient time to acclimatise, prepare, and rest. This buffer will also allow flexibility for unforeseen circumstances.”
De Vos also highlighted the positive developments achieved in recent months and expressed satisfaction with the confirmation that the number of medal events and quota places will remain the same as for Paris 2024. The approval of Santa Anita Park as the unique venue for all equestrian disciplines is, he added, “a solid foundation for truly outstanding Olympic equestrian events.”
Competition programme
Eventing will be the first equestrian discipline to take place. The horse inspection is scheduled for 14 July, the same day as the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Dressage for Eventing will be held on 15 and 16 July, while the Cross Country is planned for 17 July. The first equestrian medals of LA28—team and individual Eventing—will be awarded on 18 July.
The Dressage horse inspection will also take place on the morning of 18 July. The Grand Prix test will follow on 20 and 21 July, with the Grand Prix Special—the Dressage Team Final—scheduled for 22 July. No competitions will take place on 23 July, a rest day dedicated to horse inspections for Dressage and Jumping. The sport resumes on 24 July with the Grand Prix Freestyle, the Dressage Individual Final.
Jumping will close the equestrian programme: the Team Qualifier will be held on 25 July, followed by the Team Final on 26 July. After another rest and inspection day on 27 July, the Jumping Individual Qualifier will take place on 28 July, with the Individual Final bringing the LA28 equestrian calendar to a close on 29 July.
No competitions are scheduled for 19, 23, and 27 July.
Facts and figures
With three disciplines and 200 quota places, equestrian sport will be one of the 31 sports featured at the LA28 Games. Its six medal events will be part of the 25 mixed-gender events across all disciplines and the total of 351 Olympic competitions.
The sport has seen growing international participation: 50 nations competed in Tokyo 2020 (a record), 49 in Paris 2024, while only 30 took part in Los Angeles 1984.
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia has been confirmed as the official equestrian venue for LA28. Meanwhile, the FEI has announced the unanimous appointment of Alec Lochore (GBR) as Eventing course designer and Alan Wade (IRL) as Jumping course designer.
A unique Olympic sport
Equestrian sport remains the only Olympic discipline in which men and women compete on equal terms in all events, from grassroots to the highest international level — an enduring symbol of inclusivity that will once again characterise the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
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