Olympia London International Horse Show
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Olympia London International Horse Show is one of the UK's biggest
equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
competitions, held at
Olympia, London Olympia London, sometimes referred to as the Olympia Exhibition Centre, is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, England. A range of international ...
. It is best known for its showjumping, however it also has competitions in
horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...
ing,
driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to fol ...
,
mounted games Mounted Games is a branch of equestrian sport in which fast games are played on ponies up to a height of about . They require athletic ability, riding skills, hand-to-eye coordination, determination, perseverance, and a competitive spirit, which ...
,
dog agility Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. The handler ...
and more recently
dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined b ...
. Evening sessions are broadcast live by the
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...
each year, with the
puissance Puissance is the high-jump competition in the equestrian sport of show jumping. Description The competition involves a maximum of five rounds - opening round followed by four jump-offs, not against the clock. The first round consists of four t ...
. It is held over seven days in the week preceding Christmas that involves over 400 horses and ponies, and many of the events are Christmas themed. The show is split into ticketed morning, afternoon and evening sessions.


History

The Olympia venue opened its doors to the public on Boxing Day in 1886. It had an exquisite design with a sky-high roof over 100 ft, marble columns, and banquet rooms that were paneled with oak. It was named "Olympia" in hopes to keep the fulfillment and commitment in the future years to come. The first show in its current form was held in 1907, however an agricultural show (known as the first great horse show) has been held here since 1888. Reginald Gardiner Heaton, a horse breeder from
Chatteris Chatteris is a market town and civil parish in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely. The town is in the North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency. The parish of C ...
in
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
, is said to have thought up the show. Early in 1906, Gardiner Heaton invited friends to dinner with the intention of persuading them to organise an international show on similar lines to those in New York, Paris and Brussels. The dinner was successful and Reginald Heaton became the Managing Director, a post he held for over 25 years. The inaugural show was attended by much of the upper class including
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
,
Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...
,
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...
,
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge (27 November 1833 – 27 October 1897), later Duchess of Teck, was a member of the British royal family. She was one of the first royals to patronise a wide range of charities. Mary Ade ...
The entrants were from around the world; France, Italy, Belgium and even Russia.
Lord Lonsdale Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Low ...
then president of the
National Sporting Club The National Sporting Club was a club founded in London in 1891, which did more to establish the sport of boxing in Great Britain than any other organisation. Origins The club was founded on 5 March 1891 as a private club. Its premises were at ...
of Britain was the Show's first President. The roll of Directors listed in early programmes included many prominent and wealthy patrons with at least 10 Dukes, 11 Marquises, 54 Earls, 25 Viscounts, 80 Lords, and 28 Knights who were made honorary Vice-Presidents. The show was closed during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and suffered from the economic instability and industrialisation between the wars. In 1939 the last International Horse Show was held at Olympia. It was resurrected in 1947 at a different venue in
White City, London White City is a district of London, England, in the northern part of Shepherd's Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, 5 miles (8 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross. White City is home to Television Centre (previously th ...
. However, in December 1972, Reginald Heaton and Raymond Brooks-Ward decided to bring a horse show back to Olympia. Olympia – The London International Horse Show has since become a highlight of the equestrian calendar and part of the equestrian Christmas tradition. The London International Horse Show celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2007 as 'one of Europe's oldest equine competitions’. In 2010 it was held as CSI 5*-W (
Show Jumping World Cup The FEI Show Jumping World Cup is an annual international competition among the world’s best show jumping horses and riders. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 132 preliminary competiti ...
event) and CDI-W (
Dressage World Cup The FEI World Cup Dressage Final is an annual international dressage series involving the world's best dressage horses and riders. It has been held since 1985. The World Cup is run in the form of a CDI. History The history of the World Cup ...
event).


Competitions

The show has FEI competitions in
combined driving Combined may refer to: * Alpine combined (skiing), the combination of slalom and downhill skiing as a single event ** Super combined (skiing) * Nordic combined (skiing), the combination of cross country skiing and ski jumping as a single event * T ...
,
dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined b ...
and
show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...
as well as showing and
mounted games Mounted Games is a branch of equestrian sport in which fast games are played on ponies up to a height of about . They require athletic ability, riding skills, hand-to-eye coordination, determination, perseverance, and a competitive spirit, which ...
.


Combined Driving

There are three combined driving events, the extreme driving and two FEI World Cup classes. A driver can drive a single horse, two horses or four horses, round a set of obstacles against the clock, with two grooms also on the carriage. Faults are gained if an obstacle is knocked or the incorrect route is taken, the top score with least faults wins. Combined driving tests the driver's ability. It also tests the horses speed and athleticism. There are three phases that the participants go through: driven dressage, marathon and cones. Driven dressage is designed to test the driver and the horses on harmoniousness, the simplicity of movements in the arena, Marathon assesses the horses fitness and agility. It also tests the driver's precision as they steer around difficult objects such as water and sharp turns trying to obtain the fastest time. Cones is where the driver and the horses have to go through a set of cones without running into them.


Dressage

On the first day of the modern show, there is an FEI Grand Prix invitational class. On the second day there is an FEI dressage to music class where riders are allowed to choreograph their own routine to music incorporating a number of compulsory movements. Dressage is focused on the overall physique of the horse. Due to the subtle aids of the rider, the horse seems like it is making the movements on its own. In this competitions, the horse is judged on its walk,
trot The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...
, and
canter The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...
along with its transitions throughout its paces. (
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-extension-collection)


Showjumping

The show has showjumping classes on each day of the show, each with Christmas themed names such as the Longines Christmas Cracker. These culminate in the 1.60m FEI
Show Jumping World Cup The FEI Show Jumping World Cup is an annual international competition among the world’s best show jumping horses and riders. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 132 preliminary competiti ...
on the Saturday and the Grand Prix on the Sunday . Riders generally compete over the week and have the chance of gaining points in each class for leading rider. Many of the top showjumping riders in the world compete annually, as well as many of Britain's finest, including
Ellen Whitaker Ellen Whitaker (born 5 March 1986) is an English show jumping rider, currently ranked 191 on the FEI riders Longines Ranking list in July 2022. Career Competing since the age of 5, Whitaker has had much experience in the equestrian world and ...
,
Tim Stockdale Timothy Mark Stockdale (12 August 1964 – 14 November 2018) was an English equestrian who competed in the sport of show jumping. Early life Stockdale grew up in Retford in north Nottinghamshire. He attended the Sir Frederick Milner Secondary M ...
,
Ben Maher Benjamin Richard Maher MBE (born 30 January 1983, in Enfield) is a British show jumper. He represented Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009 European Championships in Windsor, 2012 London Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Oly ...
,
Nick Skelton Nicholas David Skelton (born 30 December 1957, Bedworth, Warwickshire) is a British former equestrian who competed in show jumping. He retired at the age of 59 years old, on 5 April 2017. He began riding at age 18 months and in 1975 took two t ...
and many more. The event also has non FEI competitions including the
Puissance Puissance is the high-jump competition in the equestrian sport of show jumping. Description The competition involves a maximum of five rounds - opening round followed by four jump-offs, not against the clock. The first round consists of four t ...
, the six bar, accumulators, mini-major and the Markel Champions Challenge where
jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
s compete at showjumping to raise money for the injured jockeys fund.


Showing

The show hosts the final for the
British Show Pony Society The British Show Pony Society (BSPS), formed in the autumn of 1949, is an organisation which oversees affiliated show pony, hunter pony and working hunter pony competitions for children's ponies in the United Kingdom. The Society offers three s ...
Mountain and Moorland championships and the Olympia Senior Showing Series Championships.


Exhibits

In more recent years, the show also has exhibition guests which show different forms of horsemanship from around the world. Attendees include the
Metropolitan Police Service The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
's mounted regiment. Each year there is also a Shetland Grand National where a group of riders aged 8–14 ride
Shetland ponies The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and ...
around a track over small jumps mimicking the
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
held at Aintree. Many of these riders have progressed onto becoming professional jockeys such as
Sam Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies is a British National Hunt racing jockey. He was the retained jockey of ten-times British jump racing Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls. He won the 2015 Queen Mother Champion Chase on Dodging Bullets. His father is trainer Nig ...
. All proceeds of the event go to the
Bob Champion Robert Champion (born 4 June 1948) is an English former jump jockey, who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph, while recovering from cancer, was made into the 1984 film ''Champions'', with John Hurt portraying Champion. The ...
cancer trust. Every session concludes with the Christmas Finale, a mix of theatrics, dancing, singing ending with a visit from Father Christmas himself in a horse-drawn carriage.


Kennel Club Dog Agility

One of the most favorite parts about this show, is that dogs perform in different classes before each competitions. There could be ABC, which is Anything But a Collie, or there could be small dog pairs. 20 dogs who compete in the quarter final will go onto the semi-finals at this show. These dogs run around racing and jumping over obstacles to compete for the fastest time.


Care of the Horses

These horses are well taken care of when they compete at the Olympia London Horse show. 276 stables are put together for all of the horses that are participating in the show, 32 tons of bedding are put into each stable to ensure that the horses stay warm and dry. 50 bales of
Hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...
and 82 bales of
Haylage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants (cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage pr ...
that the horses will eat to be fully nourished over the time the event occurs.


Gallery

File:Line up in the veteran class at Olympia Horse Show 2017.jpg, Line up in the veteran class at Olympia Horse Show 2017 File:Fei Driving World Cup at the Olympia Horse Show 2017.jpg, Fei Driving World Cup at the Olympia Horse Show 2017 File:The Metropolitan police mounted department demo at Olympia Horse Show 2017.jpg, The Metropolitan police mounted department demo at Olympia Horse Show 2017 File:John Whitaker and Argento jumping at Olympia 2017.jpg, John Whitaker and Argento jumping at Olympia 2017 File:The Shetland Grand National at Olympia 2017.jpg, The Shetland Grand National at Olympia 2017 File:Pony Club Games team dressed as elves as part of the Christmas finale at Olympia 2017.jpg, Pony Club Games team dressed as elves as part of the Christmas finale at Olympia 2017


External links


Olympia Horse Show Website

Olympia Horse Show results
(search "London" in the input field)


References

{{Reflist, refs=https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/combined-driving Equestrian sports competitions in the United Kingdom Sports competitions in London Show jumping events Dressage events Equestrian sports in England Horse driving competition Olympia London Horse showing and exhibition