Live stream info and how to watch Olympics eventing cross country online on August 8.
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Details for the eventing cross country on Monday are below:
Date: Monday, August 8
Start Time: 9 a.m. ET and 12 p.m.
Location: Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Arena: Deodoro Olympic Park
Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com, NBCSportsApp and USA
The order to go timetable is here.
“We’ll all have to have our serious brave pants on,” says British event rider Gemma Tattersall of the Rio eventing cross country course. Technical and tactical challenges await the 65 eventing cross country competitors.
The map of the Rio Olympics eventing cross country course looks like someone threw spaghetti on a piece of paper. Tight turns and the course crossing over itself mark the trappy nature of course designer Pierre Michelet’s track. Michelet built the course for horse and rider partnerships who are bold and accurate.
Cross country is the second part of the three-part eventing competition. Optimal times completing the 31 fence course are between 10 and 11 minutes. The fences are massive and placed in combinations that ask for fearless decisions.
Gear for horse and rider riding a cross country course is different from that used in dressage. The horse normally goes in a bit that allows for pinpoint control at speed. The saddle is designed so the rider can stay up off the horse’s back and maintain position over fences. This enables the horse to move freely with the rider in balance. A breastplate goes around, to the front of the horse’s chest, connecting to each side of the saddle and prevents the saddle from slipping back over hilly terrain. Horse shoes are fitted with caulks or studs that function as cleats to stabilize the horse’s footfall.
You might see some horses with white grease smeared on their chests and legs. This is to allow their legs to slip over the solid poles of the testing obstacles more easily. Boots on the horses’ legs and hooves protect them from kicking themselves or from knocks against the fences.
Get a first look at the #Rio2016 #EquestrianEventing Cross-Country course on our Instagram Story! pic.twitter.com/qZi8TlOE4B
— US Equestrian (@USequestrian) August 4, 2016
Riders wear specialized gear that protects them in case of falls. Specially designed and tested helmets are mandatory. Each rider wears a medical information emergency card. A protective vest helps mitigate injury to the rider if a horse or rider falls; some vests automatically inflate, like an automobile’s airbags.
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