Power ranking every single sport at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics
By Nick Villano
44. Equestrian
This is the one with the horse. We’re not saying it’s not skillful to excel at equestrian, but we are saying the horse is doing most of the actual athletic achievements. This feels like the same conversation when analysts claim Secretariat is the greatest athlete of all time. Yes, he was the greatest horse to ever race. However, it’s comparing apples to oranges. Horses are built differently than humans.
The background of equestrian is pretty cool. Dressage was considered in Ancient Greece to be a way to prepare horses for war. Horse and equestrian events are a part of the original Olympics history.
Still, the sport is just strange. Horse racing literally exists, but the Olympics chose to go for horse jumping instead. It’s just not a very exciting sport. Most horses weigh half a ton. They can’t jump very high.
Horses are majestic and fast. Equestrians take advantage of neither of those aspects. It’s just a flawed part of the Olympics. Yes, there are major issues with horse racing, and the IOC might not want to deal with the impact on the “athletes,” but if that’s the case, just focus on human sports.