Horseback Riding. Smooth landing. How Olympic horses travel to Rio de Janeiro. Calendar of equestrian competitions

And Evgenia Ovchinnikova will represent Russia at the Olympic eventing tournament, which will open the equestrian competition program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Eventing competitions will last from August 6 to 9. Dressage competitions will take place on the first two days, cross-country will take place on August 8, and show jumping will take place on August 9. The Russians will compete in both individual and team eventing.

According to the senior coach of the national team, Ferdinand Kibizov, the Russians will have the greatest chance of success in the team competition. “Of course, we can achieve more as a team. Team success is more prestigious,” he told the R-Sport agency.

He also spoke about the chances of leaders Markov and Mitin in the individual competition. “I think Mitin can get into the top ten. And if everything goes well, then even closer. Markov is a fairly stable athlete, his club is doing everything so that he gets good training. He worked with a good coach, German Bettina Hoy. Markov also can claim to be in the top ten,” the specialist noted.

Ovchinnikova became the team's third rider at the Games after Elmira Nabieva, who had previously qualified, was forced to withdraw due to a horse injury.

Kibizov also emphasized that against the backdrop of doping scandals, he is confident in the team.

"There are practically no problems with doping in equestrian sport. Naturally, people do not take risks. We have control at every competition, horses are always checked when we go out. Especially our horses and riders. In my career, there has never been such a thing that horses were caught for any “prohibited drugs,” said the senior coach.

“Especially with these scandals, we knew that we would be (intensely) checked. But we have nothing to worry about. Equestrian sport is not a sport where people take something. I think we won’t have any questions with doping,” he emphasized.

Dressage

The Russian team will also be adequately represented in dressage, where not a single athlete from the country competed at the last Olympics. The team will be led by senior coach and current athlete Inessa Merkulova and her horse Mister X. The second participant will be Marina Aframeeva with her horse Vosk. The competition will take place on August 10-15.

“I really want Mr. X to be able to get 78-80% at competitions, this is the result that gives the right to fight for medals. These percentages practically guarantee high places. This is what the world leaders, the top five horses, are now showing,” noted Merkulova in an interview with R-Sport.

“For Marina, and her Vosk is a younger horse, 74-76% will be an excellent result that will bring her forward in the world community. And then she will also be able to participate in the final curate and represent our country with dignity,” she added.

Athletes qualified for the Games only in the individual competition. “Unfortunately, we did not qualify for this Olympics as a team; at the last European Championship we lacked 0.02 out of a thousand marks for this. We only have two personal licenses in dressage. But our equestrian sport is moving at such a pace that I think "In the next four years we will be a team at the Olympic Games. Now there are already so many good horses that are suitable that in the next two or three years there will be very serious competition in Russia," Merkulova commented.

Russian athletes will not compete in the third Olympic discipline of equestrian sport, show jumping.

The 2016 Summer Olympics, which take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from August 6 to 21, is not the most convenient sporting event in terms of television coverage in Russia. The fact is that due to the difference in time zones, many decisive events of the 2016 Olympics schedule take place when it is deep night, Moscow time. We offer you a convenient Olympic Games 2016 schedule Moscow time. This 2016 Olympics calendar will help you not to miss the key starts in Rio de Janeiro.

Full schedule of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro: Moscow time

August 6 (Saturday)– 12 sets of awards are drawn on this day. The games calendar includes competitions in rifle, pistol, and bow shooting, fencing and judo matches, as well as a bicycle race.

16.30*. Shooting. Women's championship. Air rifle, 10 m
15.30. Cycling. Men's competitions. Group race
21.00. Archery. Men's competitions. Team competition
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Up to 60 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 48 kilograms.
21.30. Shooting. Men's competitions. Air pistol, 10 m
22.00. Fencing. Women's championship. Sword. Individual competitions
01.00 (on the night of August 6th to 7th). Weightlifting. Women's championship. Up to 48 kilograms.
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 400 m, a/c. 400 m, complex. Women's championship. 400 m, complex. Relay 4x100 m, high-speed

August 7 (Sunday). 14 sets of medals are up for grabs. The calendar also includes shooting, judo, cycling and fencing. In addition, an aquatics and weightlifting program begins.

17.00. Shooting. Women's championship. Air pistol, 10 m
18.30. Cycling. Women's championship. Group race
21.00. Diving. Women's championship. Springboard. 3 m. Synchronized jumps
21.00. Archery. Women's championship. Team competition
21.00. Shooting. Women's championship. Ladder
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Up to 66 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 52 kilograms
21.30. Weightlifting. Women's championship. Up to 53 kilograms
22.00. Fencing. Men's competitions. Rapier. Individual competitions
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 56 kilograms
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 100 m breaststroke Relay 4x100 m, high-speed. Women's championship. 100 m butterfly. 400 m, a/c

August 8 (Monday). On Monday, 14 sets of medals will be played. Let us note that on this day gymnasts enter the competition.

18.00. Shooting. Men's competitions. Air rifle, 10 m
21.00. Diving. Men's competitions. Tower. 10 m. Synchronized jumps
21.00. Shooting. Men's competitions. Ladder
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Up to 73 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 57 kilograms
21.30. Weightlifting. Women's championship. Up to 58 kilograms
22.00. Gymnastics. Men's competitions. Team competition
22.00. Fencing. Women's championship. Saber. Individual competitions
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 62 kilograms
00.30. Rugby 7. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place. The final
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 100 m, back. 200 m, a/c. Women's championship. 100 m breaststroke 100 m back

August 9 (Tuesday). On the fourth day of the Olympic program, 15 sets of medals will be competed for. Let us note that on Tuesday representatives of equestrian sport will get involved.

15.00. Shooting. Women's championship. Pistol, 25 m.
16.00. Horseback Riding. Triathlon. Show jumping Individual and team competitions
19.30. Rowing slalom. Men's competitions. Single canoe
21.00. Diving. Women's championship. Tower. 10 m. Synchronized jumps
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Up to 81 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 63 kilograms.
21.30. Weightlifting. Women's championship. Up to 63 kilograms.
22.00. Gymnastics. Women's championship. Team competition
22.00. Fencing. Men's competitions. Sword. Individual competitions
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 69 kilograms.
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 200 m butterfly. Relay 4 x200 m, high-speed. Women's championship. 200 m, a/c. 200 m, complex

August 10 (Wednesday). A fruitful day in terms of awards - on Wednesday 20 sets of medals will be drawn at once. We draw your attention to the rowing and table tennis competitions on the calendar.
14.30. Rowing. Men's competitions. Women's championship. Doubles fours
15.00. Shooting. Men's competitions. Double trap. Pistol, 50 m.
15.30. Cycling. Men's competitions. Women's championship. Individual time trial
19.30. Rowing slalom. Men's competitions. Single kayak
21.00. Diving. Men's competitions. Springboard. 3 m. Synchronized jumps
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Up to 90 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 70 kilograms.
21.30. Weightlifting. Women's championship. Up to 69 kilograms.
22.00. Gymnastics. Men's competitions. Individual all-around
23.30. Fencing. Individual competitions. Men's competitions. Saber. Women's championship. Rapier
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 77 kilograms
02.30. Table tennis. Women's championship. Individual competitions. Match for 3rd place. The final
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 100 m, a/c. 200m breaststroke Women's championship. 200 m butterfly. Relay 4x200 m, high-speed

August 11 (Thursday). Another high-impact day of Rio 2016 – 19 sets of awards will go on Thursday. Let's highlight the final of the men's rugby sevens tournament.

14.30. Rowing. Men's competitions. Double scull. Two-seater without a helmsman. Four oar without a steering wheel (light weight). Women's championship. Double scull
15.00. Shooting. Women's championship. Rifle from three positions, 50 m
18.30. Rowing slalom. Men's competitions. Double canoe. Women's championship. Single kayak
21.00. Archery. Women's championship. Individual competitions
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Up to 100 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 78 kilograms
22.00. Cycle track. Men's competitions. Team sprint
22.00. Gymnastics. Women's championship. Individual all-around
23.00. Fencing. Women's championship. Sword. Team competition
00.30. Rugby 7. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place. The final
02.30. Table tennis. Men's competitions. Individual competitions. Match for 3rd place. The final
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 200 m, back. 200 m, complex. Women's championship. 100 m, a/c. 200m breaststroke

August 12 (Friday). It's going to be really hot at the Olympics in Brazil on Friday. Before the weekend, as many as 24 sets of medals will be competed for. Let's highlight the final of men's tennis in doubles, as well as the first sets of awards in athletics and trampolining.

14.30. Rowing. Men's competitions. Double sculls (light weight). Quadruple sculls. Women's championship. Double sculls (light weight). Two-seater without a helmsman.
15.00. Shooting. Men's competitions. Rifle prone, 50 m. Women's championship. Skeet
15.30. Athletics. Women's championship. 10000 m.
16.00. Horseback Riding. Dressage. Team competitions.
18.00. Tennis. Men's competitions. Couples. Match for 3rd place
20.00. Jumping on a trampoline. Women's Championship
20.30. Athletics. Men's competitions. Walking. 20 km
21.00. Archery. Men's competitions. Individual competitions
21.30. Judo. Men's competitions. Over 100 kilograms. Women's championship. Over 78 kilograms
21.30. Weightlifting. Women's championship. Up to 75 kilograms
22.00. Cycle track. Men's competitions. Team pursuit race. Women's championship. Team sprint.
23.00. Fencing. Men's competitions. Rapier. Team competition
00.05. Tennis. Men's competitions. Couples. The final
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 85 kilograms
02.20***. Athletics. Women's championship. Core
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 50 m, a/c. 100 m butterfly. Women's championship. 200 m, back. 800 m, a/c

August 13 (Saturday). The Olympians will have a shock cleanup day and 21 sets of medals. We highlight, of course, tennis singles finals.

14.50. Rowing. Men's competitions. Women's championship. Single. Eight.
15.00. Shooting. Men's competitions. Skit. Speed ​​pistol, 25 m
15.30. Athletics. Men's competitions. Disk
18.00. Tennis. Men's competitions. Singles. Match for 3rd place. Women's championship. Singles. Match for 3rd place. The final. Couples. Match for 3rd place. Mixed Match for 3rd place.
20.00. Jumping on a trampoline. Men's competition
22.00. Cycle track. Women's championship. Team pursuit race. Keirin
23.00. Fencing. Women's championship. Saber. Team competition
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 94 kilograms
02.00. Athletics. Men's competitions. 10000 m long jump. Women's championship. 100 m Heptathlon.
04.00. Swimming. Men's competitions. 1500 m, a/c. 4x100m medley relay. Women's championship. 50 m, a/c. 4x100m medley relay.

August 14 (Sunday). The first of two full weeks of the Olympics will end with the Sunday program, which includes 22 sets of medals. The best - among other sports - will be determined by golfers, boxers and yachtsmen.

13.30. Golf. Men's competitions. Final round
15.00. Shooting. Men's competitions. Three-position rifle, 50 m.
15.30. Athletics. Women's championship. Marathon
17.00. Boxing. Men's competitions. Up to 49 kilograms
18.00. Tennis. Men's competitions. Singles. Women's championship. Couples. Mixed Finals
19.00. Sailing. Men's competitions. Women's championship. RS:X
20.00. Gymnastics. Men's competitions. Floor exercise. Horse. Women's championship. Vault. Bars.
22.00. Cycle track. Men's competitions. Individual Sprint
22.00. Diving. Women's championship. Springboard. 3m
22.00. Greco-Roman wrestling. Up to 59 kilograms. Up to 75 kilograms
23.00. Fencing. Men's competitions. Sword. Team competition
01.00. Weightlifting. Women's championship. Over 75 kilograms
02.15. Athletics. Men's competitions. 100 m. 400 m. Women's championship. Triple jump

Schedule of the final week of the 2016 Olympics: all finals

August 15 (Monday). The final week of the 2016 Games will open on Monday, according to the schedule for which 17 sets of medals are to be played out. Let's note interesting finals in artistic gymnastics and Greco-Roman wrestling.

14.00. Swimming. Open water. Women's championship. 10 km
15.30. Athletics. Women's championship. 300 m s/n. Hammer
16.00. Horseback Riding. Dressage. Individual competitions
19.00. Sailing. Men's competitions. "Laser". Women's championship. "Laser-radial"
20.00. Gymnastics. Men's competitions. Rings. Vault. Women's championship. Log
22.00. Cycle track. Men's competitions. Omnium
22.00. Greco-Roman wrestling. Up to 85 kilograms. Up to 130 kilograms
23.00. Boxing. Men's competitions. Up to 91 kilograms
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Up to 105 kilograms
02.15. Athletics. Men's competitions. 800 m. Pole vault. Women's championship. 400 m.

August 16 (Tuesday). On Tuesday in Rio, another 25 sets of medals will find their lucky owners. This will be a big day for water sports enthusiasts.
14.00. Swimming. Open water. Men's competitions. 10 km
15.00. Kayaking and canoeing. Men's competitions. Single kayak. 1000 m. Single canoe. 1000 m. Women's championship. Single kayak. 200m. Double kayak. 500 m
15.30. Athletics. Men's competitions. Triple jump. Women's championship. Disk
17.00. Table tennis. Women's championship. Team competitions. Match for 3rd place
19.00. Sailing. Men's competitions. "Finn". Mixed "Nakra 17"
20.00. Synchronized swimming. Duets
20.00. Gymnastics. Men's competitions. Parallel bars. Crossbar. Women's championship. Floor exercise
22.00. Cycle track. Men's competitions. Keirin. Women's championship. Individual sprint. Omnium
22.00. Greco-Roman wrestling. Up to 66 kilograms. Up to 98 kilograms
23.00. Boxing. Men's competitions. Up to 60 kilograms
23.00. Diving. Men's competitions. Springboard. 3m
01.00. Weightlifting. Men's competitions. Over 105 kilograms
01.30. Table tennis. Women's championship. Team competitions. The final
02.15. Athletics. Men's competitions. 110 m/b. High jump. Women's championship. 1500 m
04.00. Badminton. Mixed Match for 3rd place.

August 17 (Wednesday). It will become cooler at the Games, the calendar of which is nearing the end - 16 sets of awards will be awarded on Wednesday. Let's note the finals in badminton, taekwondo and, of course, women's beach volleyball, so beloved in Brazil.

15.30. Athletics. Men's competitions. 3000 m s/n.
16.00. Horseback Riding. Show jumping Team competitions.
17.00. Table tennis. Men's competitions. Team competitions. Match for 3rd place
18.30. Badminton. Mixed The final
19.00. Sailing. Men's competitions. Women's championship. "470"
20.00. Boxing. Men's competitions. Up to 69 kilograms.
22.00. Freestyle wrestling. Women's championship. Up to 48 kilograms. Up to 58 kilograms. Up to 69 kilograms
23.45. Athletics. Women's championship. 200 m. 100 m/b. Long jump
01.30. Table tennis. Men's competitions. Team competitions. The final
02.00. Taekwondo. Men's competitions. Up to 58 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 49 kilograms
04.00. Beach volleyball. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place. The final

August 18 (Thursday). On this day, another 23 sets of medals will go under the hammer at the 2016 Games in Brazil. Let us highlight triathlon, which is gaining popularity all over the world, as well as “summer” field hockey.

15.00. Kayaking and canoeing. Men's competitions. Single canoe. 200m. Double kayak. 200 m and 1000 m. Women's championship. Single kayak. 500 m.
15.30. Athletics. Men's competitions. 400 m/b
16.30. Badminton. Women's championship. Doubles. Match for 3rd place. The final. Men's competitions. Doubles. Match for 3rd place.
17.00. Triathlon. Men's competition
18.00. Field hockey. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place
19.00. Sailing. Men's competitions. Women's championship. "49th"
20.00. Boxing. Men's competitions. Up to 81 kilograms.
22.00. Freestyle wrestling. Women's championship. Up to 53 kilograms. Up to 63 kilograms. Up to 75 kilograms
22.00. Diving. Women's championship. Tower. 10 m
23.00. Field hockey. Men's competitions. The final
00.35. Athletics. Men's competitions. 200 m. Core. Decathlon. Women's championship. 400 m/b. A spear.
02.00. Taekwondo. Men's competitions. Up to 68 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 57 kilograms
04.00. Beach volleyball. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place. The final

August 19 (Friday). The finish line is near. There will be 22 sets of medals up for grabs ahead of the final weekend on Friday. We will celebrate the finals of the women's football tournament, pentathlon, synchronized swimming and exotic-extreme BMX.

14.00. Athletics. Men's competitions. Walking. 50 km
16.00. Horseback Riding. Show jumping Individual competitions
16.00. Modern pentathlon. Women's Championship
16.30. Badminton. Women's championship. Singles. Match for 3rd place. The final. Men's competitions. Doubles. The final
17.20. Water polo. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place
18.00. Synchronized swimming. Groups
18.00. Field hockey. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place
19.00. Football. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place
19.30. BMX. Men's competitions. Women's championship. Semi-finals. Finals
20.00. Boxing. Women's championship. Up to 60 kilograms
20.30. Athletics. Women's championship. Walking. 20 km
21.30. Water polo. Women's championship. The final
22.00. Freestyle wrestling. Men's competitions. Up to 57 kilograms. Up to 74 kilograms
23.00. Field hockey. Women's championship. The final
23.30. Football. Women's championship. The final
02.00. Taekwondo. Men's competitions. Up to 80 kilograms. Women's championship. Up to 67 kilograms
02.10. Athletics. Men's competitions. 4x100 m relay race Hammer. Women's championship. 5000 m. 4x100 m relay. Pole vault

August 20 (Saturday). On Saturday, the day before the finish of the Olympics, the intrigue will reach its climax - 30 sets of medals will be played out. Here you will find women's finals in volleyball and basketball, men's football finals and much, much more.

13.30. Golf. Women's championship. Final round
14.30. Badminton. Men's competitions. Singles. Match for 3rd place. The final.
15.00. Kayaking and canoeing. Men's competitions. Single kayak. 200 m. Quad kayak. 1000 m. Double canoe. 1000 m. Women's championship. Quad kayak. 500 m.
16.00. Modern pentathlon. Men's competition
17.00. Triathlon. Women's Championship
17.30. Basketball. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place
17.30. Handball. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place
18.30. Mountain bike. Women's championship. Cross Country
19.00. Volleyball. Women's championship. Match for 3rd place
19.00. Water polo. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place
19.00. Football. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place
20.00. Boxing. Women's championship. Up to 51 kilograms. Men's competitions. Up to 56 kilograms. Up to 75 kilograms.
21.20. Gymnastics. Individual all-around. The final
21.30. Basketball. Women's championship. The final
21.30. Handball. Women's championship. The final
22.00. Freestyle wrestling. Men's competitions. Up to 86 kilograms. Up to 125 kilograms
22.30. Diving. Men's competitions. Tower. 10 m
23.30. Football. Men's competitions. The final
00.05. Water polo. Men's competitions. The final
02.00. Taekwondo. Men's competitions. Over 80 kilograms. Women's championship. Over 67 kilograms
02.10. Athletics. Men's competitions. 1500 m. 5000 m. 4x400 m relay. Javelin. Women's championship. 800 m. 4x400 m relay. High jump
04.15. Volleyball. Women's championship. The final

August 21 (Sunday). The last day of the Games - and the last 12 sets of medals. And what! Men's finals of volleyball, basketball and handball tournaments. It is symbolic that the men's marathon race ends the Olympic marathon. We wish you to endure this two-week marathon of almost round-the-clock sports broadcasts!

15.30. Athletics. Men's competitions. Marathon
15.30. Volleyball. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place
16.30. Handball. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place.
17.00. Gymnastics. Group all-around. The final
17.30. Basketball. Men's competitions. Match for 3rd place
18.30. Mountain bike. Men's competitions. Cross Country
18.45. Freestyle wrestling. Men's competitions. Up to 65 kilograms. Up to 97 kilograms
19.15. Volleyball. Men's competitions. The final
20.00. Boxing. Women's championship. Up to 75 kilograms. Men's competitions. Up to 52 kilograms. Up to 64 kilograms. Over 91 kilograms.
20.00. Handball. Men's competitions. The final
21.45. Basketball. Men's competitions. The final

Notes
* – schedule according to Moscow time. Moscow time is indicated everywhere.

Please note that broadcasts at night Moscow time in our schedule refer to the previous day. For example, competitions taking place in Moscow from August 6 to August 7 are indicated on August 6. In addition, the calendar shows the start time of the morning and evening competition program.

Not long ago, the Russian team traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the XXXI Summer Olympic Games on a special flight from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. A special charter flight was organized for the athletes, thanks to which they were able to reach the main city of Brazil without transfers, unlike almost 12 thousand fans. Ordinary people will have to endure one, or even two or three transfers on the way to the city of their dreams Ostap Bender.

A little later, another team flew in the same direction, which will also take part in the Olympic Games. But it took not one, but nine flights to transport it. On each board, 30-34 “athletes” traveled to Rio.

No, this was not a plane with ultra-high comfort seats for selected world sports stars. It’s just that the passengers turned out to be very unusual - horses. Yes, we are talking about Olympic horses, which in Rio 2016 will take part in three types of programs: dressage, show jumping and eventing.

First class

The happy four-legged participants of the Olympic Games flew to Rio from Stansted Airport in London on a specially equipped cargo plane. The Boeing 777-F airliner lifted 34 horses from 10 countries into the air.

The 12-hour flight on a provided Emirates SkyCargo aircraft was operated by Peden Bloodstock. A total of nine such flights were planned, which were supposed to deliver the entire “horse team” from three cities to Rio: London in the UK, Liege in Belgium and Miami in the USA.

A total of 34 horses fit on board, the total weight of which was about 17.5 tons. Additionally, equipment for the horses was loaded - about 10 more tons, as well as food for the “athletes”, not taking into account what they were offered during the flight - 6 tons. If during the flight we are offered a glass of water or juice, as well as a couple of cups of coffee or tea, then each horse is given 40 liters of water.

Just like people, horses are different. But in their case, their appearance is determined not by bad and good habits, but by their “profession.” Thus, horses competing in the eventing discipline weigh about 515 kilograms. Dressage horses are the heaviest, weighing at least 630 kilograms each. The horses that will compete in show jumping weigh a little less - 610 kilograms.

If compared with “human” flights, such conditions can be called standard business class. But in some cases it is possible to book a first class flight. There is even the ability to regulate the temperature on board, which allows you to avoid stress and ensure a comfortable stay for “passengers”.

Stallions - go ahead!

Horses, like people, must go through passport control before boarding. For this purpose, each traveler has a special document. But if for us an electronic passport is a distant future, then for horses it is commonplace. All passengers are microchipped specifically for the trip - all the necessary information is stored on the chip, which allows you to identify the horse. In addition, each horse must have a health certificate for departure.

After this, you need to check in your luggage. Yes, yes, in the case of horses, baggage allowance also applies. But, as you understand, they are very different from human ones. There are no longer ten kilograms of hand luggage and 30 kilograms of luggage, which we usually check before boarding. In this case, the permissible weight includes water, hay, 30 kilograms of sawdust for bedding, buckets for water and food, bags with saddles and bridles, blankets and other additional equipment. Just as people are allowed to additionally carry, say, snowboards for free, so for each horse they are allowed to additionally take with them: one large reptukh (bag) for hay, water and a bucket, as well as a small bag with “night supplies,” a bridle and blanket.

Then passengers take their seats in a comfortable aircraft. The gentleman's rule of decency, which obliges us to let the lady go first, does not apply when boarding horses. The entire front part of the plane is occupied by stallions. The mares end up in the tail section. This was done specifically so that the “girls” during a long trip would not distract and inflame the “guys” bursting with testosterone.

As soon as the plane takes off from the ground, “passengers” are offered “food and refreshments.” At the very beginning, no one wants to eat, because even on earth they were fed to their fill with mixed bran, which filled their stomachs in order to dull the feeling of hunger for as long as possible. The horses are offered hay and water throughout the flight. Some particularly capricious horses prefer water diluted with apple juice.

Surely you have seen in the catalogs on board offers to buy special knee socks that save your legs from numbness; or a blindfold that blocks bright light from entering your eyes and helps you sleep better. It's exactly the same with horses. Some may wear a light blanket, which allows them to stay warm and feel comfortable. Many people wear protective boots - special equipment similar to socks for flying.

In general, we can say with confidence that the majority of Russian tourists would probably happily change their places with the Olympic horses. One minus is that even if the horse wins, a medal will not be hung on the horse’s neck, and his name will not be written into Olympic history. But there are practically no problems with doping in horses.

Preparing for departure.
The horse, as a competitor, is also tested for doping - a medical device that temporarily invigorates the body. We all remember the doping scandal involving the Russian national athletics team, however, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) had no reason not to allow Russian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as stated by FEI President Ingmar De Vos.
Having received permission and passed all the necessary checks, the athletes and their four-legged friends could set off on a long journey.
Long way to Brazil.
Getting to Brazil was quite difficult. The horses were transported on Emirates Boeing 777-F flights. The stallions were in the front of the plane so as not to be distracted by the mares. They put hay, sawdust and water in a special box 112 centimeters wide (they drink up to 40 liters of it during the flight). During the flight, the beautiful animals were entertained with feature films about horses. If a horse became very anxious, it had to be temporarily euthanized.
They advised us to take water with us, since in Brazil it smells like oranges, which can be intimidating. It was difficult to carry tanks with a ton of water, but some athletes took oats.
The flight lasted 14 hours, the expenses for transporting the horses were paid by the organizers - about 20 thousand per horse.
Before the start of the competition, the horses underwent a veterinary check and microchipping to supplement the animal's passport.

The games are over!
.

In total, athletes from 43 countries participated in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in equestrian sport. Horse owners, like riders, must be from the same country (however, Germans who changed their citizenship rode for Ukraine in the men’s competition, but they also encountered problems).
In Rio, the equestrian stage took place after fencing and swimming. It was attended by 200 athletes in three disciplines:
1. Dressage (60 participants)
2. Eventing (65 participants)
3. Show jumping (75 participants)
Six sets of awards were raffled off.
Equestrian stage.
Dressage.
Our country was represented by Inessa Merkulova (Poturaeva) on her famous 12-year-old stallion Mister X and her sister Marina Aframeeva on 11-year-old Vosk. Both riders are included in the world ranking: Inessa Merkulova takes 7th place (and is the senior coach of the Russian team in Rio), Marina Aframaeeva - 47th.
However, in personal dressage, Poturaeva took 23rd place (without moving - 14), Aframeeva - 31st.
Triathlon.

For the first time in history, the Russian team is represented in team eventing, having received a license to do so (like Italy).
Triathletes composition:
Evgenia Ovchinnikova on Orion;
Andrey Mitin on Gyurza;
Alexander Markov on Kurfürstin.
Men and women in equestrian sport compete together. The team trained before the Games in the suburbs of Hamburg, Germany. The head coach was Ferdinand Kibizov from North Ossetia.
Athletes participated in only two types of eventing: dressage and show jumping. Dressage personal competition:
Evgenia Ovchinnikova - 65th place
Andrey Mitin - 62nd place
Alexander Markov - 39th place.
The dressage team took 13th place.
But, unfortunately, Evgenia Ovchinnikova withdrew from the competition after dressage, because her favorite Orion had an inflamed bone. True, the bone plate was already there upon arrival in Rio De Janeiro - emergency forging was required. Only thanks to her, Orion was able to pass the veterinary inspection and compete in the first stage of triathlon.
Cross.
The route, according to the competition participants, turned out to be quite difficult: they had to overcome 33 barriers, make 45 jumps and still do it in 10 and a quarter minutes.
But even in cross-country the Russian team faced problems! Triathlete Andrei Mitin had trouble - on one of the turns, Gyurza knocked down a flag that slipped between her front legs. The rider himself did not notice this and reached the finish line. By decision of the judges, the Russian athlete was disqualified.
Alexander Markov on Kurfürstin made 2 refusals at the 16th barrier and another at the 25th - this ended the Olympics for the rider.
But despite everything, Russian triathletes showed high professionalism and readiness to represent the Russian Federation in difficult tournaments. Undoubtedly, the experience gained at the Games will be useful to them at the World Championships.

Medal count.
Our athletes, unfortunately, failed in Brazil, but received a lot of impressions (both good and bad), as well as additional experience. The leading countries in terms of the number of awards received medals:
Germany won 2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze. The total number is 6 medals.
France - 2 gold and 1 silver. Total number - 3 medals.
Great Britain - 2 gold and 1 silver. Total number - 3 medals.

A little about modern pentathlon.
Interestingly, in the pentathlon the riders rode local horses. So one of the possible horses of world pentathlon champion Alexander Lesun threw off a Czech rider, after which it underwent a veterinary check. Finding himself ill, the horse was replaced with another. However, this did not stop Russia from winning another gold and scoring 1479 points, thereby setting a new Olympic record.

Despite the loss and the problems that the riders faced in Rio, we expect awards from our athletes and their four-legged friends in the next championships, competitions, and tournaments. We believe in their victory!

Brief information on what you need to know about the upcoming equestrian competitions during the Olympic Games in Brazil.

Where: National Equestrian Center in the Deodoro Olympic Cluster, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Timezone: GMT -3 (6 hours difference with Moscow)

Disciplines: Olympic equestrian disciplines include show jumping, dressage and eventing. The latter, in turn, includes dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Each discipline includes competitions in team and individual championships.

Reward sets: 6 (two in each discipline).

Who is participating: In total, representatives from 43 countries will compete in various equestrian disciplines. Equestrians from Chinese Taipei, the Dominican Republic, Palestine, Qatar and Zimbabwe will take part in the Olympic Games for the first time.

What's new in Rio 2016: Eventing teams can now have no more than four riders. At the last Olympics in London 2012, their number was limited to five. On the contrary, the number of dressage team participants increased from three to four.

Who is traveling from Russia: dressage riders Inessa Merkulova and Marina Aframeeva, who will compete in the individual competition, as well as a team of eventers - Andrey Mitin (No. 18 in the world ranking), Alexander Markov (No. 20 this month and No. 6 in the past) and Evgenia Ovchinnikova (No. 217). The last time our equestrians won at the XXII Olympic Games was in 1980 in Moscow. Soviet riders took eight medals: three gold in the team event, as well as three silver and two bronze medals in the individual event.

Prospects for Russians: Inessa Merkulova is ranked fifth in the FEI dressage world rankings. In a duet with Mr. X, she expects to get into the TOP 10 and will fight for a medal. As for triathletes, Russia for the first time since 1992 managed to assemble a composite team and will compete not only in the individual, but also in the team championship.

Show jumping favorites: In the team competition, France will compete for victory, whose team includes world ranking leader Simon Delestre, 2012 Olympic champion Great Britain, and world champion the Netherlands. The Germans and Americans also have good chances.

Dressage favorites: Briton Charlotte Dujardin, who won gold in the team and individual competitions at the London Olympics, world number one German Christina Bröring-Spree and her compatriot five-time gold medalist Isabelle Werth.

Eventing favorites: At the past two Olympics, the German team won two gold medals and remains the main contender for victory in both the team and individual competitions. World number one in eventing Michael Jung recently took on the Rolex Grand Slam and is aiming for gold in Rio. Jung's main rival is his teammate Sandra Auffart, who won last year's world championship.

Interesting fact: At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Czech triathlete Otomar Bures completed an 8 km long cross-country route in 2 hours 36 minutes with a time limit of 17 minutes 46 seconds. The athlete received more than 18,000 penalty points.

The competition schedule can be found here https://www.rio2016.com/en/schedule-and-results