Horse riding

In show jumping, the horse and rider tackle a course of moving obstacles, which they must clear without knocking any down and without incurring penalties, within a maximum time limit. Penalties are added up — four points for each barrier knocked down, plus further penalties for refusals and for seconds over the allotted time — and in the event of a tie, the result is decided by a timed jump-off. The discipline has its roots in military training: until the mid-20th century, Olympic riders were almost all cavalry officers. Show jumping made its Olympic debut in 1900, the International Equestrian Federation was founded in 1921, and the sport was opened up to women in 1956. It is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete together, without separate categories. On the competition course, it is the rider-horse partnership that counts: the rider studies the course on foot, calculates the distances between one obstacle and the next and chooses the lines to take; they must then convey calm and rhythm to a horse weighing over half a tonne. A tenth of a second or a barely touched fence can change the rankings. At the 20th Mediterranean Games in Taranto 2026, the equestrian events will take place from 30 August to 1 September at the Horse Club Terra Jonica, with two titles up for grabs in show jumping: the individual competition and the team competition, both consisting of two rounds.