Equestrian comprises three disciplines: dressage, eventing and jumping. This is the only Olympic sport that involves animals, and men and women competing on equal terms.

Dressage is considered the art of equestrian sport and is used as the groundwork for all other disciplines. It tests the ability of horse and rider to display both athletic prowess and supreme elegance. Pairs also perform a freestyle routine to music. Riders compete in a rectangular arena measuring 20m x 60m.

In eventing, horse and rider pairs compete in three events (dressage, cross-country and jumping, in that order) over several days, with the rider who has the least total points deducted winning the gold medal. In this all encompassing test of equestrian skill, the performances of each rider and horse count as individual results, and the results for three riders and their horses are totalled as team results.

In jumping, riders are timed over a course as their horses jump obstacles that may include parallel rails, triple bars, water jumps and simulated stone walls. The winner is the rider and horse that finishes with the fewest penalties in the fastest time after a set number of rounds.

In Charlotte Dujardin Britain have one of the most successful dressage Olympians of all time with four Olympic medals to her name including three golds. For Tokyo 2020 Dujardin will be without her famous partner Valegero but will be hoping for more podium success on her new horse.