Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
With just under three years to go before the Olympic Games return to Los Angeles, the LA28 Organizing Committee has revealed the official competition schedule for all sports, including the three Olympic equestrian disciplines (eventing, show jumping and dressage). Eventing will once again kick off the equestrian sports, beginning on July 14, 2028 (the same day as the Opening Ceremony) and wrapping up with medal day on July 18.
The LA28 schedule has been carefully crafted with one essential factor in mind: heat. Recognizing the intensity of Southern California’s summer climate, organizers have prioritized the wellbeing of horses and riders by designing a schedule that avoids the most punishing heat of the day and builds in rest and recovery periods between major phases. Arcadia, CA — the city that hosts Santa Anita Park — sees an average temperature of around 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees Celsius) with around a 65+% humidity factor. This puts the city sort of in the middle in terms of weather among the most recent Olympic venues of Tokyo (an 84 degree F average with a much higher humidity index in the 80s) and Paris (which sees somewhat milder temperatures and similar humidity ratings to this area of Southern California).
“It is well balanced and mindful of horse and athlete welfare,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos of the timetable, highlighting the inclusion of three designated rest days across the equestrian schedule. “It also permits for adjustments in the event of unforeseen circumstances.”
The equestrian events will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, just northeast of Los Angeles, marking a return to a familiar venue from the 1984 Olympics. Initially, Galway Downs in Temecula, CA was to host the equestrian disciplines until a late venue swap saw the Games go with Santa Anita, which in addition to racing now also hosts some CSI5* show jumping competitions.
The eventing competition will unfold over five days:
July 14: First horse inspection
July 15–16: Dressage (morning starts, 9:00 AM local time)
July 17: Cross country — timing TBD, but expected to avoid peak midday heat
July 18: Show jumping + Team and Individual medals awarded
Of note as well and with little fanfare, this also confirms (from what we can tell, at least) that the format of the eventing competition will remain the same as it has been. You’ll recall there was a proposal on the table to change the format so that cross country would be the final phase. This stemmed from a desire to make the sport as commercially palatable and spectator-friendly as possible, but it appears that this will not be the case given this timetable.
Competition days are spaced out with three non-competition days (July 19, 23, and 27) built into the overall schedule. These buffer days will provide horses time to recover and rest.
Course design will also be in expert hands. Alec Lochore (GBR) will shape the eventing cross country course, assisted by Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR), while Alan Wade (IRL) returns to design jumping courses for both the show jumpers and the eventers.
With 16 days of equestrian competition planned from July 14–29, 200 athlete quota places, six medal events, and Santa Anita confirmed as the equestrian hub, LA28 is shaping up to be a benchmark Games for Olympic equestrian sport. Clear your calendars for mid-July 2028 — the road to gold begins in the California sunshine.
📝 For the full provisional LA28 Olympic equestrian schedule, click here (subject to change as we approach Games-time).
📝 For more information on tickets, click here.
📝 For more information on volunteering, click here.
