1956 Olympic Games - Equestrian in Stockholm
The 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne Australia, however, Australia's strict quarantine laws required any foreign horses to be quarantined for at least a 6 months before entry. Holding the equestrian events in Australia was not feasible, so the events were handed to Stockholm. The equestrian competitions were held in June 1956, the rest of the Games started in late November, when it was summertime in the Southern Hemisphere.
Equestrian event in Stockholm 1956When Melbourne had bid for the Games, the entry of horses into Australia had not been discussed. Only in the years before the Games were to be held that this came to the fore. The IOC were unsuccessful in getting Australia to make an exception to their quarantine laws. Removing the equestrian events from the program was also considered.
Holding the equestrian events elsewhere was the best solution. Several countries bid to host the equestrian events, with Stockholm Sweden eventually winning out and holding the competitions in the same stadium as the 1912 Olympic Games. Other cities that bid were Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Berlin and Los Angeles.
The Stockholm Equestrian Olympic Games ran from June 11-17, 1956. There were 158 participants from 29 nations, competing in six events: dressage, eventing, and show jumping, each with individual and team competitions.
Trivia
- For the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong. This marked the second time the same edition of the Olympic Games was hosted by two National Olympic Committees.
Related Pages
- About the 1956 Olympic Games
- List of sports at the 1956 Olympic Games
- Stockholm 1912 Olympics
- Complete list of Olympic host cities
- Sweden at the Olympic Games.
- 1956: The Year in Sport
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