Sara Lieser

August 8 — London.

Thirty-seven riders began the first round of the Olympic individual show jumping competition with clean slates. Once they qualified, it didn’t matter how their horses had gone previously.

And Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat took full advantage of that fresh start with Nino des Buissonnets. He was the only rider to go clean and within the time over both of Bob Ellis’ enormous tracks, earning him Switzerland’s first gold medal in equestrian in 88 years.

August 7 — London.

Last night the British show jumpers celebrated after taking their first team gold medal in sixty years, but tonight the dressage riders one upped that victory by doing something no British team has ever done before: winning team gold.

In fact, the Brits have never won a dressage medal of any color, either in the team or the individual competition.

August 6 — London.

The British show jumpers aren’t known for wild displays of emotion, but when Peter Charles jumped a clear round to secure the gold medal as the last rider to go in a thrilling jump-off against the Netherlands, Nick Skelton literally leaped into the air with joy.

He proceeded to sprint over to the podium and clamber up as soon as he dismounted from his horse for the medal ceremony—pretty good for a man who has broken his neck, had two knee surgeries and needs to schedule back surgery in the near future.

August 5 — London.

After one round of team show jumping at the Olympic Games, the biggest news isn't who will be going forward to the medal round, but rather who won't. Heavy hitters Germany, France and Belgium were all knocked out of the running, as well as the teams from Australia, Ukraine, Chile and Mexico.

August 4 — London.

Anything can happen in show jumping, and just as it appeared that Team USA was going to post four clean rounds on the first day of Olympic competition, disaster struck for Beezie Madden.

She was the last to go of the four U.S. riders, chosen for the anchor spot because of her experience and strong nerves. McLain Ward had been first in the ring on Antares, and he’d turned in a foot-perfect round over Bob Ellis’ course.

August 3 — London

An anticipatory hush fell over the Olympic arena when Charlotte Dujardin entered aboard Valegro. The Olympic rookie carried the weight of her team’s expectations on her shoulders, and her score would determine whether Great Britain stood in first or second after the Grand Prix test.

August 2 — London

Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer should’ve been jubilant after the first day of dressage in front of their hometown crowd with Great Britain well into the lead. But despite taking first and second place respectively, their scores of 77.72 percent and 76.27 percent left them worried about the hunt for team gold.

July 31 — London

Is there any eventer out there better than Michael Jung? Two clear show jumping rounds at the Olympic Games earned him the individual gold, making him the only event rider to ever hold the title of World Champion, Olympic Champion and European Champion all at once.

His perfect jumping score with Sam also confirmed Germany’s second consecutive Olympic team gold, although they were so far ahead they could’ve counted the score of their fourth-ranked rider, Dirk Schrade with King Artus, and still come out on top of Great Britain and New Zealand.

July 30 — London, England

Sue Benson intended to separate the Olympic winners from the also-rans by making the time tough to get on her twisty, hilly course in the center of Greenwich Park, and the cross-country results proved mission accomplished when Germany’s Ingrid Klimke on Butts Abraxxas tied with Sweden’s Linda Algotsson Ostholt on Wega for first place on double-clear rounds.

July 30 – London, England

Course designer Sue Benson predicted two horses would go clean and inside the time on her Olympic cross-country course in Greenwich Park. In fact, nine of the 59 riders who finished earned a double clear.

But 15 were eliminated, and of those, 14 were either a fall of rider or horse. Brazil's Serguei Fofanoff and Barbara were eliminated for refusals at 20B, the skinny element of the Royal Greenwich Borough.