On Wednesday, April 9, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games gave updates across the 31 Olympic disciplines, including equestrian competition. The announcement and subsequent press release focused on gender equality in the upcoming games. IOC sports director Kit McConnell said that for the first time in the Games history, there would be “more women athletes than men.”

In equestrian sports, there will continue to be no gender representation quota, and McConnell confirmed that the number of equestrian athletes will remain the same as in the 2024 Paris Olympics: 200 total athletes, with 65 eventers, 60 dressage riders, and 75 show jumpers.

“Obviously the qualifications around that are to be further developed over the coming months,” McConnell said. 

In March, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve Galway Downs in Temecula, California, as the venue for the equestrian games. But when asked directly if the IOC had ratified that decision in today’s meeting, the committee did not say whether Galway Downs had been confirmed.

“Today the executive board has validated the master plan in broad terms, and that’s a really practical and very helpful step forward,” Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said. “As for the announcement, including each and every detail, this will be the responsibility of LA. What I can tell you is that the key principles that were followed for the establishment of the master plan were to use and maximize the existing venues, no new permanent infrastructures, maximize also the opportunities within the city of LA, and also regroup the venues to avoid stand-alone [venues]. Every time you have stand alone, you are complexifying the operation.

“So all in all, these principles were used and now the master plan has been adopted,” he continued. “For the details, let’s wait until LA will make the announcement.”

Read the complete press release and full event program here.