Equestrian at the 1900 Summer Olympics – High jump

The high jump was one of five equestrian competitions held in late May and early June 1900 at the International Horse Show in Paris. The event was part of the Exposition Universelle, and later classified as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics. It is the only Olympic Games to date to feature an equestrian high jump competition. Nineteen competitors entered the high jump competition (similar to the modern puissance), although not all details have been discovered.

Rain earlier on the day of the competition made the ground heavy and slippery, and the competition was close. Gian Giorgio Trissino and Dominique Gardères were joint winners after both cleared . Competitors were allowed to enter more than once, and Trissino also came fourth on another horse; he also came second in the long jump competition. Georges Van Der Poele, who had finished second in the show jumping competition a few days earlier, was third.

Background

No equestrian events were held at the first modern Olympics in 1896. Five events, including this one, were featured in 1900. Only the show jumping competition would ever be held again after that; this was the only appearance of the high jump.

Competition format

Much like the human high jump, competitors received three attempts at each successive height. The bar started at 1.20 metres and increased by 10 centimetres at a time initially, at some point changing to 5 centimetres. Riders could compete more than once on different horses.

Schedule

Date Time Round Saturday, 2 June 1900 16:30 Final

Results

Little is known of detailed results, though all of the competitors cleared 1.50 metres.

Rank Rider Nation Horse Height Dominique Gardères Canéla 1.85 Gian Giorgio Trissino Oreste 1.85 Georges Van Der Poele Ludlow 1.70 4 Gian Giorgio Trissino Mélopo 1.70 5–8 Paul Haëntjens Nell 1.70 Henri Leclerc Mahomet 1.70 Napoléon Murat Arcadius 1.70 Wignolle Sunrise 1.70 9–19 Napoléon Murat Bayard Unknown Hubert Dutech Unknown Unknown Charles van Langhendonck Black Fly Unknown Constant van Langhendonck Roxanne Unknown Gian Giorgio Trissino Montebello Unknown Hermann Mandl Unknown Unknown 5 unknown combinations Unknown

Notes

References

Sources International Olympic Committee medal winners database De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Equestrian 1900". Available electronically at . Accessed 29 July 2015.