All of the 2000 equestrian events took place at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, or SIEC. The SIEC was built specifically for the Sydney Olympics, with construction starting in 1997 and the facility finished in 1999. The SIEC was located 39 km west of Sydney’s business district, in Horsley Park.
In 1956, equestrian events could not be held in Australia, when the Games were held in Melbourne, because of quarantine restrictions on horses entering the island nation. They were moved to Stockholm several months before the Melbourne Olympics. In 2000, the veterinary services of the Department of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry was much more accommodating, allowing equestrian sport to be conducted in Sydney, although with severe restrictions. The Olympic horses had to spend two weeks of pre-shipping quarantine in Europe and then, upon arrival in Sydney, they were placed in isolation for another two weeks. The pre-shipping quarantine began on 7-8 August. The horses left on 23 August from Frankfurt Airport and landed, after a 30-hour flight, on 25 August in Sydney, where they stayed in quarantine until 9 September, one week before the first competition on 16 September.
Team and individual dressage events were held at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but they were essentially conducted simultaneously. Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven won the individual gold medal, her first of three consecutive gold medals in the event. Germany won the team title, its fifth consecutive victory in team dressage, although in 1984-88 it was technically won by West Germany. The first day of competition determined the team placements and medals and served as a qualifier for the second day of individual competition, with 25 riders advancing. The second phase advanced 15 riders to the final day of individual dressage.
NED
GER
USA