Dressage competition took place at the newly built Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre on the outskirts of Athina, a venue that could hold between 8,000 and 15,000 spectators depending on the event being held. Qualification for the Games was earned by performances at the World Equestrian Games and continental championships and by the FEI world rankings.
The equestrian competitions at the 2004 Athina Olympics provided many contentious moments, as of the six events, only in the two dressage events did the original champions get to keep their gold medals. A mixture of positive dope tests and rulings from the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) meant that the final results for a number of events were not ratified until well after the Games had ended.
Team and individual dressage events were held at the 2004 Olympics, but they were essentially conducted simultaneously. Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven won the individual gold medal, her second of three consecutive gold medals in the event. Germany won the team title, its sixth consecutive victory in team dressage, although in 1984-88 it was technically won by West Germany. The first two days of competition determined the team placements and medals, and served as a qualifier for the third day of individual competition, with 25 riders advancing. The second phase advanced 15 riders to the final day of individual dressage.
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GER
ESP
USA