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| Event type

Individual, Open

Date28 – 29 July 1952
StatusOlympic
LocationRuskeasuon liikuntapuisto, Helsinki
Participants27 from 10 countries
FormatPlacement by point scores.

The dressage program again included piaffe and passage, and was expanded to 15 minutes. Women were allowed to compete in dressage in 1952 and four took that opportunity – Lis Hartel (DEN), Ida von Nagel (GER), Else Christophersen (NOR), and Marjorie Haines (USA).

Hartel, however, was the big story of the event. In September 1944, while pregnant, she developed poliomyelitis. Unable to walk for awhile, Hartel eventually developed the ability to walk with braces, although she remained partially paralyzed below her knees. At Helsinki, she still had to be helped on and off her horse but she came through to win the silver medal, trailing Sweden’s Henri Saint Cyr, who won quite easily. At the victory ceremony, Saint Cyr helped Hartel ascend the podium.

Saint Cyr returned in 1956 and repeated as the gold medalist, and Hartel also repeated as the silver medalist. Bronze medalist André Jousseaumé had also competed at the 1932, 1936 and 1948 Olympics, and would return in 1956 as well. The three other women finished 10th (von Nagel), 15th (Christophersen), and 17th (Haines).

PosCompetitorHorseNOCPoints
1Henri Saint CyrMaster RufusSWE561.00Gold
2Lis HartelJubileeDEN541.50Silver
3André JousseauméHarpagonFRA541.00Bronze
4Gottfried TrachselKursusSUI531.00
5Gustaf Adolf Boltenstern, Jr.KrestSWE531.00
6Henri ChammartinWöhlerSUI529.50
7Heinz PollayAdularGER518.50
8Gustav FischerSolimanSUI518.50
9Gehnäll PerssonKnaustSWE505.50
10Ida von NagelAfrikaGER503.00
11Bob BorgBill BiddleUSA492.00
12Fritz ThiedemannChronistGER479.50
13Jean Peïtevin de Saint-AndréVol au VentFRA479.00
14José LarraínRey de OrosCHI473.50
15Else ChristophersenDivaNOR459.00
16Héctor ClavelFrontaleraCHI452.00
17Marjorie HainesThe Flying DutchmanUSA446.00
18Kristian JensenOdenseDEN439.00
19Vladimir RaspopovImeninnikURS433.50
20António, Visconde de MozelosNapeiroPOR428.501
21Francisco Valadas JúniorFeiticoPOR422.00
22Ernesto SilvaViarregioCHI415.00
23Jean Saint-Fort PaillardTapirFRA403.50
24Vasily TikhonovPevecURS395.00
25Nikolay SitkoCesarURS377.00
26Fernando PaesMatamasPOR346.00
27Hartmann PaulyReno OverdoUSA315.50