Individual, Men

There were 14 entrants, led by the defending gold medalist, Charles Pahud de Mortanges of the Netherlands. The competition started on the polo field and golf course at the Riviera Country Club, with the cross-country ride being held near Inglewood, California, and the jumping held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The scoring was heavily weighted towards the endurance phase, with 400 points possible in the dressage, 1,300 in the steeplechase and cross-country, and 300 in the jumping, for a possible total of 2,000 points.

American Harry Chamberlin took the lead in the dressage, followed by his teammate Eddie Argo, with Pahud de Mortanges placed third. The cross-country and steeplechase phase was won by American Earl Thomson, who moved into the overall lead, with Pahud de Mortanges second in jumping and also overall. Chamberlin was far back in this phase, and Argo even further behind. Argo came back to win the jumping phase quite comfortably, with only a minor time penalty, but Pahud de Mortanges placed second in jumping to defend his gold medal. Thomson struggled in the jumping but held on for the silver medal, with the bronze going to Pahud de Mortanges’ teammate Clarence von Rosen, Jr. Thomson would return in 1936 and again win the silver medal in the individual 3-day event.

Pahud de Mortanges had an interesting life. In 1938, he sustained a serious wrist injury, almost causing his hand to be amputated, which ended his riding career. In 1942, he was taken as a prisoner-of-war, but escaped in 1943 by jumping out of a train and travelling to Gibraltar. He took part in the Normandy landings as a major, and was later made Chief of H. M. Military House from 1954-62. He was also President of the Dutch NOC in 1946-51 and 1959-64.