Individual, Open

Individual and team jumping events in Mexico City were once again contested separately, as they had been in 1912, 1920, and 1960. In the individual event there were two rounds of jumping, with only the top 18 riders, or all those with 8 or less faults in the first round, advancing to the second round. The three courses measured as follows: round one – 750 metres; round two – 410 metres; and jump-off – 370 metres. The round two course was a puissance-type with an oxer of 1.65 x 1.70 x 2.20 metres as the major obstacle.

In round one American Bill Steinkraus and Britain’s Marion Coakes both had clean rides to lead, with their teammates Frank Chapot (USA) and David Broome (GBR), and Canadian Jim Day and Italy’s Piero D’Inzeo trailing with only 4 faults. Nobody was able to ride cleanly in round two, but when Steinkraus came home with only 4 faults the gold medal was his. Coakes had 8 faults and won the silver aboard Stroller, a horse so small at 142 cm, that it was more properly called a pony . Four riders tied for third with 12 faults – Broome, Chapot, German Hans Günter Winkler, and Canadian Jim Elder. In the jump-off for the bronze medal all four rode cleanly, but Broome won the bronze with the fastest time of 35.3 seconds. Of those who made the second round, the last finisher was Australian Kevin Bacon, who was at least six degrees outside of first.