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Postcard from Tokyo
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After her test aboard Sanceo, US dressage team silver medalist Sabine Schut-Kery seemed in awe of what she’d just accomplished
Go behind the scenes at the 2020 Olympic equestrian dressage competition
Text and photos by Diana De Rosa
The equestrian competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is the ninth I’ve covered—and it’s different from any other. By now you know all about the Games’ postponement from 2020 to 2021, the absence of cheering fans in the stands, and the severe restrictions imposed on the athletes, officials, media, and others, in an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19.
There were so many restrictions placed on the media and others to ensure we did not spread COVID-19 that at times you had to be creative. We were told no loud clapping or shouting, as both could cause the virus to spread. The Swedish team solved the clapping issue by creating a large but soft pair of clapping hands (wielded by chef d’équipe Bo Jenå) every time they came out to support their riders https://yourdressage.org/2021/08/10/postcard-from-tokyo/
Even though there weren’t any “spectators,” supporters were there to cheer on their teams (in a subtle way). You didn’t have the screaming and yelling with huge flags all over as in years past, but they still did have some smaller models, as shown by members of the Australian contingent in the “kiss and cry” area overlooking the main arena.
Even the judges and scribes had to maintain social distancing, but they were allowed a closer contact in pairs as they did their daily march back and forth to the judges’ booths.
There wasn’t any doubt whether a rider was happy with a performance, but they all showed it in their own way. Some mugged for the photographers (Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud on Dream Boy), while many hugged their horses as best they could (Portugal’s Rodrigo Torres on Fogoso).
