Equestrian at the 1900 Summer Olympics – High jump

The high jump was one of five equestrian competitions held in late May and early June 1900 at the International Horse Show in Paris. The event was part of the Exposition Universelle, and later classified as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics. It is the only Olympic Games to date to feature an equestrian high jump competition. Nineteen competitors entered the high jump competition (similar to the modern puissance), although not all details have been discovered.

Rain earlier on the day of the competition made the ground heavy and slippery, and the competition was close. Gian Giorgio Trissino and Dominique Gardères were joint winners after both cleared 1.85 m. Competitors were allowed to enter more than once, and Trissino also came fourth on another horse; he also came second in the long jump competition. Georges Van Der Poele, who had finished second in the show jumping competition a few days earlier, was third.

Background
No equestrian events were held at the first modern Olympics in 1896. Five events, including this one, were featured in 1900. Only the show jumping competition would ever be held again after that; this was the only appearance of the high jump.

Competition format
Much like the human high jump, competitors received three attempts at each successive height. The bar started at 1.20 metres and increased by 10 centimetres at a time initially, at some point changing to 5 centimetres. Riders could compete more than once on different horses.

Results
Little is known of detailed results, though all of the competitors cleared 1.50 metres.