Tokyo 2020: How To Watch

It's the moment we've all been waiting for, and it's almost here. The eventers are set to take the stage at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics THIS week, and we're here to help you catch all of the action. Have you been wondering how and when you will be able to watch each phase of the event? You've got questions, and we've got answers!

Schedule: *(Note that days and times are provided in Eastern Daylight Time first and Japanese Standard Time second.)

Click here to view the official Olympic schedule.

Eventing Dressage Team and Individual Day 1 – Session 1
THURSDAY, JULY 29, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM (EDT)
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM (JST)

Eventing Dressage Team and Individual Day 1 – Session 2
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 4:30 AM – 7:10 AM (EDT)
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 5:30 PM – 8:10 PM (JST)

Eventing Dressage Team and Individual Day 2 – Session 3
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM (EDT)
SATURDAY, JULY 31, 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM (JST)

Eventing Cross-Country Team and Individual
SATURDAY, JULY 31, 6:45 PM – 10:10 PM (EDT)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 7:45 AM – 11:10 AM (JST)

Eventing Jumping Team Final and Individual Qualifier
Eventing Jumping Individual Final
Eventing Team Victory Ceremony
Eventing Individual Victory Ceremony
MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 4:00 AM – 9:25 AM (EDT)
MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 5:00 PM – 10:25 PM (JST)

How to Watch:

All three phases of eventing will be live-streamed through NBC here.

You can also watch replays after each phase has concluded by clicking here.

New Format Explanation:

This year, there is a new eventing format, and only three riders will compete for a team. There is no drop score. However, there is an opportunity to substitute a horse and rider.

With the new format, the traveling reserve must pass both horse inspections, and they can be subbed into the competition up to two hours before the dressage phase begins, with no penalty to the team. The horse that the reserve replaces then becomes the new team reserve. So what happens next?

If all of the combinations make it through all three phases, their scores are combined, and they get a team score.

If a combination doesn't complete the dressage phase, 100 penalty points are added to the overall team score.

If a combination doesn't complete the cross-country phase, 200 penalty points are added to the overall team score.

At this point, the team has a few choices:

1. They can bring the reserve combination in and keep the penalties acquired from the incompletion, plus 20 more penalties for bringing in the reserve. Whatever penalties that reserve accumulates will also be added to the team's final score.

2. OR, the team can bypass the substitution and bring the eliminated or retired pair back into the competition with the non-completion penalties added to the score. There are exceptions to this if the horse suffers from an injury, disqualification, horse fall, or if the rider gets penalized because of unsafe or abusive riding. At this point, a substitution is also not allowed.

Only one substitution can be made per team, and it must be both horse AND rider. Substitutes made overnight between phases will only inquire 20 penalties. Only riders that compete in all three phases are eligible for individual medals.

Find the full format rules here (beginning on page 21).

Who is Competing?

Click here to view the complete Tokyo 2020 eventing team roster.
Click here to view the complete Tokyo 2020 eventing individual roster.
Click here to view results along the way.

Play Along From Home:

Japan seems like a long way away but now fans and the USEA community can be part of all the action. Join the USEA league and represent your nation on the world stage by playing the EquiRatings Eventing Manager Fan Challenge.

You can download the award-winning, fantasy-style app for free and choose a team of four riders from the field. Real-life action unfolding in Japan will impact your team’s performance and your position on the leaderboard. By joining the USEA Fan League, your team will be representing your country and the USEA in competition with the rest of the world.

Can you be a world-beating Eventing Manager? Can Team USEA go for Gold? Download Eventing Manager now for free on Google Play or the App Store and be a part of it!
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How to Play

Download the App for free on the App Store or Google Play. Use your $10m budget to select a team of four, this sounds like a lot but spend it wisely or let the EquiRatings super computer choose it for you. Join the USEA featured league to play together with fellow fans and compete against other federations. The Market is already open ahead of the competition in Japan so don’t delay!

Watch the action unfold and see how real-life events are impacting your team performance. The market will re-open between dressage phases to allow you to make changes or trade up. Once the competition ends, you’ll see which league is triumphant and where your team scored on the leaderboard! Let’s go!

Click here to download the App FREE on the App Store.