Rio Olympic Games Voted NF 2016 Show of the Year
Rio 2016. Ph. Shannon Brinkman Photography
With an ever-growing calendar of top competitions around the globe, it’s difficult to choose just five and designate them the “best” of the year. The sport of show jumping is rich in the variety, quality, and excitement that its competitions deliver every 12 months.
But if we must choose, there was no doubt that the Olympic Games would be on the final list. Despite all the doubts and misgivings that Rio de Janeiro attracted in the lead up to its Games, the organizers and the people of Brazil pulled off a successful event that wasn’t without its fair share of drama, inside and outside the field of play.
Relive the highs and the lows of Rio: Don’t miss Rio in the Rearview: The Best and Worst of the 2016 Olympic Games.
Of course, CHIO Aachen in July and the Spruce Meadows Masters in September come very close, and are unmatched in their own ways. While nothing can quite compare to the quadrennial drama of an Olympics, the equestrian “Majors” of the sport serve up incredible drama and challenges year over year.
For how the spectacular team and individual medal finals of show jumping played out, Rio was indeed the best show of the year. As reporters, we get to be closer to the action than most, and experiencing the emotion of the show jumping finals firsthand was an experience that was truly unmatched in 2016.
How They Ranked In the Vote:
Rio 2016 Olympic Games 33% – 779 votes
CHIO Aachen 23% – 536 votes
Spruce Meadows Masters 19% – 443 votes
LGCT Miami 17% – 387 votes
Tryon CSI5* 8% – 191 votes