The eventers are in town! Check out the British team and others during arena familiarisation in Tokyo

This evening the Olympic event horses in Tokyo had a familiarisation session in the main arena, plus showjumping training under lights.

Each national team was allocated times so their riders had 10 minutes to ride in the final warm-up area, 10 minutes in the main arena (below) outside the dressage boards and then 10 minutes inside the dressage boards. The riders and horses then had 15 minutes when they could use the cooling tents before 10 minutes in an outer arena with showjumps set up.

If a nation does not have a full team of Olympic event horses in Tokyo, they were grouped with another nation or nations in the same situation.

The sessions started at 6.20pm and all the arenas were floodlit, with the sun setting during the early part of the evening.

All the teams took advantage of the opportunity to work in the main arena, but not all teams – or every horse from certain teams – jumped. None of the British Olympic event horses in Tokyo were jumped this evening.

Olympic event horses in Tokyo: the British team

Laura Collett and London 52

Showing off their walk in the main arena

In the cooling tent after the session

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class

In the final warm-up area

Best foot forward in right canter

A pat during work in the final warm-up area

Oliver with Ballaghmor Class’s co-owner and his right-hand woman, Karyn Shuter, plus groom Jess McKie

Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser

Trotting in the main arena, with performance manager Dickie Waywood in the background

Leaving the arena

Alternate Ros Canter and Allstar B

Leaving the main arena

In the cooling tent

Other nations

Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto with Vinci De La Vigne, alongside groom Jackie Potts

Germany’s reigning Olympic champion Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH

Ireland’s Sam Watson and Flamenco

Irish alternate Austin O’Connor on Colorado Blue, with Oliver Townend, Karyn Shuter and Jess McKie

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue

Ireland’s Cathal Daniels keeps Rioghan Rua relaxed in a longer frame

Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious

New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell on Diachello and Jonelle Price on Grovine De Reve

Pictures by Peter Nixon

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.