Tales from Rio

Tales from Rio: 'He's the most brave breeding stallion in the world'

Meet the rider who preferred football as a youngster and whose Rio horse has had to get over his fear of water jumps

Tales from Rio: ‘We had no money; I did Polly Pocket commercials to pay for lessons’

Meet the friendly, fun and bouncy jet-setting rider of Ben Maher’s former horse Tripple X III who used to act in ads for toys

Tales from Rio: A million reasons to love this rider

Meet the handsome showjumper who is a graphic designer, father of three and competing at his third Games — in his second discipline, on a horse called Alan

Tales from Rio: 'My last Olympics was 28 years ago — in a different discipline'

Meet the record-breaking rider who is returning to the Olympics — in a different sport — nearly three decades after his first appearance

Tales from Rio: 'The hard times have made our bond even closer as a team'

Meet Phillippe Rozier — he received a last-minute call-up to the French team and says his bond with his horse is what makes them great

Tales from Rio: 'I found out I was jumping today at 7am'

Meet the rider called up to represent her country at the last minute at the Rio Olympics and her quirky partner who likes things just so

Tales from Rio: 'I was on 21 painkillers, but I had to qualify for the Olympics'

Meet Anna Kasprzak, the dressage rider who competed at last year's Europeans despite an agonising injury in an attempt to help Denmark qualify for RIo

Tales from Rio: 'It took two years to rehabilitate him; now I only school him once a week'

Meet Spain's Beatriz Ferrer-Salat — her mount Delgado has suffered from repeated tendon injuries, but she has found a way to manage him

Tales from Rio: Why it was 'wee wee' rather than 'oui oui' for the French yesterday

Meet Pierre Volla and Badinda Altena — the horse who can score a personal best despite needing to go to the loo during her test

Tales from Rio: 'I used to be a hairdresser — I've done our team trainer's hair'

Meet Laura Graves, the best-placed US dressage rider after the grand prix — her skills from a former life have come in handy in Rio

Tales from Rio: 'I read my horse love stories — it makes him calm down and tune in'

Meet Russia's Inessa Merkulova, who reads her horse Fifty Shades of Grey and finished 14th in the grand prix today

Tales from Rio: 'I hope I make the freestyle so I can express my flamboyant Spanish character'

Meet Severo Jesus Jurado Lopez, the Spaniard who rides his final centreline one-handed and says his horse loves a big atmosphere

Tales from Rio: 'He's nuts — his difficulty has always been his brain'

Meet Judy Reynolds, the Irish dressage rider who once drove petrol trucks to make money

Tales from Rio: 'We walk to McDonalds for date night in the Athletes' Village'

Meet Australian dressage rider Lyndal Oatley — she talks about being in Rio with her husband and cousin, plus by her ride had to be gelded after London 2012

Tales from Rio: 'It's like watching Avatar — all these beautiful bodies, except not blue'

Meet Yvonne Losos de Muñiz, the dressage rider from the Dominican Republic who says coming to Rio has made her 'want it 150 times more'

Tales from Rio: The horse bought at auction for half a million Euros who nearly died

Meet Anders Dahl and Selten MW — he tells H&H about how he started riding the horse originally intended for his wife Fiona Bigwood and how the couple juggle both riding at the Olympics

Tales from Rio: The incredible comeback from cancer, facial reconstructive surgery and a superbug

Shane Rose has endured exceptional physical hardship to get to Rio. But here he is, and he rode a blinder in the Olympic eventing dressage phase

Tales from Rio: Ruy Fonseca and the 'modern, nippy' horse who went from 0* to 4* in a year

Meet the Oxfordshire-based Brazilian rider who mucked out his Rio Olympics mount for nine months before ever riding him

Tales from Rio: 'We only have 41 athletes — it's inspiring to see lots of other small countries'

Meet Puerto Rican event rider Lauren Billys and hear her thoughts on the opening ceremony and her horse, who was produced in Britain

Tales from Rio: Zimbabwe’s trailblazer and the horse she was not convinced by

Meet the first ever Olympic rider for Zimbabwe and the friendly horse she planned to produce and sell on that's stepped up to the plate