CHARIOT RACES AND EQUESTRIAN EVENTS

The chariot races and equestrian events were held in the hippodrome.

Pausanias describes the complicated starting system of the hippodrome at Olympia. According to this the chariots and horses drew lots for positions that formed a triangle on the west side of the arena. A rope was stretched in front of the positions. A special mechanism allowed the ropes to be removed successively, so that the chariots or horses all started at the same time in a straight line from the apex of the triangle.

	Equestrian starting system reconstruction

Black-figured attic columnar crater depicting race with perfect horses (kelites), Athens, Acropolis, 550-540 B.C.	Copper bridle, 550-490 B.C., Ancient Olympic Games History Museum.	Black-figured attic banded kylix depicting Tethrippon race, Corinth, 530 B.C.

The basic objective of the contestants was to be first to reach the colonnette that served as the turning post of the hippodrome, so that they could take the inside track around it, thus covering a shorter distance. It was here that most of the accidents occurred and the riders' skill and horses' discipline was revealed. 

The chariot was a small wooden car, called synoris when it was drawn by two horses, tethrippon when it was pulled by four horses or foals, and apene when it was drawn by mules.

The equestrian events held at Olympia were the race for full-grown horses ridden by jockeys, the kalpe, a race for mares, and the foals' race.