The Summer Olympic Games, first held in 1896, is an international multi-sport event that is hosted by a different city every four years. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) organizes the games and oversees the host city's preparations, with support from each indiviudal sport's International Federation (IF). In each Olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals are awarded for second place, and bronze medals are awarded for third; this tradition began in 1904. The Summer Paralympic Games is also awarded to the same city that hosts the Summer Olympic Games.The Summer Olympic Games includes the disciplines of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping, while the Summer Paralympic Games includes the discipline of Para-Dressage. Equestrian remains one of the only sports in which men and women compete as equals in all events.

The United States has hosted four Summer Olympics (1904, 1932, 1984, 1996). The United States also leads the all-time medal table. In 1964, when women were first permitted to compete in Olympic eventing, the U.S. fielded the first eventing team to include a woman, Lana DuPont, who contributed to a Team Silver medal-win. The U.S. has also fielded teams in each of the Paralympic Games since para-dressage’s inception at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, capturing four Individual medals.