The four-in-hand mail coachdriving was one of five equestrian competitions held in late May and early June 1900 at the International Horse Show in Paris. The event was part of the Exposition Universelle, and later classified as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics. There were 31 entrants listed for the event; all 28 of them are known by name (three entered twice each).[1] The event was won by the team of Georges Nagelmackers (one of the competitors who entered twice) of Belgium. The teams of Léon Thome and Jean de Neuflize, both of France, were classified in second and third place respectively.[2][3]
Sources prior to 1996 often did not list this event as Olympic. The IOC website currently has affirmed a total of 95 medal events, after accepting, as it appears, the recommendation of Olympic historian Bill Mallon regarding events that should be considered "Olympic". These additional events include the mail coach event.[4][5] (Mallon and de Wael had included this event in their Olympic lists.)
Background
No equestrian events were held at the first modern Olympics in 1896. Five events, including this one, were featured in 1900. Only the show jumping competition would ever be held again after that; this was the only appearance of the mail coach event.[6]
Competition format
The contestants drove mail coaches drawn by four horses each, with the winners determined by a jury. Many of the coaches were driven by their owners. The event took place at the small Place de Breteuil, which was unable to accommodate all 31 coaches simultaneously.[2]
Schedule
Date
Time
Round
Saturday, 2 June 1900
14:00
Final
Results
Very little is known about the results of the event.
^ ab"Exposition universelle internationale de 1900" (in French). Ministére du commerce, de 'industrie, des postes et des télégraphes. 1900. pp. 291–292. Retrieved 4 February 2022 – via LA84 Digital Library.
^ ab"Big display of coaches". The New York Herald. Paris. 3 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 16 February 2022 – via Gallica.
^"Paris 1900". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Equestrian 1900". Accessed 19 January 2006. Available electronically at [1]Archived 16 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
