GERMANY’s Ludger Beerbaum made an impassioned plea in Rio de Janeiro to retain four horses in Olympic teams, pointing out how a number of teams at Rio had to make substitutions after horses became injured.

“The Olympics in Rio have proved that the format of having four horses per team could not be better. For the drama and excitement of the sport we want this rollercoaster, up and down, and not that everything is decided after one round. Leave it open until the end.

“On top of that we have the welfare issue. We have lost a few horses over the last days, all of this speaks completely for [the need for] four riders. I speak from the bottom of my heart, it is absolutely wrong to change to three.”

It has been proposed that equestrian teams should be reduced to three members from four in future Olympics, with all three riders’ scores counting and eliminating the current option of a discard score.

Four show jumping horses were withdrawn for veterinary issues at the 2016 Games: Simon Delestre’s Ryan des Hayettes (FRA); Beezie Madden’s Cortes C (USA), Marcus Ehning’s Cornado NRW (GER) and Michael Whitaker’s Cassionata (GB).

“I cannot comment as there are several proposals on how the change the rules, but the experience during the Olympics will probably affect the process and the outcome of it,” said Stephan Ellenbruch, the head of the Rio 2016 Ground Jury.