equestrian

1 of 2

adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwe-strē-ən 

1

a

: of, relating to, or featuring horseback riding

equestrian Olympic events

b

archaic : riding on horseback : mounted

c

: representing a person on horseback

2

: of, relating to, or composed of knights

equestrian

2 of 2

noun

: one who rides on horseback

Did you know?

Equestrian comes from equus, Latin for "horse". Old statues of military heroes, like the famous one of General Sherman on New York's Fifth Avenue, are frequently equestrian. In these sculptures the man always sits nobly upright on a horse, but the horse's stance varies; depending on whether the rider was killed in battle or survived, was victorious or defeated, the horse traditionally stands with four, three, or two hooves on the ground. Equestrian statues have been popular through the centuries, because until the 20th century almost every officer in Europe and America was trained in equestrian skills and combat.

Examples of equestrian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Renee Lawler, who first moved to the block in 1981, says the equestrian community in Long Beach is historic, fragile and deserves to thrive. —Laura Anaya-Morga, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025

Besides an 18-hole golf course, the resort has a spa, an equestrian center, a restaurant, bakery and ice cream shop, saloon (check out the painting over the bar), and a small movie theater. —Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025

Noun

In June, the Princess Royal, 74 — a lifelong equestrian — suffered a concussion and spent five days in the hospital after sustaining a concussion and minor injuries in an incident at Gatcombe Park. —Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025

The video had been sent to the FEI, equestrian’s international governing body, by a lawyer representing an anonymous complainant. —George Ramsay, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin equestr-, equester of a horseman, from eques horseman, from equus horse — more at equine

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

equestrian

1 of 2 adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwes-trē-ən 

: of or relating to horses, horseback riding, or people who ride horses

equestrian

2 of 2 noun

: one who rides on horseback