equestrian

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adjective eques·tri·an \ i-ˈkwe-strē-ən \

Definition of equestrian

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

See equestrian defined for English-language learners

See equestrian defined for kids

Recent Examples of equestrian from the Web

At 10 a.m., the parade marches down Connecticut Avenue with school marching bands, equestrian groups, dance troupes, floats, community representatives and more.

— Washington Post, "Montgomery County community calendar, Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2017," 30 Aug. 2017
Throughout my childhood, those equestrian statues of victory, obelisks, and granite figures of soldiers were as immovable and immutable as the hills and the lakes.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "Growing Up in the Shadow of the Confederacy," 22 Aug. 2017
In the statue that dates back to 1913, Castleman is shown wearing equestrian clothing atop a horse to honor his role in founding the American Saddlebred Horse Association.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Controversy around Castleman statue in Cherokee Triangle continues with Saturday protest," 19 Aug. 2017
Developer Donald Van Vuren hasn't given up on his hope to build an equestrian subdivision in Merrillville's panhandle, returning to the plan commission for the fourth time with revised plans that include fewer houses on larger lots.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "Equestrian home plan revised in Merrillville," 4 Aug. 2017
The other $30.4 million of the new fundraising campaign is for upgrades to men's basketball, sports medicine, baseball, softball and equestrian facilities.

— AL.com, "Renderings of $61.7 million Auburn facility upgrades released," 3 Aug. 2017
Lisa Galliath, an immigration attorney in Carlsbad who specializes in serving the equestrian industry, said her clients had all managed to get visas allocated to them this year before the cap was reached.

— kate morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump supporters see broken 'Hire American' promise in Trump's loosening of visa caps," 17 July 2017
Every stay includes two complimentary desert activities, and the property offers a range of ways to explore the environs, ranging from four-wheel drive rides to Arabian equestrian mounts.

— jenny b. davis, star-telegram, "From shimmering sand dunes to glimmering skyscrapers, everything blings in Dubai," 17 July 2017
A separate equestrian path parallels the Trace in several places.

— NOLA.com, "Top 10 summer staycation activities on the North Shore," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'equestrian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.