equestrian

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

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

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Recent Examples of equestrian from the Web

Ande Murray, who graduated from the University of Southern California last year, thought her summer internship working for a company that produced equestrian events was going to lead to a full-time job.

— paul sullivan, New York Times, "A Guiding Hand From College to Not Just a Job, but a Career," 15 June 2018
Median list price for the county: $143,007 Marion County: An equestrian estate at 7178 Mill Ridge SE in Salem is listed at $4.2 million.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "The most expensive homes in each of Oregon's counties (photos)," 12 June 2018
After The Ceremony Ended , Garcetti removed his sport coat—a sleek urban take on the classic equestrian jacket, garnished with a gun-safety-orange flag on the lapel—and jumped into the back of the mayoral SUV.

— chanan tigay, GQ, "Eric Garcetti Is the Anti-Trump, Pro–Star Wars Man We Need," 12 June 2018
Thursday's decision is the latest development in the saga over the future of the equestrian center, which occupies about 7.5 acres on the northeast corner of the fairgrounds near the intersection of Arlington Drive and Newport Boulevard.

— luke money, latimes.com, "O.C. Fair Board declares fairgrounds equestrian center ‘is not going anywhere’," 25 May 2018
This also serves as a metaphor for the scaling down of operations at the equestrian center.

— austen erblat, Sun-Sentinel.com, "What happens when Winter Equestrian Festival season ends?," 13 Apr. 2018
Less than two months after a draft plan proposed taking a wrecking ball to the equestrian facility at the OC Fair & Event Center, officials put that horse back in the barn.

— timesoc, latimes.com, "TimesOC: Fair Board says equestrian center ‘is not going anywhere’," 30 May 2018
Let there be other equestrian events: Dressage, draft-horse competitions, mounted archers, dog-and-pony shows.

— dan rodricks, baltimoresun.com, "On Pimlico and Preakness, let's 'Do It Now!'," 25 May 2018
Queen Elizabeth has been on deck for the annual equestrian event since the 1940s.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "Queen Elizabeth Is Out Here Living Her Best Life at a Horse Show," 9 May 2018

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.