Definition of EQUESTRIAN

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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 After the Pieronis said their adieus, the equestrian competitions continued most of the afternoon despite a brief downpour that was quite a surprise for the riders. — La Cañada Valley Sun, "The Valley Line: Flintridge Riding Club’s annual Autumn Classic a blue-ribbon event," 1 Oct. 2019 The 32-acre property includes a stunning, 12,768-square-foot main house, a separate carriage house, and equestrian and recreational facilities. — Kelli Williams, The Denver Post, "Experience unmatched splendor and five-star amenities at Serenity Falls, now for sale in Evergreen," 18 July 2019 Seventt-seven schools sponsored equestrian programs with average scholarships for women in the $17,000 range. — Bird Brown, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Bird Brown: Don’t lose sight of alternative avenues in sports," 16 Nov. 2019 Hoedebecke agreed, and for two years CTR rented the property, a turnkey equestrian facility where Hoedebecke had taught dressage lessons, boarded horses and provided training for riders, Schmidt said. — Erika Butler, baltimoresun.com, "Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding finds its ‘forever farm’ in northern Harford County," 15 Nov. 2019 Layering on the uniqueness of the property are the amenities provided at AMRC, which include equestrian facilities, an owners’ lodge, a guest cabin and a private backcountry retreat. — Brittanny Havard, The Denver Post, "Location, location: One-of-a-kind Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club in Steamboat Springs epitomizes real estate’s golden rule," 31 Oct. 2019 But the spectacle, complete with a Household Cavalry equestrian escort, lords in scarlet robes and jewels galore, did provide a day’s diversion from the long Brexit grind. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Pomp in London, Brexit talks in Brussels as deadline looms," 14 Oct. 2019 The site has previously hosted temporary large-scale performances, including the touring equestrian show Cavalia, the acrobatic circus Cirque de Soleil and the music festival Project Pabst. — oregonlive, "Plan for Live Nation amphitheater moves ahead for Zidell land in South Waterfront; neighbors raise noise concerns," 1 Oct. 2019 Ago Roman riding, a type of trick riding during which an equestrian stands atop a pair of horses, with one foot on each horse, was one of the more thrilling events at the October 1959 Flintridge Amateur Horse Show held at the Flintridge Riding Club. — Carol Cormaci, La Cañada Valley Sun, "La Cañada History: Malfunctioning spa heater blamed in nearly $500,000 house fire," 30 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Their origins lie among nomadic Arab groups, highly skilled equestrians, who, once armed and supported by the Sudanese government, became ruthless strike forces during the conflict in Darfur and, later, freelance bandits lusting after ivory. — David Quammen, National Geographic, "To save wildlife, African governments turn to private management," 12 Nov. 2019 Nonmotorized trail open to hikers, bikers and equestrians. — Ramona Sentinel, "Our Town Calendar of Events: Oct. 3-9," 2 Oct. 2019 Bruce Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, are regulars (their daughter, Jessica, is an Olympic equestrian), and so are Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, Kelly Ripa, George Soros and Sting. — New York Times, "Where to Show Off Your $5 Million Horse," 31 Aug. 2019 Camp loved animals, played the piano, was an accomplished equestrian in her youth, a voracious reader, and a wonderful cook. — sun-sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 7/28," 28 July 2019 Nonmotorized trail open to hikers, bikers and equestrians. — Ramona Sentinel, "Our Town Calendar of Events: Oct. 3-9," 2 Oct. 2019 Mountain bikers and equestrians should stay to the right on the route that leads to the Miwok Trail and into Round Valley. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "East of Mt. Diablo is hidden gem Round Valley," 25 Sep. 2019 There were 87 entries who participated in the parade, including PUSD high school marching bands, 100-year-old World War II veteran Shelby Currie, Girl Scouts and Scouts BSA troops, local businesses, dancers, equestrians and many more. — Emily Sorensen, Pomerado News, "Poway Rotary Parade marks 55th year with successful event," 12 Sep. 2019 After Henry's passing, Norma became an avid equestrian. — courant.com, "Norma Cutler," 5 June 2019

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.

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Last Updated

5 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Equestrian.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equestrian. Accessed 12 December 2019.