Your Guide to the 2015 Pan-Am Games

All the information you need! (Plus totally bananas opening ceremony video.)

The 2015 Pan-American Games kicked off last Friday. Here’s all of your need-to-know information about the Games and equestrian competition!

Who: Athletes from the Americas in an Olympics-style competition format.

What: Every Olympic-recognized sport (plus a few more, such as bowling) is represented at the Pan-Ams, including the equestrian sports of dressage, eventing and show jumping. Equestrians compete both individually and for team standings.

When: The Games kicked off on Friday, July 10th and run through Sunday, July 26th.

• Team dressage: July 11-12
• Individual dressage: July 11-14
• Team eventing: July 17-19
• Individual eventing: July 17-19
• Team show jumping: July 19-23
• Individual show jumping: July 19-25

Where: The 2015 Pan-Ams are taking place in Toronto, Canada. Equestrian events are taking place at the OLG Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park, with eventing’s cross-country taking place at Will O’ Wind Farm, renamed the Pan Am Cross-Country Centre for the duration of the competition.

Why it’s important: For North and South American teams and individuals hoping to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Pan-Ams are the last chance to get on the list. The United States’ show jumping team already qualified thanks to a bronze medal at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, but dressage and eventing teams need to win gold to punch their tickets to Rio.

How to watch: The Pan-Ams are broadcast on CBC in Canada. Browse your mobile app store for free Pan-Am apps for video and real-time scoring.

Links: The official website, Facebook and Twitter.

BONUS: In what’s appearing to be the new trend for international athletic events, the Pan-Ams opening ceremony was a lavish and elaborate affair. This video is only Part 1 of 10 (!) and includes something called a “carnival powwow” complete with hundreds of international dancers grooving to “hypontic electro-beats,” plus a former Olympic gold-medalist base jumping off the CN tower with a flaming torch in his hand.

Keep it locked on Horse Nation for the duration of the games! We’ll bring you recaps and results from each phase of the Pan-Ams.

Go riding!