Twenty Years Later: Kazakhstan Returns to the Asian Games and Finishes in the Top 20 in Show Jumping

Kazakhstan’s national show jumping team has concluded its campaign at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Oleg Sokolenko, riding Cinderella, finished 14th in the individual show jumping competition, placing among the top 20 riders at the continental event.

Behind this result lies much more than a single course and a final ranking. It marks Kazakhstan’s return to Asian Games show jumping after a 20-year absence.

The country was last represented in the discipline at the Asian Games in 2006. Therefore, the decision to enter the national team at the continent’s premier multi-sport event once again represented far more than simply taking part. It was a step towards restoring Kazakhstan’s international presence in show jumping and building a new national team.

Behind every such step is an enormous amount of daily work that often remains unseen by spectators.

Preparation for the Asian Games included training camps and international competitions, the work of athletes and coaches, the preparation and care of sport horses, veterinary support, logistics, equipment and supplies. Equally important were the many details behind the scenes, from arranging transportation and necessary documentation to providing the uniforms in which the athletes represented Kazakhstan.

Show jumping is a unique sport. It is not only the athlete who enters the arena, but a horse-and-rider partnership. Behind just a few minutes on course are months of training, daily horse care, and the work of veterinarians, grooms, coaches, specialists and the entire support team responsible for preparing each combination for competition.

That is why Kazakhstan’s return to the Asian Games after two decades was the result of a collective effort involving a wide range of people: athletes and coaches, specialists and organizers, government institutions and partners who worked day after day to create the conditions necessary for the national team to compete at this level again.

Oleg Sokolenko’s 14th-place finish is the result achieved today, but it is not the limit of the journey that began with this return.

The Asian Games gave the team something especially valuable for the next stage: international experience, an opportunity to measure its level against Asia’s strongest riders, and a clearer understanding of the areas that require further development.

And the work is already continuing.

From October 28 to November 1, Astana will host an international competition as part of the FEI World Cup Eurasian League. Following the Asian Games, the national team will immediately turn its attention to preparing for its next start.

Ahead are new training sessions, continued work with the horses, technical and tactical preparation, and another opportunity to represent Kazakhstan on the international stage, this time at a home event.

For the development of equestrian sport, it is particularly important that competitions of this level are held in Kazakhstan. They provide local athletes with an opportunity to gain international experience without leaving the country, compete alongside strong international riders, and gradually raise their own competitive level.

Kazakhstan’s return to the Asian Games was made possible through joint effort and support. We would therefore like to express our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Olympic Committee, the Sport Support Fund, Prestige Horse Club and Darnis Equestrian Club, as well as the coaches, specialists, veterinarians, grooms, organizers, partners and everyone who contributed to the team’s preparation.

And, of course, special thanks go to the athletes themselves for their daily work, discipline, responsibility and willingness to enter the arena with the national flag behind them.

Twenty years later, Kazakhstan is back at the Asian Games. A 14th-place finish and a place among the continent’s top 20 is the result of a large team of people working every day to make Kazakhstan’s equestrian sport stronger.

The next competition is already approaching.

Astana. October 28 – November 1. FEI World Cup Eurasian League.

The work continues.