This was the second appearance of the event, which had first been held at the 1900 Summer Olympics and has been held at every Summer Olympics at which equestrian sports have been featured (that is, excluding 1896, 1904, and 1908).
The competition made its second appearance, having first taken place at the 1900 Summer Games and subsequently appearing at every Summer Olympics that have featured equestrian events (with the notable exceptions of 1896, 1904, and 1908).