Still included are the modern pentathlon, an odd event that includes equestrian show jumping and pistol shooting components, and cycling, a sport that has been plagued with doping scandals.

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Kotyan says he went to work investigating every aspect of the sport, in which horses and their riders perform a sort of equestrian ballet.

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The British Equestrian Federation's performance director, Will Connell, paid tribute to Laurens's impact on the sport.

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