Bonjour, Paris!

Chateau de Versailles sets the scene as 2024 Paris Olympic equestrian events prepare to get under way

Text and photos by Jennifer O. Bryant

Bienvenue to Paris! Well, not Paris, actually, but the Chateau de Versailles, the sprawling, mega-opulent palace and grounds that draw visitors from around the world.

Scratch that: This place is so huge that, if you were standing in front of the palace gates the way I was a few hours ago thanks to an inaccurate GPS app and a surly French Uber driver, you would have nary an inkling that a big horse show was going on. That’s because it’s a solid 15-20 minutes by car to get from the palace at the east end of the property to the very western end of the gardens, where the 2024 Paris Olympic equestrian venue has been (temporarily) erected.

If it were not for the crafted line-of-sight vistas of the palace in the distance as viewed from the main competition arena, you’d think we were in a pleasant country setting with woods, fields, and some historic buildings with placards dotting the landscape.

Now, enjoy a few more photos of my first full day on the scene in Versailles. And for a preview of the 2024 Olympic dressage competition and more about Versailles, see my article “Fit for a King” in the July/August 2024 issue of USDF Connection.

On deck for tomorrow, July 26: First eventing horse inspection, 9:00 a.m. local time. Paris is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.