Horses gallop across Versailles’ Grand Canal pontoon in ‘hugely exciting’ Paris Olympics test

Horses galloped across a purpose-built pontoon over Versailles’ historic Grand Canal in a pivotal moment for Paris 2024 Olympic preparations.

The Grand Canal, designed by André le Nôtre and built in the mid-17th century, was home to boats of kings and a place to skate during frozen winters. Some 305 years later, it will be a focal point for another sport – Olympic eventing.

The spectacular scene was part of the two-day operational test event (22–23 August) at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which will host all equestrian events at next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Five members of the French youth eventing squad were the guinea-pig riders, crossing the pontoon and jumping five fences on the cross-country track. The days also included testing emergency protocols, such as medical and veterinary team access – plus what to do in the “incredibly unlikely” situation a horse and/or rider ends up in the canal.

FEI games operations director Tim Hadaway told H&H the teams involved have applied much of what they learnt from delivering the Games at Greenwich in 2012 – also a UNESCO World Heritage Site – to working at Versailles.

“Much like the project that we delivered in Greenwich Park, it’s obviously a very sensitive, well-used and much-loved environment. So the whole project is geared around solutions that minimise the impact both on the environment itself and on the users of the park as much as possible,” he said.

“To see it start to come to life, of course with horses and the federations visiting, was a very special moment that I think everyone involved enjoyed.”

Mr Hadaway added that the team working on organising the Games has made “fantastic progress” in the last 12 months.

“It’s hugely exciting for the sport. I think we would be nothing other than very satisfied with progress at this stage,” he said.

The testing process has changed for these Games. Instead of a full on-site event, it has been split to comprise the Versailles cross-country test and briefing, followed by testing of other operational and logistical elements at Fontainebleau next spring.

Paris 2024 Olympic eventing cross-country course-designer Pierre le Goupil was joined by the Paris 2024 organising committee and its main delivery partner, GL Equestrian Events, plus 20 national federation representatives and other stakeholders at Versailles.

Groundwork started a year ago and will continue until the Games. As part of this, Mark Lucey and Professor Lars Roepstorff have been measuring ground readings with testing devices. The pair have taught the expert turf management team at Normandie Drainage how to use these, meaning that they will have continual access to objective data to help inform ground preparations.

There will be two pontoon crossings on the Olympic cross-country course, which are being rented.

“It’s a really interesting system and it proved to be incredibly stable,” said Mr Hadaway.

He explained that the pontoons feature a series of tanks, which are filled with water and sunk to a defined and agreed level, with the structure anchored to the base of the canal. The surface has matting and sand footing for the horses.

“Everyone was very happy with it and the horses were able to go across that with no problems at all,” he said.

Paris 2024 organising committee director general Etienne Thobois said seeing the horses in action in “the extraordinary setting that is the Château de Versailles allows everyone to project themselves and creates a whole new excitement”.

Versailles Palace president Catherine Pégard added: “The site must be restored just as it used to be – and I believe it will be even more beautiful, because we’ll have improved access and we’ll have worked to make the gardens even more attractive.

“It is a great pride to associate one of the symbols of French culture, one of the symbols of France with these Games, which will be watched all over the world.”

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