Stadium Jumping Phase

It was stadium-jumping day today! It didn’t start until 2:30 today, so we had some time to kill before watching.  We slept in, which was great since I am still sickly.  I think the worst part of being sick while in France (or anywhere really) is that I have zero desire to drink any kind of alcohol.  Here I am in the land of wine, my heaven, and I don’t want any because I can feel it dehydrating me more so than I already am.  It is quite annoyance. 

I blogged from yesterday, packed for Paris, and then we talked to the tourism office about tours to the Normandy beaches & cemeteries, changed our ticket to Paris for a later time, before catching a shuttle (easily, no less!) to the Games Village.  We needed to go later to Paris because we wouldn’t get done at the stadium until 5 or later, and the train left at 6.  I really bombed it telling the guy we needed to change the time because of being sick.  First I told him I needed to change it to 7:09, then to 17:09 (5:09) and FINALLY realized that 19:09 (7:09 pm) was the time we really wanted and I just kept getting my numbers and time wrong.  Sometimes military time bites me in the butt.  The Games Village is where they have all the sponsors, shops, information, demonstrations, and more.  We did half of it the other evening after the dressage freestyle, but still had a lot to see.  Surprisingly I did not want to buy everything on site.  Potentially because I don’t have a horse to adorn with goodies from Europe at the moment, and I’m not showing, so I have no use for the latest show fashions.  The thing I thought was the coolest was an Argentinian company who handmade leather whips with sterling silver handles (for 70 euros each!).  But they were beautiful.  The whips and obviously everything in Hermès were all I wanted haha.

Le sigh... Hermes saddle pads

Love these flowers in the Games Village

We wandered around more, ate lunch, and then walked to the stadium, which is about a 20 minute walk.  We had to wait in line again to get in again, but it was faster than the other day waiting on the dressage freestyle.  The stadium was completely full today, which surprised me.  And again, it was probably 85% French.  The “daily news,” announcer, and TV commentators were all very biased.  It all got a bit ridiculous because every time a French rider went, they’d cheer like he’d won the Triple Crown for the first time in over a hundred years when in reality they had 24 jumping faults….. and were in 50^th place.  It was funny but also just, ridiculous.  The stadium section itself was very exciting at the end.  So few people made it around without a rail, that even the riders on top were shuffling around based on who went clean and who didn’t.  The biggest upset was when William Fox-Pitt had a rail on the second jump, so the newer person on the German team won the whole thing.  It was incredible since WFP wins everything.  Although I do think Chilli Morning was tired from all the mud yesterday, based on the media reports I read.

Lynn & Donner (USA) 

Ingrid Klimke & FRH Escada JF (Germany)

Zara Phillips & High Kingdom (GBR).  For my non-horse people, she's the Queen's granddaughter.  Casual.

Boyd & Shamwari 4 (USA)

Andrew Nicholson & Nereo (NZ)

Michael Jung & Fischerrocana FST (Germany)  - Silver medal 

Sandra Auffarth & Opgun Louvo (Germany) - Gold medal

Love this of Sandra

WFP & Chilli Morning (GBR) - Bronze medal

I am on the train to Paris as I type this!  Weeeeee Paris!  I can’t wait!  Tomorrow is a holiday here as it is in the USA, so we will have a fun time trying to see what is open and what we can do.  Stay tuned!

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I am in Paris!!!! SO EXCITED!!! We walked out of Gare St. Lazare and I got ridiculously excited.  Even though I spent so much time in Montpellier while I was here, its Paris that I miss most while I am away.  Nothing compares to Paris.  The buildings, the streets, the food, the people.  Le sigh.  We didn't get to the hotel until 10, and got to dinner at La Fontaine du Mars at 10:45 nbd.  It was really good.  We really only went there for the dessert Mother's been raving about for 2 years - prunes in armagnac with ice cream, but their other food was very good as well.  I got the prunes to give them a second chance but 1) that sucker was VERY alcoholic and 2) prunes are nasty as hell even in France.  Never.  Again.  But we saw everything last night - the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, the Invalides, and about a million great looking clothing stores.  I simply love Paris!

A very happy lady with her nasty ass prunes