On the Ground in Versailles: Everything We Learned at the Operational ‘Test Event’

It’s a bright, sunny day at Versailles, the palatial former seat of Louis XIV, France’s Sun King – so sunny, that at 9 a.m., the heat is beating its way through the thick avenues of historic oak and chestnut trees and the gilding, visible in the distance adorning so much of the chateau and its countless fountains, is shining bright enough that you could probably use it to signal passing planes over Paris.

It’s an extraordinary spot to find yourself on any given day. As the largest and most opulent of Paris’s royal residences (a memento of a monarchy that ended, mostly, in guillotines, though whether they’ll work that bit of history into a jump at next year’s Olympics remains very much to be seen), the Chateau de Versailles isn’t just one of the most beautiful, capacious estates in the world, it’s also among the most popular. With 15,000,000 estimated annual visitors, it’s a must-visit destination — and for horse folks, its status has been raised indelibly over the course of the current Olympic cycle.

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Article written by:Tilly Berendt