Tuesday afternoon I began asking where the Driving inspection, trot-up, jog, or whatever you want to call it, would be held. Yes, I knew the time (10:30 Wednesday morning), but I needed to know the location.

At 17:00 on Tuesday I was told that the location had not been decided yet. Really! So I abandoned hope of walking to the jog from my hotel, about 10 minutes  from Driving’s main venue.

Suffice to say that I was eventually directed to the location on Wednesday morning (after the jog started, of course). The location? A field outside the actual venue, but close to the stables.

As shocking as it may seem, the location made sense from a logistical perspective for the horses and their handlers. Wish the communication about the location had been better…a lot better.

Copyright jwequine.com

The above photo gives you some perspective of the field, the footing, etc. Personally,  I liked the way the shadows from the trees played on this horse’s dapples.

I am pleased to announce that I was able to obtain conformation shots of several driving horses as well as a good interview with multi-champion Boyd Exell (AUS).

With no security people at the site and just a few volunteers, the drivers and officials sort of organized themselves…smoothly. Unfortunately for the sport, there wasn’t a lot of media presence.

But what an absolutely refreshing experience compared to the lack of common sense and utter rigidity of the security personnel near the end gate of the main stadium.

Dinner last night was divine: a local French restaurant – not as easy to find as you might think – with a 4*-rating, for food and it is just around the corner from my hotel.

Today I plan on trying to obtain conformation (standing /halt) photos of some jumpers by going to the warm-up area. Wish me luck.

Copyright jwequine.com

The view from my hotel room window.

Bet you didn’t know there are waterfalls in Caen. Or did you?

It certainly presents a pretty image.

But…

One must remember to view the bigger picture.

Copyright jwequine.com

Not everything is as it seems on the surface.

Dressage, Para-Dressage, Endurance, Eventing and Reining are complete, medal ceremonies and all. That leaves Jumping, Driving and Vaulting.

The show jumpers had their FEI jog in front of the veterinary panel this morning (the reason I did not go shopping at the Games Village) and start their competition with a speed class on Tuesday.

Today I took action shots of the jumping phase of eventing and scored an interview with Clayton Fredricks, who is coaching the Canadian team. I guilted him into it a bit since his website uses one of my conformation articles (Ben Along Time) to promote his great eye for a horse.

Tomorrow, September 1st, is a non-competitive day, but, unfortunately the Games Village, where all the shopping is, will also be closed. Logical? Maybe not.

Guess how many journalists and photographers are going to sleep in. Oh, and all the volunteers get a day off, which is probably why the Village will be closed.

As for me, I think I might head over to the main arena and try to get a few interviews with jumpers as it is their familiarization day in the big ring and they will likely be more relaxed and have a bit of time. I hope security is working so I can get into the venue.

I was wrong when I said I would be free to check out the WEG marketplace on Wednesday.

Instead, I spent the day (also grand prix special day) trying to interview dressage riders and coaches for an educational project. I was in the tunnel, where the horses enter and exit the competition arena, since that was the best place to catch potential interviewees.

Pedro offered to make sure I was not interrupting anyone at a bad time. This was his attire for the day:

Copyright jwequine.com

I would like to thank those who spared 2 or 3 minutes. As to the ones who made appointments and didn’t keep them…well…they simply aren’t part of the project I guess. C’est la vie.

By Friday evening, I was totally dressaged out – 2 days of dressage grand prix (same test over and over), 1 day of grand prix special (see above) and 2 days of eventing dressage (same test over and over). However, I do have a lot of halt pictures to use as conformation shots.

Copyright jwequine.com

Eventer Opgun Louvo, my final dressage halt photo.

I opted not to head out to Haras du Pin this morning at 5:30 for a third day because I was concerned that a number of horses were not built to do an average 3* competition, never mind a solid 4* in less than ideal conditions. (Notice the terrain in the photos?) I haven’t heard or read the stories yet, but I did see that 63 of the 90 starters managed to complete the course.  Likely a good thing that a shortening of the course was announced Friday.

Copyright jwequine.com

Dressage ring at Haras du Pin

Copyright jwequine.com

Cross-country jump at Haras du Pin

63/90 is much better than endurance, where only 38 of 165 starters found the finish line. Along the way, 1 horse died after striking a tree and 2 riders needed medical care (rider of the dead horse and one with a broken leg from a fall).

It also remains to be seen how many of the 63 remaining eventers pass the jog tomorrow morning. If they do pass the jog, they will be loaded into horse vans and move in convoy to the main arena for the jumping phase, starting at 14:30. It took in excess of an hour to travel from  d’Ornano Stadium to Haras du Pin in a shuttle bus very early on a low-traffic day. Nothing could possibly go wrong with a convoy of horse vans later on a Sunday morning, right?

If you have read any of the reports and/or blogs about poor transportation services and shoddy organization, I can confirm that many of my experiences have been similar. But…rather than jump on the complain train, I just say that it is France and you can’t change that. It will be France tomorrow too. Might as well make the best of it.

The photos are downloaded, my laundry is done, groceries and supplies have been purchased, it’s raining again and it is time for supper and then a long sleep…I hope. I’m passing on the Reining finals this evening in order to catch up on sleep.

Maybe I’ll head over to the Games Village in the morning and then to the stadium for the completion of eventing in the afternoon.

To be continued…

Yes, I took the halt pictures of all the competitors so far and will do so again today. They will have to serve as my conformation shots since there was no way to get such things at the FEI jog.

Nip Tuck (GBR) – That left hind fetlock looks a bit suspect to my eye.

The main stadium has covered seating, but the competition area is open to the sky. I wondered how many of the dressage horses had ever been out in the rain, never mind being ridden in that falling-from-the-sky stuff.

Pedro was dressed for the weather. Love the bug-eyed goggles!

Since I have learned my lesson regarding the jogs at this event, I am not attending the eventing jog on Wednesday and will be free to visit the Games Village with all of its exhibits and places to part with Euros. I shall have to rein myself in, if you will excuse the pun.

Paris hotel to Gare Saint-Lazare? Check.
Finding the right platform? Check.
Finding the assigned coach? Check…or maybe not.

I had a prepaid first-class ticket to Caen on coach 12. I found coach 12 marked on the doorway; however, the other end of the same coach was labelled coach 11. It does not take a mathematical genius to deduce that 220+ passengers do not fit well into 110+ seats unless they are very friendly. By the time it was determined that the train was short one first-class coach, few were friendly…especially to members of the French rail system. No surprise that we departed late.

I managed a single seat on coach 11/12, but many others were shuffled back to ride in second class. I did laugh out loud when an announcement was made that people should retain their tickets and apply for a refund. I suspect ‘apply’ is the operative word.

During the ride, I did chat with a few folks on their way to the Games. One lady from the UK was going as a spectator, a couple from Texas were connected with reining, relatives of a competitor were providing a cheering section and one young lady and her mother were going because the daughter’s coach will be competing.

The daughter is a dressage student of Maree Tomkinson from Australia. The young lady is very excited to be attending her first ‘big’ competition and aspires to be a competitor at this level someday. It strikes me that she is the type of person the industry should be aware of and encouraging more.

So that accounts for the train ride to Caen. Yes, I actually made it to the destination, and, with the help of a Google map, walked a few short minutes to my hotel.

Time was tight for picking up my accreditation, getting back to the hotel and then heading to the media center (OK, centre) and taking in the opening ceremonies.

The schedule for the media shuttle, which I presumed would take me to the accreditation centre (the French spelling), showed departures every hour. But, a Google search showed a 20-minute walk each way. Since I would have to wait 50 minutes for a shuttle, I walked…both ways. I actually enjoyed the stroll and it provided a bit of orientation to the city. This was a plus, since I learned the shuttles could not go to the accreditation centre due to the narrow streets in that area.

Accreditation? Check.
Showered? Check.
Clean clothes? Check.
Media shuttle to the venue? Oops.

The clerk at my hotel said I had to catch the shuttle at a point about 1.5 blocks away. The shuttle sign at that location pronounced that it was a spectator shuttle. I asked at another media hotel a further half a block away, and they told me I had to catch the media shuttle at the train station. You’re getting the picture, right? Suffice to say that I eventually took the spectator bus and arrived in time to spend 5 minutes in the media centre before finding a seat in the stadium just as the opening ceremonies began.

Admittedly, I did not stay for the entire show. I had my doubts regarding finding a shuttle back to the hotel’s general area. And I was tired. I did see the spotlighted breeds and the parade of nations, though.

Back at the hotel, I read through some material and was of the opinion that I would have today off. Why? Because the shuttles (yes, all of them) would not start operations until 10:00 a.m. and the jog for dressage started at 7:45. Fortunately, another journalist offered to let me share a taxi with her and yet another frustrated journalist. Problem solved, but I suspected that the organizer of the shuttle schedule might own a taxi company. What do you think?

And then there was the set up for the jog: entirely fenced in. Grumble number one. With tight restrictions regarding locations for photographers (facing the sun only), we soon had grumble number two. I decided I would have to try to obtain conformation shots from the halt during tests. Sure hope I can find the right place to shoot tomorrow.

Considering that Alltech, the major sponsor of the Games, is so media conscious, they may not approve of the Normandy experience for the media so far.

One of the stewards, who understood the frustrations of the professional photographers, said, “It’s very French. Say no more.” I thanked him for the Monty Python moment (Say no more. Say no more.) and the momentary giggle. And then I spotted Pedro, back gate maestro and noted costume wearer.

A wig with curlers and a hair net plus fingernail polish in assorted bright colors – no two nails alike. Pedro said he wished someone could have been there to take pictures of the faces of the dressage riders as they approached the presentation area. I laughed as I imagined them.  Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Say no more.

I’m back at the hotel – partially via bus and partially on foot – and about to give myself the rest of the day off.

So far I can say that the French do fashion and food really well.  I sure hope I can add to that short list before my 3 weeks in France are up.

Although I can’t promise how much of a travelogue I will have time for while in France to cover the World Equestrian Games, I do have a few observations to share…so far.
Let me start out by saying that I broke up the journey to and from France so that exhaustion would not be a factor. I flew from Edmonton (Alberta) to Toronto (Ontario), a roughly 4-hour flight due to head winds and a 2-hour time difference. I stayed over in Toronto that night, which was a good thing since the flight into YYZ arrived about an hour late.
I then flew to Paris, approximately a 7.5-hour flight and a 6-hour time difference. If you’re keeping track, that’s 8 hours difference from MST in Alberta and 11.5 hours of flying. At Charles De Gaulle airport I caught the train into Paris’ Gare du Nord, where I transferred to another line that brought me within minutes of my hotel. Conveniently, this hotel is mere steps away from the Gare Saint-Lazare where I will board another train, but this time to Caen, the main host city for WEG. Same time zone, thankfully!

Gare Saint-Lazare

Because I expect to be busy in Caen, starting with the Opening Ceremonies this evening – and I have a bit of time now (before I board my train), I thought I’d share my experiences and thoughts so far.
This journey started out with an interesting conversation at the Edmonton airport with an experienced flight attendant from a major airline. After a while we settled on the topic of changes in flying from her perspective and from mine. Eventually she informed me that she had some concerns about the Canadian government’s approval of a reduction in flight attendants on flights. The old regulation required one flight attendant per 40 passengers. The new regulation requires one flight attendant for 50 passengers. While her concern was primarily based on the added responsibility of 10 additional passengers in an emergency situation, my concern was the difference in those passengers. When the ‘40’ rule was established, the ‘average’ passenger was much more likely to take orders and follow procedures than the ‘average’ passenger of today. This gave both of us cause for concern. I wonder whether such things will be considered when the first major incident occurs.
I arrived at the Toronto airport well in advance of my flight to Paris. (For some reason charter airlines request that passengers be at the airport 3 hours prior to departure.) This left me ample time to sit outside. While chatting with a woman returning from her home country of Ireland, I noticed another woman in the same area. This woman was shaking and tearing up without actually crying. She got up at one point and went to purchase a ginger ale. As the Irish lady and I continued our talk, I observed the other woman drink half her soda and then reach into a carry-on bad, grab an item of clothing and vomit into it. The Irish woman and I left, but I stopped some security personnel to report that the woman on the bench was unwell. The first response was: “She’s probably afraid of flying.” When I did not appear to believe that excuse, the second response was: “She’s probably homeless.” When I once again did not appear to be satisfied with that explanation, the third response was: “Everything is on camera and somebody else will have noticed.” Again, I was not appeased and mentioned the potential biohazard, so the fourth reply was: “I called my supervisor and described her location and what she is wearing.” Over a period of at least 45 minutes thereafter, no one checked on the woman. This lack of vigilance made me wonder if it was part of the reason that outbreaks of ‘foreign’ diseases seem to happen in Toronto first. Think about it. Whether she was homeless, a drug addict or a stricken passenger, I sure hope I never get ill at the Toronto airport!
I landed safely at Charles de Gaulle airport, found my luggage immediately and breezed through customs. That hardly ever happens, but I sure wasn’t complaining. Having researched things on the internet and confirming them with a helpful flight attendant, I headed to a different airport terminal to board a train for Paris and then transfer to another train. All went smoothly, but I wished I was just toting a small backpack instead of 3 weeks’ worth of clothing and equipment in a suitcase and a carry-on bag. According to my calculations, I will not have to go to the gym for at least a week. That last comment is only slightly sarcastic, by the way.
On the train ride into the city, I was reminded of the sadness I felt when arriving in Germany to cover WEG 8 years ago. It is a damned pity when grand old architecture is covered with graffiti. I sure hope tagging goes out of fashion soon.
Paris, like New York, is a walking city, and, like New York, the walkers do not wait for the lights to indicate it is safe to walk. If there’s no traffic, a do-not-walk signal means nothing.
Also, like New York and many other cities, there are homeless people in Paris. Today’s early morning walk (sans luggage) to scope out my route (avec baggage) to the Caen train revealed many of them sleeping on the cement near and at the train station. One early riser approached me inside the station, and, despite not being able to understand the rapid French, the expression and the gesture of an outstretched hand are universal.
I did not provide the favor that lady was seeking, but I did manage a good deed for the day. After watching a Japanese couple take turns photographing each other in front of various landmarks, I took a picture of them together…on their camera, of course. They were very thankful and I was glad I did it.
At breakfast, I spoke with a couple from Australia who are also heading to Caen today. They’re not going to WEG. The husband is a history buff, so they’re off to the Normandy beaches, etc. They had been a bit disappointed in their ability to schedule the days they wanted in Caen, but after hearing about WEG, they forgave their travel agent. Does that count as 2 good deeds for the day?

When researching a pedigree article, I rely on several resources. Some of them are free and some of them are not. Some of them I have been using for decades and some of them are recent additions. And some of them I have created for my own use.
While I created a pedigree database for myself and have saved media releases for decades, I also use the internet. Here are some internet resources and a bit about them:
http://www.brisnet.com/ – This is a membership site for accurate Thoroughbred pedigrees and up-to-date race earnings, and, as a bonus, some of the reports are free. I use this site frequently.
http://www.equineline.com/ – This is a membership site for accurate Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse pedigrees and up-to-date race earnings.
http://www.pedigreequery.com/ – This is a free pedigree site for Thoroughbreds, but not always accurate or up-to-date. There are numerous misspelled horse names as well as fantasy horses. Use caution before accepting the information as truth since anyone can enter information on the site.
http://www.sporthorse-data.com/ – This is a free pedigree site for sport horses with relatively few errors, primarily in the English disciplines. There are photos associated with many of the horses. I use this site frequently in combination with the FEI site below.
https://data.fei.org/ – It is searchable by several categories (event, horse, person, rankings) and by FEI discipline. I use it primarily for the horse information: year of birth, registry, previous name(s), sire, dam, dam’s sire, breeder and owner. Unfortunately, the information is not always complete.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/ – This is a free pedigree site for any breed of horse, but not always accurate or up-to-date. I strongly suggest double-checking the information through a more reliable source. One does not want to promote a fantasy horse rather than the real horse.
http://www.horseresourceofcourse.com/ – A new multi-discipline site that is, as the headline says, “A Wealth of Information – Releases, Results & Upcoming Events in the Horse World.” It is searchable, which makes it valuable for current and, with time, historical information. One to keep your eye on!

The survey closes July 21st (midnight MDT). If you still want a chance at winning the online evaluation for half price, time is running out!

Although it is prior to the official launch, the third e-book in the Learning by Example series, The Western Disciplines, is finished. Check it out:

Analyzing Functional Conformation for the Western Disciplines