Paris 2024: Versailles mirage the mise-en-scene for eventing finale

The word 'mirage' derives from French and needless to say has latin roots.

So it felt an apt word to keep in the shade of one's mind whilst entering the arena erected for the equestrian events at Versailles for the final day of eventing action.

After the strobe-light dimpled darkness of the Arena Paris Nord for Sunday's boxing where the lights stayed sheathed but Jack Marley shone brightly, Monday's sun was a blur of shock to the system - unrelenting, shackled free of any cloud cover and hovering bright and white in an all too warm embrace of capri blue.

Below it stood the many-layered bleachers on three sides at the venue, full to the brim with eager supporters of the various nations - Irish tricolours also in evidence - but from the viewpoint of the central western stand, looking beyond into the east, something grand shimmered ominously in the distance early on in the day.

And then as the team eventing competition got under way, the haze slowly began to dissolve and like a mirage, a pale golden expanse began to emerge on the horizon.

The grand Palace of Versailles had announced itself with the green of its vast gardens unrolling slowly to the eye towards the land of gravel and obstacles where the show jumping phase of the eventing was already in full swing.

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The vantage point for this writer was right behind the white picket fence, close enough for flecks of muck to land on one's garments as horse and riders galloped past.

After Saturday's dressage phase and an impressive