Last few days I've been watching the Paris Olympics on TV.
And I have this urge to comment on the 'lighting' at special events, and various venues and facilities.
Consider the Seine River, which was the boulevard for the Opening Day parade of athletes. Individual boats were lit up, as were artificial islands with activities (eg acrobats). And also individual performers, sitting
As for all public spectactles, the lighting (radiating or shining specific kinds of light at the intended subjects to affect the images that the viewer sees) is really relevant to the viewers subjective experience.
Anyways, I have never see such an initiative, that is as broad and intense.
Lighting innovations are visible near everywhere.
Dressage:
Jill Gougeon Irving, a 61 yr old Sudbury native who married into a billionaire family, was set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics - Equestrian - Dressage.
Sadly for her, she had to pull out just a few days before the event.- after already arriving in Paris - with a contingent, including family and her horse Delacroix ( and perhaps a spare horse Genesis).
These human athletes must supply their own horses. And those humans also pick up the cost of the animals - training, vet bills, boarding, etc.
I was curious: How much does it cost to participate at the level of a Canadian in Olympic Dressage.
The information on Google was not clear about these costs.
While there were news items available, for instance, about the sale to Jill of her first choice horse, Delacroix 11, no price was mentioned or even hinted at. It seems these things are best kept secret.
The scuttlebutt tho' is that for an Olympic quality horse that has been well trained would sell for upwards of $100k. It has been reported that some horses are valued at over a million buckaroos.
Apart from the big money to buy the horse, training and boarding and vet bills could easily cost $20k - $50k per year.
Transporting horses and team members (of that one rider) are extras - and flying horses to Paris from New Brunswick ain't cheap.
Jill pulled her horse from the competition because she had concerns about its health. This cost her spot on the Canadian team. It was reported however that she would remain an 'Alternate' on the Canadian Paris 2024 team, with another horse of hers - Genesis.
Takeaway: it takes real serious money to play the Dressage game at an international level.
I wouldn't recommend entering the arena without a couple million dollars in hand for the experience.
Of course, it takes much more than the money - like the time to train with the horse year round, on an almost daily basis, and importantly to maintain one's own fitness for the journey. Tis a big big commitment. But, apparently, fun.
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