It’s been a nail-biting day here at D’Ornano Stadium complete with the sort of surprise ending that makes eventing such an exciting sport — it’s never over until the last jump of the last competitor on the last day. The FEI just posted a quick video recap of today’s grand finale, replete with dramatic music, slow-mo sequences and British accent that (almost!) do justice to the day that was.

In the spirit of the sport, Eventing Nation’s WEG coverage isn’t over until the last security guard kicks us out of the press center. So keep it locked here!

Go Eventing.

When I heard that WEG’s eventing show jumping was being held in a giant soccer, er, “futbol” stadium, I cringed, imagining a sad-looking sea of empty seats. But equestrian sport in Europe is an entirely different beast than it is in the States — less a mysterious niche and more a source of fierce national pride.

The energy in the stadium today was palpable, a electric current that ran through everything. It was manifest in billowing flags and the forward lean of fans in their seats. The announcer’s voice foamed with enthusiasm, rousing the crowd to a fever pitch again and again. There was an earthquake rumble of gasps when rails fell and cheers when they didn’t. Each clear round was rewarded by a voluminous surge of music that almost, but not quite, overwhelmed the boisterous roar of the crowd. My surprise that the horses and riders were able to maintain their composure never did wear off.

As the afternoon wore on the intensity grew, the atmosphere becoming indistinguishable from any other action-packed game in any other stadium on any other continent. Ultimately, sport is sport. Fans are fans. Everyone craves something to root for, a partaking of something shared, the assurance we’re not alone.

Go eventing.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

When Peter Barry set out on course at 10:24 a.m. local time on Kilrodan Abbott, he just wanted to make it through the finish flags. Of the six riders who’d gone before him, there were two retirements, one elimination, one 60-faulter and a sole clear round from Australia’s Sam Griffiths and his 2014 Badminton-winning mare Paulank Brockagh. No pressure, Peter.

His objective, he explained when we caught up with him after coming off course, was simply to show his team that it could be done so they could head out of the startbox with confidence. Peter and his big-hearted Irish Sport Horse gelding accomplished what they set out to do, calling upon every ounce of their partnership to pocket just 20 jumping penalties and a chunk of time.

Peter celebrates his successful go through the third water, which was the end of the road for many riders. Via FEI TV.

At the end of the day their score set them in 49th place but, as less-lucky riders before and after him came to find out, sometimes finishing is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Next out was Jessica Phoenix on Pavarotti, the alternate she subbed in when A Little Romance suffered an injury in her final gallop prior to shipping out to France. Since Jessie withdrew Pavarotti after dressage at Rolex this year, it would be his first attempt at four-star level cross-country. And while of course there are no “move-up” four-star courses, debuting as part of a team on the world stage is perhaps not the most ideal situation — especially considering the additional challenges that today’s course posted. Thankfully, Jessie and her horses have a history of rising to the occasion.

“I think for a horse’s first four-star this was a serious question,” Jessie says. “When we walked it we were thinking this is, like, a four-and-a-half or five-star event. Pavarotti is more the horse that just takes the bit and is like ‘Grrrr, let me at it’ even if it might be a little above his level. I think A Little Romance is more of a lady — she’s a little bit smarter than the boys. So I think given the conditions and the way the course rode, you know, everything happens for a reason. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here on A Little Romance but with Pavarotti as my backup, I’m a lucky, lucky girl.”

Canadian pride! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Jessie and Pavarotti made short work of Pierre Michelet’s course, which she described as “beautiful.” She and Pavarotti had an opportunity to preview the lay of the land last year when they participated in the test event. “It was a forward, galloping, bold, safe … it never felt trappy and it just really rewarded good, forward, positive riding,” she says. “It was so well suited to my horse — I couldn’t have picked a better course for him.”

Thankfully Pavarotti’s fitness proved to be on par with the challenge. They finished with 33.6 time penalties, which was in line with the dozens of time penalties other riders were racking up. Still, she says she was relieved when officials cut out a one-minute loop late in the course to help compensate for the heavy, tiring footing.

“I think that 11-and-a-half minutes would have just exhausted these horses,” she says. “I think it would have been almost unattainable if they had left it in.” At one point, she says Pavarotti’s legs turned to jelly a bit, but that he caught a second wind and took off again with ears pricked.

“I could just cry, that horse is so incredible,” she says, looking a little teary-eyed as she says it. “He is mature beyond his years and, oh man, I’m just so excited for his future.”

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High heading to the startbox with Canadian coach Clayton Fredericks. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessie and Pavarotti are Team Canada’s top-placed pair heading into the show jumping. Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High picked up 20 jumping penalties and 39.6 time for an overnight position of 43rd. Hawley Bennett and Gin & Juice weren’t quite their usual cross-country machine selves.  A sticky moment followed by a lengthy hold on course snowballed into eventual elimination.

Only eight teams remain intact in the wake of today’s cross-country carnage, and Canada is one of them. They’ll head into show jumping placed seventh in the standings.

As Jenni pointed out yesterday, Canada has some serious WEG mojo in its court and a 2010 team silver medal to defend, and here at EN we’ll be flying our #CamericanPride flag high tomorrow at WEG eventing’s grand finale. The jog takes place here at Haras du Pin at 7 a.m. French time (that translates to an ungodly 1 a.m. EST), after which the competition will pack up shop and move to D’Ornano Stadium in Caen.

Keep it locked here for the livest updates in town, er, the world, and Go Evening!

#WEG2014: Website, Live Scores, Schedule & Results, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Guide to Eventing, FEI TV, FEI TV’s YouTube, WEG Facebook, EN’s Instagram, Fantasy Eventing, @eventingnation

Harry Meade and Wild Lone. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We have just learned that Wild Lone collapsed and died after jumping clear cross country this afternoon with Great Britain’s Harry Meade at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Our thoughts are with Harry, Alf’s groom Jess Errington and owner Charlotte Opperman, as well as Team Great Britain at this very sad time.

The following statement has been released:

It is with great sadness that we announce that Wild Lone, ridden by Harry Meade (GBR) and owned by Charlotte Opperman, collapsed and died approximately 16.15 today after completing the Cross Country at Haras du pin (FRA) at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy.

The 13-year-old gelding had completed the Cross Country course clear with 26.4 time penalties to go into 25th place. The rider had just dismounted and shortly afterwards the horse tragically collapsed and died.

As per FEI Veterinary Regulations, a post mortem will be carried out on the horse to establish the cause of death.

Lully Des Aulnes (no 2), ridden by Joris Van Springel (BEL) has been taken to a referral clinic for further investigation after a fall at fence 30, the Rolex Water Trough. An X-ray taken on-site has established there is no fracture, and the referral clinic is now treating wound on the left hind fetlock.

Professor Yves Rossier, the Foreign Veterinary Delegate, reported that horses were finishing the course in good condition.

At every FEI event, the maximum consideration is given to the safety and welfare of horses and athletes.

A press conference is presently being held in concert with the announcement. Check back soon for more details.

Godspeed, Wild Lone.

Are you one of the 50,000 lucky spectators with tickets to WEG’s most exciting sold-out event? That’s awesome, but if you’ve already had a taste of WEG’s decidedly laissez-faire attitude toward logistics you’re probably also freaking out. We’re not about to let it ruin our day, and we don’t think you should, either. Here are some practical tips for enjoying Saturday’s competition in comfort and style.

First a couple basics:

— The start time has been moved up to 10 a.m. from its original time of 10:30.

— The order of go is the same as it was for dressage. The U.S. leads off with Buck and Reggie being the first ones out on course. Order-of-go sheets will be available tomorrow at info booths and not only do they exist — wait for it — they’re free! (As opposed to the 3 Euro they have been charging the straight-dressage spectators.)

— Just in time for people to start panicking WEG has posted an official Cross-Country Spectator Guide. But we’d recommend supplementing it with these bits of advice we’ve picked up the hard way…

Wear mud boots. As we mentioned yesterday, the ground here ranges from squishy grass to space mud to ankle-deep slop. The sun came out today and has dried out the course a bit but if you packed boots you’re gonna want to wear them. If not there’s a Dubarry vendor here, just sayin’.

Bring something to sit on. This ain’t Rolex, folks. There aren’t grandstands set up around jumps of interest or swanky tailgate parties to crash. This guy looks pretty happy in his folding chair (bonus points for the pocket binoculars) but one of those portable folding stools would be ideal.

Don’t believe the weather forecast. On paper it looks perfect — 68 degrees with a 20% chance of rain — but if I’ve learned anything about France this week it’s that the weather is beholden to no one. One minute it’s cold and raining, the next it’s blue skies and singing birds. Come prepared for anything.

Pack sustenance. During dressage the food-to-humans ratio was a bit out of proportion (see photo below). Allegedly there are 20 food and 10 beverage trucks coming tomorrow and it’s also OK to bring in your own stuff, which is more fun anyway. Think adorable French wine and cheese picnic!

BYOTP. Haras du Pin seems to be fairing pretty well on this front but I have heard WEG bathroom/port-o-potty horror stories that would give you nightmares. Bring toilet paper. It’s just not worth the risk.

Pack a paper bag to breath into on the way there. There’s no gentle way of saying this: Getting to Haras du Pin is going to be a pain in the bum. Parking will be an even bigger pain in the bum. Your bum will likely be numb from pain by the time you walk through the entrance gate. There is apparently a special parking plan in place for cross-country day and here’s hoping it actually works, but based on the success of WEG’s other “plans” I wouldn’t bet money on it.

It’s been taking us about an hour to drive from our hotel in Caen to Haras du Pin and that’s before spectator traffic starts piling in AND it’s been during dressage — cross-country day is going to be a vastly larger event. Which is to say, it’s going to take you longer than an hour to get here so take that into consideration.

Want directions? (Insert cynical laughter here.) How about an address? (Insert even louder cynical laughter.) According to the Haras du Pin website, it’s Le Haras national du Pin – 61310 Le Pin-au-Haras, France. I know, I know, that’s not even really an address. The WEG website offers comparably useless directions here. After a great deal of pushing buttons on our car GPS, we figured out that the best way to get there was to type in the area code, hit city centre and follow the signs from there. Not very scientific but it worked. The good news is, once you get off the exit from the motorway there is lots of pretty, pastoral scenery to keep you entertained while you’re stuck in traffic. Seriously, it’s the most bucolic drive ever, all quaint villages and secret gardens and random sheep wandering around. Good for the ol’ blood pressure.

So, you finally got here. Good job! But your journey isn’t over yet. According to WEG, the event’s 20,000 parking spots are spread across 60 hectares (148 acres) of meadow. Which translates to, “You’re going to have a hike from your car to the course, and it’s going to be uphill both ways.” #kiddingnotkidding!

Here’s the parking map — the lots open at 6:30 a.m.

I know what you’re thinking: Screw this! I’m going to take the shuttle. Bad news… shuttle registration is closed. There are, however, two special TERS (local trains) between Caen and Argentan for spectators with cross-country tickets. There are seats remaining — they are 12 Euro for adults and 6 Euro for children and can be booked online here. If you decide to go that route I wish you the best of luck; the website is in French and despite two years of French in college I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Hey, maybe it will all work out. Maybe for once WEG will prove us all wrong and knock our socks off with its mad organizational SKILLZ. Here’s hoping!

One way or the other we’ll be there with bells outlandishly patriotic red, white and blue outfits on. Go USA, and Go Eventing!

That is one stressed-out Chinch.

It’s amazing what eventing enthusiasts will go through to watch the rock stars of their sport perform. Wind, rain, cold… we’ll sit through it all with a smile on our face. Yet WEG 2014, which is on track to become the least spectator-friendly international equestrian event of all time, is pushing the limits of even the most diehard fans.

First and foremost, there’s the mud. It’s everywhere and growing worse with each footstep, becoming so deep in places that it’s difficult to traverse. Jenni, who has been risking her life all day trekking back and forth between the stadium and the media tent, explains, “You just kind of have to slide through it. Also you have to keep a safe distance from other people because if one person goes down, we’re all going down.”

Some people came prepared.

Others, not so much.

Dressage has just ended and, as we speak, hundreds of spectators who just want to get the hell out of here are happening upon a brand new surprise: Their cars are stuck in the mud. There are literally tractors towing them out one by one.

But hey, what’s the rush? It would’ve taken hours to get through the country backroad gridlock anyway. Let’s head back into the trade fair, snack on a crêpe and a glass of wine. Bonne chance! If there is an overabundance of mud, there is a deficit of food. During the lunch break spectators stood in ridiculously lengthy lines to get food from the only two food vendors in attendance.

On the bright side, despite these physical and logistical quagmires, spectator team spirit refused to be dampened.

OK, the collective team spirit might be a little soggy. But not ours!

Journalist @jenniautry – no prizes for guessing where she’s from. #WEGpic.twitter.com/auqzhxdDbm

— Horse & Hound (@horseandhound) August 28, 2014

Seriously, though, many thanks to the volunteers and event staffers who are doing their best to make the most of these less-than-ideal circumstances. Go Eventing!

The sun is setting, and Jenni and I are huddled around a bourbon barrel in the Kentucky Ale bar in the Games Village. We haven’t slept in 33 hours and are on our fifth beer, courtesy of a rowdy bunch of international reining people who keep buying us rounds because USA has won team gold. Do we know anything about reining? Not really. But hey, free beer is free beer. ‘Murica!

Our new friends include reigning double-European reining champion/German team member Alexander Ripper…

…an off-duty French security guard-gone-wild named Vincent…

…and a guy who claims to be the actual WEG mascot, Norman.

Across from us, the Swedish reining team is riding a carousel…

…and a few tents down, a French lounge singer is massaging our ears with sweet, sweet melodies revolving around the word “l’amour.”

As random and surreal as all of this sounds, this moment in time actually makes more sense than anything else that has happened to us today.

While WEG’s organizers clearly put a great deal of effort and funding into some aspects of the games — Saturday’s over-the-top opening ceremonies being a prime example — other more practical considerations seem to have been overlooked. The parking situation is ridiculous: We drove around for an hour before giving up, going back to the hotel, and hoofing it to the venue on foot. Shuttles exist but run on “French time” along mysterious, nonsensical routes. Nobody speaks English. Internet is spotty and non-existent in the media hotel. So you can understand why, by the end of the day, heavy drinking seemed like the only logical response.

But hey, today is a brand new day. The sun is shining, there were fresh baguettes and individually wrapped cheeses on the breakfast buffet, and we aren’t even that hungover.

Viva la France!

I’m a legendarily terrible packer. Seriously. I’ll get somewhere and have 10 shirts but not a single pair of pants, or vice versa. I’ll remember to bring socks or underwear but never, ever both. It’s not for lack of trying — it’s more like I’m always shoving clothes into a suitcase at the last minute and certain basic human necessities get lost in the shuffle.

So when it came time to pack for the World Equestrian Games, this week-long deal taking place on an entirely different continent…

This time, I decided to go in with a gameplan. A good gameplan? Doubtful. A practical gameplan? Absolutely not. But fun gameplan? Totally.

Basically, this so-called “gameplan” just involved rummaging through my closet and dresser and pulling out anything that looked remotely patriotic. Red, white, blue… star or stripe patterns were a plus. The end result? I was so proud I posted it on my Facebook page:

But then my WEG travel companion, EN editor Jenni, had to go out and up the ante, scoring some sweet red, white and blue pajama pants at Old Navy. Naturally, I saw her pajama pants and felt compelled to take it to the next level.

And then she took it one giant step further.

And then suddenly my suitcase looked like this…

…and hers looked like this…

…and the Chinch looked like he was about to run away with a motorcycle gang.

Well, my flight to Paris s boarding so I’ve gotta run. Until next time, Go Eventing!

Watch out world, EN’s number-crunchin’, math-poppin’, stat-spittin’, digit-droppin’ chinchillas are bringing their calculators to France. Throughout the Games they’ll be taking inventory of the facts and figures that add up to the equestrian world’s most prestigious eventing championships.

Many thanks to Jenni for compiling the this hulking encyclopedia of WEG horses and riders, which doubtlessly saved our team of expert chinchstaticians approximately 10,000 hours of research, and a shout-out to Kate Samuels for her help as well.

Let’s kick off our series with a quantitative look at the field of 2014 WEG horses:

">">">">">">">">">">Keep it locked here for much, much more throughout the Games. Go Eventing!