Haras de Jardy to Host Special Equestrian Fanzone for Paris Olympics

Just a matter of moments before you drive into the town of Versailles, there’s a little treat awaiting the horse-mad. A non-descript road suddenly opens up on either side with glimpses of something every keen viewer of the now defunct Event Rider Masters series will remember: duck egg stable fronts, set into half-timbered brick buildings that nestle around paddocks and courtyards that seldom sleep.

This is Haras de Jardy – the largest equestrian centre in France, a hub for next-generation equestrian education, and the home of FEI eventing, dressage, and showjumping competitions, including last year’s French leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup series.

In short? It’s a little slice of heaven for horsey folks, and it’s not a bad place for their beleaguered partners, either, because the venue also offers an expansive golf course. Head to Jardy during one of its international events and you may well find Tim Price and Chris Burton out there (with or without shoes on – it’s hard to predict with that lot).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Haras de Jardy - équitation (@harasdejardy.equitation)

If you’re heading to Paris, and out to Versailles, for this month’s Olympics, Jardy is also a really key venue to keep in mind. Though the Paris 2024 committee have left no stone unturned in setting up fan zones across the city and beyond (and we really do recommend checking them out, because they’re going to be pretty incredible!), there’s no guarantee which sports any of them will opt to show on their big screens. And so, if you’re in the area but don’t have tickets for the venues themselves, where can you go to soak up all the vibes and make sure you don’t miss a stitch of the equestrian action?

You go to Jardy, of course. From July 27 to August 6, the team will be showing all the equestrian events on a big screen on site, with admission free for all. They’ll have their Orangerie bar and restaurant open to help you have an even jollier time, too. You can make sure you’re on the list to attend here.

In the area before then and want to add a trip to Jardy to your to-do list? The Olympic flame will touch down at the facility on Wednesday, July 24, at approximately 10.15 a.m. on its tour of the Hauts-de-Seine region that day. You’ll be able to make a day of it, whether you stay at Jardy for the day or follow the flame around Hauts-de-Seine. At Jardy, there’ll be showjumping classes up to 1.30m, tours of the stud, workshops, and a historical treasure hunt; across the breadth of the local area, you’ll find the following activities.

The full Hauts-de-Seine torch relay

• 8am: Torch relay begins at the Domaine Départemental de Sceaux, where there’s a photography exhibition on sport and the Olympics, as well as an antique bike trial from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
• 10:15 am: The torch heads Haras de Jardy estate, where there’ll be demonstrations, showjumping classes, treasure hunts, workshops and stable tours
• 11:05: The makes its way through Sèvres, Meudon, Boulogne-Billancourt and Issy-les-Moulineaux. There’ll be sports to take part in, as well as entertainment, on the Île de Monsieur in Sèvres, and the Village Vacan’Sports will be open for kids from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• 12:25pm: The flame will visit Tour aux figures, a sculpture installation in the Île Saint-Germain departmental park in Issy-les-Moulineaux. There’ll be activities including breakdancing, a biathlon, a roller disco, and much more.
• 5.25pm: Onwards to a musical procession for the flame at the Yves-du-Manoir departmental stadium, which will be the site of the Olympic field hockey competitions.
• 6pm: The torch will travel from Nanterre to La Défense, touching down in the fan zone at Gabriel-Péri stadium, meeting a guard of honour at the André-Malraux departmental park, and finally parading before the La Défense Arena and Pôle Léonard-de-Vinci.
• 7:20pm: The arrival of the Olympic flame under the Grande Arche de La Défense. Here, the cauldron will be lit by the last torchbearer, with a guard of honour made up of local kids. There’ll be a free concert at 9pm at the Garden Parvis to celebrate.