Crowds flock to see ‘magic horse’ from Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony
35,000 tickets sold out within hours as fans seek to hold on to Olympic joy
The ‘magic horse’ was a highlight of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 26
Oliver Colthart/Shutterstock
The ‘magic horse’ that appeared to canter down the Seine river at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games on July 26 is on display at the city’s Hôtel de Ville, where it is drawing huge crowds.
Designed and created by the Blam workshop in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire), the horse, named La Cavalcade de Zeus, is metallic, and has mechanical moving parts.
During the Olympic Ceremony, it appeared to ride along the surface of the river in a sweeping ‘cantering’ movement.
Read also: Paris Olympics hailed as most spectacular of all time around world
It is being displayed on a pedestal, and is proving exceptionally popular: the 35,000 visiting slots sold out on the mairie’s website in hours.
The mairie has now made 8,000 more slots available, to cope with the high demand.
“You can look at it from close up, and see all the details of this magnificent sculpture,” said one of the visitors, Geoffrey, to FranceInfo. “It reminds us of this beautiful moment that we had, despite the rain.”
The metallic costume worn by the horse’s ‘mystery rider’ is also on display.
“We weren’t expecting to see a horse ride down the Seine. It was just magic,” said two more visitors. “We really got the impression that a real horse was galloping along the Seine. I thought it was a great idea.”
Another visitor said that she had also been to see the Olympic flame cauldron, and “didn’t want it to stop”.
“Let’s keep Paris celebrating,” she said.
Read also: Tickets, access: how to visit spectacular Olympic 'flying cauldron'
The horse is now owned by the French healthcare giant Sanofi, and discussions are underway about what will happen to it - and if it will go on permanent exhibition - after the Paralympics are over. (They are set to close on September 8).
