Olympic ‘horse’ Zeus to begin a tour of France - here is where it will go
The ‘floating’ metallic horse became one of the stars of the show, and is now set to gallop to new pastures
The horse appeared to float above the water. It is now going on tour
Sanofi.com
The metallic horse that appeared to gallop down the River Seine during the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony will soon go on an international tour, with stops including Marseille, Lyon, and Bordeaux.
The horse is named ‘Zeus’. Designed by Morgane Suquart, co-founder of Breton company MMProcess, and created by studio Atelier Blam in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire), it is owned by French medical laboratory Sanofi.
It became one of the stars of the show when it was first seen on July 26, 2024, and appeared to ‘float’ gracefully and powerfully, as its equally luminescent rider took the reins.
Zeus was initially on public display in the Hôtel de Ville in Paris during the Games and Paralympics, and was exhibited at the Palace of Versailles in the autumn.
Read also: Crowds flock to see ‘magic horse’ from Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony
The Sanofi group has now confirmed that “Zeus will travel across France and Europe in the spring and summer of 2025”, stopping in cities close to the pharmaceutical group's sites and at iconic French heritage sites.
So far, the itinerary is as follows:
March 3: Porte Maillot in Paris
March 5-14: Peyrou promenade in Montpellier
March 17-April 2: Hôtel de Ville in Lyon
April 16-26: Marseille
May 3-9: Bordeaux
May 12-23: Rouen
June 17-27: Frankfurt, Germany
July 12-September 7: Mont-Saint-Michel
September 19 to 29: Nantes
The horse - which has large wings and is also known simply as The Metal Horse or The Iron Horse - appeared to gallop down the Seine River during the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, and travelled for six kilometres.
In reality, it is a huge mechanical creation, which Sanofi calls a “a true feat of engineering, at the intersection of art and technology”.
It is controlled with two ropes, which steer in the hidden boat that the horse rides on. Only 15cm of the hull was visible above the water, in a bid to make it as invisible as possible, to maintain the ‘floating’ illusion.
Its rider - the designer Morgane Suquart herself - later played a pivotal role in the Opening Ceremony, finishing the ride at the Trocadero, and carrying the Olympic flag to its flagpole. The rider was intended to embody the ‘Olympic spirit’ and Sequana, goddess of the Seine (in Gallic mythology).
