We'd been to Auteuil many years ago on a gloomy, dismal day when the place seemed so down-at-the heels that we wondered why anyone would bother to come here. When Gina Rarick, our local horse racing buddy, suggested an outing on a Sunday afternoon, we were for a few seconds a bit reluctant -- why would we want to go back to Auteuil?  But this was for what is considered the Grand National of French steeplechase racing, le Prix de la Président de la République, starring some of the most daring and graceful athletes in the world. To be able to see them in action, with someone who knows what to look for, could be a great opportunity. So we said,  pffff  (that's the French pushing of the lips), mais oui, avec plaisir!

We arrived at the track to see that it has been renovated, spruced up, and in fact made to look every bit as good as its sister tracks in the Parisian region. The steeplechase aspect was awe-inspiring as we watched the horses work. The array of hurdles and jumps is amazing -- la Haie (the bush), the Brook, the Rivière du Huit, the Bullfinch, the Oxer, the Double Barrière, the Rail Ditch and Fence -- and they're put together in succession in a different way for each race to create a challenge to rider and horse alike.  Many a horse crosses the finish line without a rider, something you rarely see in flat racing. And many a horse and rider don't finish the course, using good judgment as to when to call it quits rather than risk injury. Interesting, different, but still everyone is hoping their horse comes in and pays well...so not that different after all!