1News sports reporter Guy Heveldt takes a look at the Kiwi equestrian team's time out on the course at the Paris Olympics at the end of day two.
More than 300 years of history and royalty, opened up to 150,000 fans, nearly 100 horses and riders over a 5.1 kilometre course.
Welcome to the incredible setting of the Palace of Versailles, the host of the cross country leg of the three-day eventing at the Paris Olympics.
A course that stretches through the incredible forest and garden, around the Grand Canal and finishing down a straight heading towards the Palace itself.
"It's a little bit of a shame, because you can't just sit there and enjoy it and not have a silly moment," Kiwi rider Tim Price told 1News after day two. "In retrospect it was a really fun experience."
Sentiments echoed by his teammate Clarke Johnstone.
"The venue here is stunning, the stadium is huge and the cross country course, you couldn't get a more picturesque setting.
"The course was great, it flowed well and it was a really good championship course."
A course surrounded by an enormous and boisterous crowd, one of the largest in history.
"I can believe that, because the course was packed from the start box to the finish and the crowd was incredible," Johnstone says.
"They were so close to the course, it seemed like they were within touching distance often and just so enthusiastic, it was an amazing feeling."
Johnstone's mount Menlo Park handled it with aplomb, clearing the course, only picking up 4.80 time penalties. Tim Price and Falco were a touch better, also going clear, accruing just 2.0 time penalties.
It was a different story for Jonelle Price, with her horse Hiarado finding it tough in the earlier stages. The duo finished well, but still picked up a total of 28.40 penalties.
It leaves New Zealand 24.4 points outside the medals heading into the final day's showjumping.
"It's a fair bit to climb into podium," Price conceded. "But, historically, in the last couple of Olympics, there have been teams on the podium with one of their riders having 20 points in the cross country."
And Johnstone knows the showjumping is their strongest discipline.
"Our horses are very good showjumpers and anything can happen in sport, but that's a fair gap to catch up."
Great Britain leads, ahead of the hosts France with Japan currently sitting in the bronze medal position.
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