The parade of athletes begins. They are led by a stable wearing blank silks.
This set of silks symbolizes all the great stables and all the great horses that are no longer with us.
Champions, one and all.
Following a slow walk around the Equinics track the silkless rider stops in front of the reviewing stand. As the roaring applause slowly fades into a deafening silence the horse rears in slow motion and holds the pose, then slowly drops his forelegs to the ground. The crowd is silenced by the show of strength and grace, and each and everyone in the audience reflects upon the great ones that are no longer with us.
The great gates to the south swing open and the Residencies arrive. Soft horns trumpet their arrival. Acompanied by a slow drumbeat a magical spell entwines the crowd. As residency after residency after residency breaks through the gate the horns magnify and build into a crescendo. The sounds of the drums threaten to crash into each other as the frenzied tempo increases. Drumsticks but a blur. The crowd agains deafen the arena; but now it is wave on wave of cheers as each residency arrives and parades around the track.
The man himself arrives; followed by sponsors, the press, the scribes, and all the various and sundry behind the scenes workers required to make an event as great as the Equinics work.
And now, the time for talk has finally reached an end. As the torch winds its way to the great cauldron in the sky, the flame burns on.
