They shoot horses, don’t they?

Parc des Princes' locker room, Paris, 1999.

They shoot horses, don’t they?

While covering a story, I accompanied a French troupe of dancers whose dream it was to be right up there with the best of the American cheerleaders. From TV studios to horse racecourses, not to mention the most prestigious stadiums, they never failed to impassion their public. Behind the scenes, it was a different story though. Unheated locker rooms, leftover sandwiches that the journalists hadn’t eaten, not a hot drink in sight even when the pitch outside was frozen solid, and paid next to nothing for ‘all they could dance’. Well, they shoot horses, don’t they?