Olympic mettle

The Hound ran over to Tempel Farms on Wadsworth Road on Thursday to see all the Olympic protesters. It was a wasted effort. Apparently those opposed to the 2016 games in the big city think Wadsworth is just too far a jaunt to yell and stomp "No games for Chicago".

Tempel Farms will be the site of equestrian events if Chicago is awarded the 2016 games by the International Olympic Committee this fall. It's a good location, The Hound thinks, as do Olympic organizers. Better than the earlier site offered by county officials at Lakewood Forest Preserve west of Mundelein.

Instead of protesters, The Hound was greeted by a stiff wind and a few Lipizzan stallions grazing peacefully, waiting for the summer performances to begin. It seemed the horses were not worrying about Olympic competition from Tokyo, Madrid or Rio de Janeiro, the cities also competing for the '16 summer games.

As for the IOC inspection team, it will be in Chicago until Tuesday and is scheduled to take a tour of the proposed venues, which may include the equestrian locale, on Sunday. The Hound is unsure if the team members talked to any protesters, but it is unlikely.

The protesters could only field a group of 200, a number estimated by Chicago police, who also staged their own protest over a lack of a contract for officers. If The Hound reads the protesters correctly, the Chicago games would be a waste of money and funding could be put to better use. Backers of the Olympics say jobs will be created and put Chicago on the world's stage.

Meanwhile, bucolic Wadsworth braces for what could be an influx of thousands of people a day coming to the equestrian events, if Chicago wins the bid. Would that be a good thing for the squires in this village of country living? Only the horses know.