Olympic Equine Athletes enjoy travelling First-Class

http://www.hkjc.org.cn/eng/index_olympic.asp

Nearly 70 equine athletes in the Olympic Equestrian Events have landed in Hong Kong over the past three days, stepping off their flights and being whisked by first-class transport to spacious and cool accommodations in Sha Tin. The cosmopolitan horses represent 18 nations including Belgium, Finland, Mexico, Italy, Japan, Sweden, France, South Korea, Russia, Canada and Germany. Marie Johnson, stable manager for German legend and four-time Olympic-gold medallist Ludger Beerbaum, said the horses' transportation, particularly the flight from Amsterdam, was the smoothest she had ever witnessed in more than 50 such trips.

The first batches of priceless horses, which the New York Times has likened to rock stars, arrived from Amsterdam and Atlanta on Saturday. They allowed a few photos to be taken at Hong Kong International Airport but declined to linger for interviews or autograph signing. Ushered into the Hong Kong Jockey Club's air-conditioned floats, they were taken to the Olympic Equestrian Venue in Sha Tin, accompanied by an entourage of Hong Kong police and Jockey Club grooms, veterinarians and mechanics.

"The horses travelled by business class, as each container accommodated just two horses instead of the usual three," said Hong Kong's Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing, referring to the compartments in the Jockey Club floats. "The horses travelled very well. It was a smooth, trouble-free transfer to the venue."

At Sha Tin, each horse checked into an air-conditioned stall of almost 13 square meters, larger than the Olympic standard.

Olympic Veterinary Services Manager Christopher Riggs, also the Jockey Club's head of Veterinary Clinical Services, reported Saturday evening that the horses "are having a good stroll in the shade, a light meal and relaxing in a nice, cool environment." Dr. Thomas Sit, quarantine officer of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said "the health condition of the horses is excellent" and commented that the horses' quarantine documents were all in order.

In all, around 220 horses competing for 42 nations are traveling on more than 50 airplanes to get to the Games in Hong Kong. "I am confident that transportation of other horses will also be carried out smoothly and safely, to enable the horses to compete in their best condition," Secretary Tsang said.

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Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Olympic
• Equine
• Equestrian

[xMacabreSadistx]

I agree! The whole olympic games does not revolve around gymnastics, swimming, basketball, and football. These horses and riders are risking their lives and only get a measly 2 hours of overall coverage every couple days. Here in America, we still can't come to terms to accept the fact that equestrian is more than a backyard hobby. Like Europe, I would like more coverage of horses on television period which are not limited to cliche girl meets wild horse movies.

Bring Equestrian to primetime!

[bigskymoviewranglers]

Excellent video!As a film maker & horse lover, thank you for this treat!

China has the largest number of horses in the world-Fact!!

So lets be humble all horsemen!

And if you watch all the other videos about ShaTin horse park and racecourse,it's state of the art!

Go China!!!!

Big Sky Movie Wranglers

Bozeman, Montana USA

P.S. Horses bring people together, always have always will!

[gingersharmony]

My horse would kill to travel like that!

[SerenityBeleverXX13]

I'm LOVEING the police escorts XD

[96horseluvr]

@xMacabreSadistx exactly!!! i would love to watch the entire show jumping event on tv, but it just isn't shown, and i also can't find it anywhere on the internet. and nobody cares about basketball and football anyways

[LoveMyHorseShazam]

Olympic horses are their own SPECIES.

They are incredible, absolutely incredible athletes. They endure such stressful hauling to get to the olympics....and there they compete their hearts out.

They are just amazing.

[MoMooGaston101]

I LIVE THERE! GO HK!!!!

[sailhobiecat]

Such a beautifully smooth operation. And those horses are so gentle and well behaved it seems! I just watched this after a video about transporting horses to slaughter and the contrast just really hit me.  Well done to all the people behind this transport team shown here. A very good job!

[horsegaldressage]

Awesome!

[Pucje]

Great video, and they did get the luxury treatment, wow! I posted two video responses of horses inside a KLM Cargo jet during flight, to see what that is like :)

[LittoMoon]

ya alot of work because the horses aren't used to the weather and can over heat