Athletes have started arriving - when do the horses get here?

Bernster

Bernster

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Reading the BBC website today.

Athletes are on their way in via the airports. Heathrow - right on the other side of London so miles to travel but luckily they have the new lanes to cruise past the rest of the traffic I suppose.

Got me to wondering what happens with the horses? Presumably some coming by air and some by ship. Do they get jet lag the same as we do (I assume they must do) and when will they start arriving or are they already here - getting accustomed to the rain?! Anyone know?

From being a cynical, slightly moany anti-olympics person, am now getting v excited (may have something to do with finally getting some tickets !).
 
Ah of course, the quarantine thing would mean they would get here earlier.

Wonder where on earth they've all been staying? Is the country now littered with a sprinkling of dressage superstars bunking up with local liveries or being wined and dined at pro yards and competition venues?!
 
Not sure 'quarantine' applies to horses does it ?

Most of the top horses spend their lives in transit between shows don't they ?
 
Greenwich opens for the horses early next week. The horses from Europe will mainly come in a few days before their competition and go straight to Greenwich. Many of the others have been based here or in Europe for some time while a few have come over recently and are at competition yards to finish their preparations.
 
Thistle said:
Especially if you have a mare in season (nudge nudge, wink, wink!)
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Well, he might have taken a fancy to her, she is a pretty little thing ;)

Funnily enough, I was checking out Totilas foals 2011/12 only the other day. EUR150k I read !! That could get me a lot of matchy matchy...
 
oldvic said:
Greenwich opens for the horses early next week. The horses from Europe will mainly come in a few days before their competition and go straight to Greenwich. Many of the others have been based here or in Europe for some time while a few have come over recently and are at competition yards to finish their preparations.
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I like the idea of hordes (herds ;) ) of world class horses scattered round the countryside being entertained by the local horsey set.
 
There was an interesting article in Horsemanship magazine last issue about travelling horses including a bit about traveling by plane. I was really intrigued. If anyone sees this post and travels their horse by plane i'd love to see a you tube video diary of the whole set up and what happens (obviously not bringing the plane down with signal interference but what ever was possible) for now travelling an hour to the local woods is probably the closest ill get to it!
 
I know for a fact some of them are at Hartpury in quarantine, as we've got a breed show this weekend and theres less stables available because of it. Will be all closed of with tight security though id imagine, so little chance of doing any star spotting!
 
I've heard that Addington is being used in the run-up to the Olympics for training purposes.

I also heard that Bury Farm offered their facilities but couldn't afford it. Apparently you have to pay for the privilege of being used. Not sure how that works!
 
Natwood said:
I know for a fact some of them are at Hartpury in quarantine, as we've got a breed show this weekend and theres less stables available because of it. Will be all closed of with tight security though id imagine, so little chance of doing any star spotting!
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Those would be Canadians. Although they are out of quarantine and into their training camp now.

Yes, quarantine most definitely applies to horses competing in FEI competitions. The exact details depend on the country but often it's done by making the FEI areas their own little zones, which is why FEI stabling it closed off at big shows which also have national competitions running along side.

I know of at least one case at an Olympics where a horse broke quarantine and was not allowed back into the country it came from. In the old days that was one of the reasons some countries usually sold their horses after big events, it was too difficult and costly to get them home.

I'd be very surprised if any horses were coming by sea. Horses fly all over the world every day. The ones from Canada came by FedEx. :)
 
Swirlymurphy said:
The Kiwis are in the next door village :D They keep driving past in rather nice lorries.
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They had a 4 day camp there and have now gone back home except probably Lenamore who is the only one not based in the south of England.
The European horses and the Irish based ones will come by boat or the tunnel as it is massively cheaper than flying and they are used to travelling like that.
 
oldvic said:
The European horses and the Irish based ones will come by boat or the tunnel as it is massively cheaper than flying and they are used to travelling like that.
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My mistake - I don't consider that "sea travel", more driving with water in the way! :D So yes, anyone who can come relatively easily by road will do so. Also, a lot of overseas riders are already based in Europe. Horses based in North America, the Southern Hemisphere etc will, of course, come by air or, more likely, have already done so.

What is the plan for getting them to the park? Presumably they come to a staging point somewhere and then on to the official transport lorries but do the do that all on the same day? Or are they being picked up "at home" as it were?
 
They come in to a staging post where everything is checked, x-rayed and sealed and the horses are checked then loaded then the lorry is sealed until they are in the stabling area. They have the time to arrive so they don't all come in at once and clog the system.
 
Bernster said:
I like the idea of hordes (herds ;) ) of world class horses scattered round the countryside being entertained by the local horsey set.
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...and as you finish a stonking local one-day event in first place...

'What....this old horse?? oooo, he's nowt special really...'.... (when you really swiped one of the team horses for the day when no-one was watching!)

:D
 
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