On 29 July, the first group of Olympic horses were boarded on a special cargo plane at London Stansted Airport bound for Rio 2016, marking the start of the Olympic dream for the world’s best equine athletes. With 34 horses from 10 nations onboard, the cargo, worth multiple millions, was loaded into customised plates for the almost 12-hour flight aboard an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F.
Eventing horses from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Japan, Italy and China were onboard on the Stansted flight, which was the first of nine shipments delivering more than 200 horses to Rio International Airport, en route to the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro Olympic Park.
This highly complex operation involved three hubs in Europe and America: Stansted, Liege and Miami. The competing horses and their trainers are representing 43 nations in the Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Jumping and Eventing.
The Olympic horses flew on an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F aircraft – a freight plane, specifically equipped for the safe and comfortable transport of the horses. The custom-designed horse stalls and the controlled temperature zones ensure maximum control and minimal stress for the horses and come complete with trained experts, who know how to handle horses to safeguard their welfare.
Key facts and figures
- 11 hours 40 mins: Estimated flight time Stansted – Rio
- 17,500kg of horses flying from Stansted
- 515kg is the average weight of an Eventing horse (630kg is the average weight of a Dressage horse and 610kg for Jumping horses)
- 9,900kg of horse equipment
- 6,000kg of feed (doesn’t include feed they’ll eat on the flight)
- 40 litres of water per horse
- 34 Eventing horses – representing Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Japan, Italy and China.
