EQUINE INTERNATIONAL AIRFREIGHT
IN-FLIGHT SEPTEMBER 2016
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Well, what a busy couple of months it has been since the last newsletter! Apart from moving a lot of horses during that time - including a special charter to the Philippines - there’s been a lot of action on the ‘ground’ as well. It was almost 24/7 there for a while with not only a business to run, but also keeping an eye on all the action in Rio - a huge well done from our team to the equestrian teams at the Olympics and Paralympics. But there was also the Young Horse Finals at Oaks Sports Horses, the NSW Riders Series and a host of other events to keep us entertained. We hope you enjoy this issue of In-Flight, but before I go, just a quick thank you and best wishes to departing team member, Holly Bennett, while we welcome the highly experienced, Sue Ellis, to head up our Melbourne operation. - CAMERON CROUCHER, EIAF Managing Director
EIAF CHArtER - next stop manila! You’re familiar with the story about Noah’s Ark, right? Well, on a special Equine International Airfreight charter to the Philippines in July, we had thoroughbreds, showjumpers, Arab stallions, polo ponies, miniatures and unicorns. We’re only kidding about the unicorns but the horses on the Qantas Airways flight were certainly a diverse bunch … including little Ziggy! This was a massive operation and, as a you can imagine, a real feat of logistics: there are no regular flights from Australia to the Philippines so charters have become the only option for owners and buyers. We’re proud to say that everything went smoothly and they’re all happily settled into their new homes. The Filipinos are huge equine fans and have indeed been racing horses since 1867 - that’s only six years after the first Melbourne Cup! You’ll note from the photos that disposable, wooden stalls were used for the charter which are subsequently used for temporary housing in shanty towns - that’s what we call recycling! Our congrats to all involved, including our photogenic grooms: Peter, Harry and Glen. If you have any enquiries about moving your horse - regardless of shape or size! - please give EIAF a call on 02 8817 0300.
EIAF SPONSORS OAKS SPORT HORSES FUTURITY EIAF is a proud sponsor of the Futurity Class at the Oaks Sport Horses Young Horse Finals which this year was staged on 13 August at The Oaks in western Sydney. Oaks Sport Horses is owned and run by Alice Cameron who is giving it her best in an attempt to best promote well bred and talented show jumpers in NSW. The event is run as a league throughout the year and horses are divided into various age groups - 4, 5, 6, 7 and the Futurity. It’s a terrific competition … each class jumps at an age appropriate height and judges choose their favourite in each class before then riding them and picking an overall champion. There are also prizes for high point winners based on points earned throughout the league. Eventual winner of the EIAF Futurity was a Caliente, ridden by a VERY happy Amanda Madigan. It was a fantastic event - very well run - and full marks to Alice and her team for their untiring efforts in promoting show jumpers. HOOFNOTE: Alice Cameron’s daughter - Hilary Scott - is a fine equestrienne based in Europe and imports a number of horses.
WINNERS ARE GRINNERS ...
EIAF has always had a close association with the thoroughbred industry. After all, EIAF Managing Director, Cameron Croucher, has many close ties in racing and breeding and was CEO of one of Australia’s major stud farms, Eliza Park (now Sun Stud), for many years before launching EIAF. It’s not surprising then that EIAF is entrusted to fly many horses - racing and breeding stock - throughout the world on behalf of clients. Earlier this year EIAF flew a number of valuable mares to New Zealand on behalf of Magic Millions’ owner, Gerry Harvey, but it’s a horse that we flew across the Tasman, from New Zealand, that has been making some news of late. Trained by John Sargent and raced by Segenhoe Australia, Esteban is a son of the Champion Sire, Encosta de Lago, and was brought to Australia by EIAF after being sold at the New Zealand Ready To Run Sale. Only lightly raced, Esteban has won his last four races in succession including two very good performances at Rosehill in July, scoring by 7 and 5 lengths respectively. He might not be as fast as the EIAF plane, but he’s pretty fast!
HELLO SUE
Highly respected horse person and administrator, Sue Ellis, has joined the EIAF team as flight co-ordinator for our Melbourne operation. Sue comes into the role with vast experience in all aspects of the horse industry, particularly in the thoroughbred and show jumping areas. Formerly a trainer - winning the Group One Wellington Cup among many other racetrack successes - was, more recently, the General Manager of Racing at Victoria’s largest stud farm, Eliza Park, where she used to supervise the pre export quarantine of racehorses heading to Asia. Welcome aboard Sue.
STAFF PROFILE Tim Dreverman (Equestrian Representative) Tim, you have a very busy role working for Horsezone and commentating for equine events. How do you fit it all in and what do you love most about your ‘work’? I wonder myself some days how I manage to fit it all in! I’m very lucky that I get to work from home, so I have flexible work hours that allow me to build my day around a busy life. It can also be a curse, especially as it’s so easy to come back to your desk. I think I’m also very fortunate to have found a spot in an industry which doesn’t seem like work – better not tell Horsezone that though. I love talking about, being around and generally working with horse people so in a sense it’s not hard to make time for it. I also have an amazingly supportive wife who allows me to throw myself 110% at anything I do! You are also a competitive rider … have you been involved with horses since an early age and what got you hooked? I’ve always ridden … have done for as long as I remember. My mum and one of my sisters are ‘horse crazy’ and I’ve always liked horses, but really got hooked as I finished schoo when I went and spent a week riding and jumping horses at Grant Hughes place in Canberra. That was, as they say, the beginning of the end for me and all I wanted to do after that was have a job that allowed me to be around horses. Grant and I still do a lot of business together and he has been an amazing mentor and college for over 15 years. Just this month EIAF helped Grant send 3 horses that he has sold to Japan … and the client couldn’t be happier with the service EIAF supplied for them. What is your favourite show in Australia, as a competitor, announcer or spectator? It isn’t fair to pick just one: every year I attend around 45 events, whether it be as a sponsor with Horsezone, a commentator, or a rider, every event has its highlights. The Australian Showjumping Championships has become an amazing event that really has lifted the bar of the jumping scene here in Australia. Earlier this year I went to New Zealand and worked at Riding with the Stars … the Hansen team, along with Rod Lockwood and the team from Equitana Australia, made this crazy fun event that had us all flying by the seats of our pants for two massive days. Then earlier this year I headed to two jumping events at Gunnedah and Tamworth, not as a sponsor, or a commentator, but simply a rider with my family and it was amazing to just relax, watch horses go around and drink coffee. So, I think it’s fair to say give me a horse event, let me have any role, and I’ll be happy! What is your role at Equine International Airfreight (EIAF)? EIAF and Horsezone (Inglis) have an ongoing commercial relationship and, as part of my role, I am working with EIAF to source horses to transport around the world. My role with Horsezone sees me talking to between 15 and 25 horse people every day and, if I can offer my current clients another service, then it’s a win-win for everyone. How did you get involved with EIAF? It was through my role at Horsezone that I’d caught up with Cameron Croucher a few times: we started talking about ways that we could help each other out and, over a nice coffee in Randwick one day, we hatched a plan that allowed us to work together and help make EIAF the best international transport company around, and at the same time help grow further into the sport and pleasure horse market. What synergies do you believe exist with Horsezone and EIAF? Both Horsezone and EIAF want to create the best possible solutions for their clients. We want to offer an honest, reliable, trustworthy service. Whether they are wanting to buy or sell anything equine or fly a horse anywhere in the world, we want to make it streamlined and efficient for them. One of EIAF’s more popular transport routes is from Germany to Australia, moving a wide variety of horses including show-jumpers, eventers, dressage horses, Andalusians and Icelandic ponies. Why do you think it has become so popular for riders and breeders to import European horses? Europe has been, and will always be, the benchmark for many equestrian events. Australians have always looked to Europe to help increase the bloodlines that we already have here. We simply can’t produce the number of horses that they do each year in Europe. It can be an eye opening experience heading to the other side of the world to buy a new horse, however EIAF can certainly make the process a whole lot simpler than it can otherwise look. What do you believe sets EIAF apart from other operators? The express run, back from Europe, is really changing the way in which horses fly - one stop in Hong Kong and then direct into Melbourne really does give EIAF an advantage. Of course, the great knowledge, professionalism and advice the staff can offer is sensational.
JJ & ROCKET MAN
• 1 STOP ONLY to Australia • Regular monthly departures • All clients booking get the benefit of our currency exchange service and discounted insurance rates. • Pre export Quarantine at Guido Klatte’s base in Lastrup Germany • Very experienced flying grooms Individual care & attention First Class communications
Cameron Croucher at EIAF on +61 417 293 747 or Bernd Blomer at Klatte on +49 172 426 6678 Email cameron@eiaf.com.au or bernd@gklatte.de
Talk about two champions! On a recent trip to Singapore on behalf of EIAF, legendary turf figure, John Jeffs, re-aquatinted himself with another racing superstar in Rocket Man. Formerly track manager at Rosehill and, for a number of years, in Hong Kong, John - known widely as JJ - is a familiar figure at major bloodstock auctions, working as ‘meet and greet’ for a number of vendors. One of those vendors was Tyreel Stud, owned by the Fleming family, which bred and sold Rocket Man at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. From there Rocket Man developed into one of the greatest horses to ever race in Singapore, also winning major races in Dubai and Hong Kong before retiring with 20 wins and 5 placings from just 27 starts and over $A5.3 million in earnings.
Has EIAF moved a horse for you? How about emailing us a photo of your mare and foal, maybe your horse jumping or running. Perhaps an idea for an article? This is your newsletter and it’s dedicated to an industry - a lifestyle - that we’re all passionate about. Email: admin@eiaf.com.au
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EIAF CARRIES GAIL’S ‘MICHAEL’ The sheer mix of the equine industry is nothing short of remarkable with many disciplines having a long and proud history in Australia and throughout the world. One of those is the seemingly little known ‘Carriage Driving’ - and when we say seemingly, it’s not a well publicised sport but try going on Facebook some time and searching for carriage driving … a lot more people than you might think! One of those is Gail Bain who entrusted EIAF to fly her horse, Shepherds Hill Michael, to England earlier this year where they are now competing and, we’re happy to say, Gail and her horse are doing incredibly well, winning the Open Single Horse class at the Hopetoun Horse Driving Trials in Scotland in May and placing third at the UK National Championships in the Open Single Horse class just recently. We don’t profess to be expert - we do the flying and let others do the driving! - but carriage driving is a form of competitive horse driving in harness in which larger two or four wheeled carriages (often restored antiques) are pulled by a single horse, a pair, tandem or a four-in-hand team. Pleasure competitions also have classes which are judged on the turnout, neatness or suitability of the horse(s) and carriage.
I GO TO RIO
NSW RIDERS SERIES Gee, August was a busy month. Aside from that thing in Brazil - ah, what was it called again? there was also the Oaks Sports Horse competition and the NSW Riders Series at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. EIAF was responsible for bringing in a number of horses from Europe that competed at the NSW Riders Series including Class 4a winner Elegance de la Charmille for Savanna Hopkinson. Savanna’s other horses were Diamond and Zenzation, while other competitors featuring over the two day event were Nicolette Evans (Zazou & Crispi 4), Isabella Evans (Joker XIX), Ben Blay (Tetiahora Des Plains), Emma Smith (Yandoo Zenzel HBC), Melissa Blair (Zidora) and Coco Miles (Amigo Estrada M).
How many near sleepless nights out there for our readers during the Rio Olympics? Quite a few we’d imagine. Oh, but wasn’t it worth it! From an Aussie perspective, Chris Burton’s effort was fantastic and the bronze for our eventing team was nothing short of magnificent. One of the medallists, Stuart Tinney, is a client of EIAF and has imported horses from Europe with us. Australian legend, Mary Hanna - whom EIAF has transported horses for as well - became our oldest competing Olympian in the Dressage. Huge effort Mary! And let’s not forget the equine events at the Paralympics. Lisa Martin’s horse, First Famous, was actually imported to Australia from Europe by Crispin Bennett. Well done Lisa.