For Olympians traveling to and from France by plane, a checklist to ensure a smooth flight is paramount. Tickets purchased two months in advance: done. Insurance purchased: done. Arrived at the airport at least three hours before departure: done. Boarding pass: done.
Although Endel Ots, a US dressage rider, has everything on his checklist under control, his transatlantic flight is different from that of other Olympians. For him, there are no rest breaks during the trip because his focus is on his horse Bohemian.
Welcome to the world of horse transport, where horses are treated like royalty. From the stables to the feed, everything is designed to give the animals a first-class experience.
Ots buckles up and is ready for the flight from Miami to Amsterdam before heading to the Olympic dressage competition in Paris.
“We are always there trying to make sure they have the best time possible,” Ots said.
Social media posts revealed that the plane that transported horses to the Olympics was called “Air Horse One.” While that’s a funny play on words, it has a much more nuanced meaning.
First, there is not just one plane that picks up US Equestrian’s horses. They fly from different parts of the country. Some horses are native to California, such as Tokyo 2020 dressage silver medalist Steffen Peters’s horse Suppenkasper. Others, like Ots’ Bohemian, are native to Florida.
Second, none of the planes that flew to Paris were called Air Horse One. Although Tex Sutton did own a domestic plane—a leased 727-200 that transported racehorses within the United States under that name—it has since been retired.
US Equestrian has partnered with Dutta Corporation, a company that has been providing domestic and international horse transportation since 1988. The company has partnerships with leading airlines, including Emirates and KLM, ensuring first-class horse transportation service worldwide. Through these agreements, Dutta has access to several aircraft for horses, including Boeing 747, 777, 767, 727-200, the MD-11 and the Airbus 319.
The horses are insured like people. Each plane is equipped with a groom who is responsible for looking after and caring for the horses during the trip. On board, the horses live in a “jet stable” where they can eat, drink and get some sleep during the Atlantic crossing. Dutta offers three options: economy class, business class and first class. In economy class, one horse is in a single stall in a block of three. For business class, there are two “spacious” stalls measuring 45 feet by 91 feet.
In first class, all partitions are removed so that the horse can move around in a stall measuring 20 by 28 meters. Each stall has space for two to three horses. A companion in the stable, especially someone familiar, can calm the horse during the flight.
According to Karin Ahlqvist, vice president of global operations at Dutta, U.S. equestrian athletes have booked their horses’ travel to Europe for the Paris Olympics two months in advance, with the cost of airfare each way coming in at around $15,000.
Ots traveled to Miami from Wellington, Florida, while Bohemian was housed in a trailer. Miami is the main transit point for horses traveling to Europe, along with New York City. There are seven cargo handlers at Miami International Airport, making it one of the leading airports for international livestock transportation.
Once Ots arrives at the airport, he goes to the designated horse check-in area. The horse is loaded into the jet stall while the check-in process begins. As with human passengers, it is recommended that the horse arrives at the airport three hours before an international flight. At check-in, a microchip is placed around the horse’s neck. This allows the destination airport (in this case, Amsterdam) to match the horse reserved in the scheduled arrivals with the horse that actually arrives. Dutta takes care of all customs, tax and agricultural details to ensure the horse complies with the destination country’s guidelines for accepting livestock.
After check-in, Bohemian’s stable is loaded onto an air bridge. The air bridge, a device similar to an elevator, brings the stable to the aircraft on the runway shortly before take-off.
(Photo: Courtesy of Dutta Corp.)
Ots says he always feels stressed when Bohemian is lifted onto the plane.
“It’s your everything that you’ve invested time in,” Ots said. “It’s your friend. They don’t notice anything. They don’t know they’re in this elevator that’s lifting them into this cargo plane.”
“Horse people are always worried. We always want to make sure the horse is OK.”
After the box is safely stowed, the plane takes off for Amsterdam. The loading process before departure takes about two hours. During the flight, the groom makes sure that the horses drink plenty of water while eating. He makes sure that the horses never run out of hay, carrots and apples. He also monitors when the horses defecate. The boxes are ventilated to ensure that the horses are at a suitable temperature. The horses are not sedated because they need to maintain balance on their four legs.
For Ots, this is not as pleasant an experience as being a horse groom. He hardly eats or sleeps. He is strapped in and has little freedom of movement.
According to Ots, even economy class for passengers is better than that. But he understands the sacrifice. It’s all about the horses.
“An economy class ticket from anywhere in Europe to America is much more fun than flying with horses,” Ots said. “But it’s not about us. It’s all about the horses the whole time.”
Once the plane arrives, it takes just over an hour for the horse to be picked up, unloaded from the stable and loaded into a trailer. The destination airport will ensure that the horse complies with regulations. Fortunately, horses do not suffer from the annoying effects of jet lag as much as humans do.
“We try to keep the time as short as possible and get them off the plane as quickly as possible so they can come back and rest after the flight,” Ahlqvist said.
Ots and Bohemian traveled from Amsterdam to the US equestrian training camp in Vittel, France, before the Olympic Games. From July 27 to August 6, the Palace of Versailles hosted Olympic equestrian competitions in three disciplines – dressage, eventing and show jumping. The USA won one medal in equestrian and a silver medal in team jumping.
After the competition, the horses are loaded back into trailers and driven to Amsterdam Airport for their journey home. Ots and Bohemian will fly back to Florida. The process is the same as the outbound flight, except that Bohemian will be quarantined for 48 hours upon his return to ensure that he does not catch any diseases.
After quarantine, Ots and Bohemian will return to the stables of the Zen Elite Equestrian Center. More national and international competitions are planned for the budding partnership.
Even though the horse is treated excellently by its rider, Ots wouldn’t want it any other way.
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(Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
