The first 45 of 237 horses coming to Australia to compete at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games equestrian events arrived safely at Sydney Airport tonight.
The 45 equine athletes arrived aboard a Lufthansa 747 at 8.05pm Sydney time after leaving Frankfurt, Germany at 1.00pm on Sunday (20 August 2000).
All horses on the flight fulfilled their pre-arrival two-week quarantine period overseas and will now remain in quarantine at the Olympic Games’ equestrian venue, Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) at Horsley Park until Friday, 8 September – two weeks after the final flight of horses arrives in Australia on Friday, 25 August 2000.
‘The Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) is very pleased with the health and well-being of all horses that arrived in Australia tonight,’ said SOCOG Veterinary Services Manager, Nigel Nichols.
‘All horses had a good flight, have been fed and watered and have responded well to their arrival at Sydney Airport tonight.
‘None of the horses needed any medical treatment nor needed any special assistance during their long flight,’ Mr Nichols said.
The flight – which stopped twice for refuelling, in Dubai and Singapore – carried horses from 15 competing nations including Japan, Italy, Belgium, Mexico and Austria. The first horse off was the Russian chestnut gelding, ‘Podkhod’.
The reigning Olympic three-day event gold medallist New Zealand’s Ready Teddy, ridden at the 1996 Atlanta Games by New Zealander Blyth Tait was also on board.
Two Australian horses, Rosemount Showtyme and Rosemount Wallstreet, to be ridden by Australia Kristy Oatley-Neave in the dressage competition, were among the last horses to disembark. The other Australian dressage horse based overseas, Crisp, which will be ridden by Ricky McMillan, will arrive on tomorrow’s flight.
Tonight’s flight is the first of five SOCOG chartered planes that will bring horses to Australia for the Games. A sixth flight, paid for the Dutch Olympic Committee will bring 10 horses in to Sydney on Thursday (24 August).
The 237 horses arriving this week will be joined by the Australian showjumpers and eventers and the USA eventing team who arrived earlier this month at SIEC on 11 September.
All horses flying in to Australia for the Olympic events will remain at SIEC until their departure in early October, after the Games.
Tickets remain available to Olympic equestrian events. For further information and to order your tickets call 13 72 79, visit here and from box offices selling Olympic Games tickets (also listed here).
Source: SOCOG