A Special FEI Report on the 2008 Olympic Games

Location, location - Why Hong Kong?

Why are the equestrian events of the Olympic Games being held in Hong Kong rather than Beijing?

In order for a horse participating in an international sporting event to be imported in a country, bilateral agreements – or protocols for temporary importation - must exist between the host country and the horse’s home country. This is needed to ensure that the equine health status of both countries is preserved or, in other words, that no infectious of contagious disease will be spread as a result of the trip.

So far, the equine health status of mainland China remains unknown; it is not clear what risks may be threatening international horses’ health. As a result, a horse that is imported in China will not be allowed back into its home country.

When the Games were allocated to Beijing back in 2001, it became evident that the temporary importation of 200 competition horses into an area with an unknown health status would be a serious challenge.

The FEI went to great lengths in trying to set up a Disease Free Zone (see below) in the vicinity of Beijing. However, due to a variety of factors and for reasons unrelated to the FEI, it became clear that this was an unfeasible objective.

It was then decided to move the equestrian events of the Olympic Games to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, where protocols for temporary importation had been in existence for many years.

What is a Disease Free Zone?

A disease-free zone is a specific area which has been internationally recognised as being free of contagious diseases. For a zone to be pronounced disease-free, it has to correspond to some strict criteria. The number of equids in the area has to be studied; strict animal movement control must be set; and scientific (serological) surveys must be carried out to establish the exact disease situation. Furthermore, all the exporting countries need to agree that the survey and report are scientifically sound. It has therefore to be corroborated by an independent organisation, such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (Office International des Epizooties OIE).

Who Decided?

The decision to move the equestrian events from Beijing to Hong Kong was made between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG). Hong Kong was chosen in relation to its existing importation protocols and long-established equine health status. Another factor included Hong Kong’s expertise in dealing with sports horses available from within the Hong Kong Jockey Club, one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, founded in 1884 to promote horse racing.

And while being removed from the rest of the Olympic events has its drawbacks, it is widely viewed that the advantages in this case outweigh the disadvantages.

Hong Kong has been extremely supportive and the cooperation with the Hong Kong organisers has been tremendous.

Getting there - About Transportation

Who is Responsible? Who Meets the Costs?

It is the responsibility of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games to select an official shipping agent, cover the costs and ensure that suitable conditions and travel arrangements are available both in terms of welfare of the horse and certifying documentation.

The FEI endorses the role of facilitator and ensures that optimal travel conditions are met, providing guidelines for welfare with regards to flight recovery, dehydration, feed, acclimatisation, etc.

Peden Bloodstock has been named the official shipping agent of the 2008 Olympic Games. The organisation will be engaged in the management, coordination and provision of all equine transport services and ground logistics. Peden Bloodstock has a solid track record in large and complex movements of horses, having handled every FEI World Equestrian Games since their inception in 1990 and the past six Olympic Games.

No less than 225 horses will be travelling to the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, with a large percentage of these leaving from Europe.

How Are Horses Flown Around the World?

All the horses attending the Olympic and Paralympic Games will depart form five hubs around the world, chosen and approved by the Organiser. These are: Amsterdam, London Stansted, New York, Los Angeles and Sydney.

Horses will travel in 'Jet Stalls" with two horses per stall. Flight times vary between 12 and 15 hours with some aircrafts stopping at Dubai en route. The temperature in the aircraft will be 17 C approximately.

A Peden-appointed professional groom will accompany horse attendants on the flight, and attendants will travel through security with their charges in the 'Jet Stalls'. It is expected that horses will be in their stables within 1 hour 50 minutes of arrival in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, agreements have been made with the air companies transporting the horses to ensure that upon arrival in Hong Kong, the planes will dock in the cargo area from where the human passengers will catch a bus to the main terminal. A very valuable initiative which has been well received as it will ensure that the horses do not spend any unnecessary time in the jet stalls in transit waiting to be transported to the cargo area in hot and humid conditions.

Throughout the trip, horses need to be trained to drink as they often suffer from dehydration during long distance flights and their feed is adapted to counteract the effects of dehydration. The FEI advises for one week flight recovery time and additional time for acclimatisation.

What Is Quarantine?

Quarantine is compulsory isolation set up to prevent the spread or introduction of a contagious disease. The word comes from the old Italian word “quarantena”, meaning forty day period.

The aim of all quarantine measures is to ensure that all horses are healthy both when they arrive and depart, and that the good equine health status of Hong Kong is preserved.

The health of the local horses and repatriation of the visiting equines are central to the safeguards being put in place.

Is Quarantine Required Before Travelling to Hong Kong?

Horses must be resident in an AFCD (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong) approved country for 60 days and must be under veterinary supervision during the 30 days preceding export.

Horses must be held at AFCD approved premises and be certified free from clinical signs of infectious or contagious diseases and external parasites and must be fit to travel. They must be certified for vaccination against Equine Influenza, tested for Equine Infectious Anaemia and other diseases if necessary, their movements must be certified for the previous 60 days.

Horses from about 40 nations will thus observe a seven day pre-export quarantine phase in Aachen, Germany, where the horses will be quartered in the stables of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), which have been approved by the Hong Kong veterinary authorities. No other horses will be allowed within a radius of 100 meters of the quarantine area. They will then be flown out from Amsterdam, which is one of the five approved hubs.

Aachen had already been quarantine site in the run-up of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

What is Post Arrival Isolation?

All horses will spend ten days in Post-Arrival Isolation (PAI) The ten days begin after the arrival of the last horse into the compound; training and competition are possible during PAI under conditions of strict separation between the international sports horses and the resident racing horse population.

Weather.....Hong Kong vs. Beijing, What Is the Difference?

Overall, there are minor differences between the weather conditions in Hong Kong and Beijing, although Hong Kong does present higher humidity levels. But, on the other hand, Beijing has higher pollution levels, so the quality of the air would have posed different problems.

How will anti-doping control be conducted in Hong Kong?

One of the major priorities of the FEI is to ensure doping-free horsesport and protect the health and welfare of its animal and human athletes. Strict anti-doping tests will be conducted during the 13 competition days of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Two FEI Medication Control testing veterinarians will be officiating. Some 50 to 60 tests will be carried out, including all the first three horses in each trial as well as some others selected by the ground jury and the testing veterinarians. Criteria for selection such as geographic representation, placing, whether or not the horse has been in the holding box during the horse inspection and its fitness are taken into consideration.

As soon as the horses selected for testing leave the competition arena, they are taken to the sampling stables. Urine and blood samples are collected from every horse under supervision from the testing officials. The collected samples are split into A and B portions; the rider or groom signs a form to certify that they witnessed the testing procedure.

The A portion of the blood and urine samples is packed in one security bag; the B portion is packed in two security bags: one containing the urine and the other the blood sample. The reason for this is the fact that the B portion needs to be stored in case a confirmatory analysis is required. Urine is frozen while blood, which should not be frozen, is only cooled.

Thus prepared, the packages are forwarded to the Laboratory of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is one of the best laboratories in the world. The turnover time for test results will significantly decrease as the samples will have very little distance to travel.

Once the samples reach the laboratory, portion B is stored in the manner described above and portion A is used for testing. It is analysed for every possible prohibited substance. This process takes anywhere between seven and 14 days. If a prohibited substance is detected, the case is reported to the FEI Veterinary Department which, in cooperation with the FEI Legal Department, examine the specifics to decide on further action. The IOC is also informed of such cases.

Horsesport is facing a challenging situation at the 2008 Olympic Games. Therefore, every reasonable measure has been taken to ensure safe and exciting sport which is in no way detrimental to the welfare of the horses.

Thanks to the remarkable level of cooperation reached between the Hong Kong Equestrian Company, organiser of the event, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the venue provider, the IOC and the FEI, facilities of exceptional quality and logistical arrangements acceptable to all have been put into place. With the careful preparation of the National Federations sending their teams to Hong Kong, everyone can look forward to unforgettable 2008 Olympic Games.