Equestrian sports have long been part of Arab’s tradition and way of life. The Arabian horse is a symbol of endurance and progress, and fills every Arab with a sense of pride.
These horses represent a very strong emotional connection and therefore it comes as no surprise that Qatar has been gaining prominence as an international destination for equestrian sports. Hosting these events is representative of Qatar’s progress and an opportunity to demonstrate its heritage on a world stage.
Qatar has always been a major investor in horses globally and with the launch of Al Shaqab it has taken equine welfare, breeding and R&D to another level.
Qatar hosted the “CHI AL SHAQAB presented by Longines 2022” event last weekend, which attracts the world’s most refined breeds to compete, with the Arabian horse. The logistics industry plays a central role in supporting these international events, and GWC has become the provider of choice for equestrian logistics, offering comprehensive solutions for the transport of horses of all breeds along with their equipment by land or air freight, quarantine services and health monitoring, supervision of customs clearance and offloading onto the airport tarmac, flight charters, in addition to consultancy services for horse transportation projects.
The Journey
GWC’s Equestrian logistics unit provides the solution for every leg of the journey, including land transport, Quarantine and supervision, Mediation with all relevant authorities, Customs clearance and tarmac supervision, Arranging professional grooms and veterinarians and international airfreight and aircraft charter solutions.
GWC’s Equestrian story began in 2014, and since then GWC has been instrumental in supporting several international equestrian events held in Qatar, where the company provided coordination with owners and transporters in Europe, charter flights, tarmac supervision during loading and unloading of horses, construction of stalls at events, arranging of professional grooms and veterinarians, and document collection and confirmation for entry and exit of horses.
The Process
There is no doubt that transporting these majestic animals requires due diligence and a very meticulous process. To begin with, clearance must be provided from this departure point and the final destination, which requires the support of health officials in various countries.
GWC’s close relationship with various health authorities in Qatar has helped keep this process smooth throughout the years, starting with this very first project.
GWC has also built a strong relationship with the grooms and veterinarians who travel with these horses to keep them calm and healthy.
Upon arrival, the horses require support from the tarmac of the air strip, ensuring they de- plane and step onto the specialized land vehicles without incident, all this while we continue to liaise with the relevant health authorities on the ground.
In addition to the transport of the horses, GWC also has the expertise to transport and install temporary stables in which the horses lodge. This requires the cooperation of the company’s freight and relocations teams as they ensure the proper handling of the various equestrian paraphernalia on both legs of the trip.
In the year 2015, GWC successfully provided logistics support of 128 horses for the Chi Al Shaqab international event, with the horses divided among those performing at the vaulting, dressage, show jumping, and para-dressage events.
GWC has full ground teams in both origin and Doha, handling the export and import into and out of Qatar, providing a veterinarian or a veterinarian’s assistant and a professional air groom per flight to accompany horses on board, and tarmac supervision on departure and arrival.
The Company works closely with the Qatar Ministry of Environment’s Veterinary Affairs Department to ensure all processes complied with the highest standards of biosecurity at all times.
GWC excels at every vertical it serves by putting in the time and effort needed to ensure that the services are delivered according to best-in-class industry standards and practices.
The Progress
With the successful delivery of the first event, GWC has built upon every success in the industry, delivering their solutions to 22 major events in Qatar, and moving over 2,000 horses for these events to date. The company has also diversified, offering these solutions to private breeders and owners as they relocate to Qatar or participate in the international pedigree market. This is a particularly relevant requirement in the Middle East, where the Arabian horse is utilized to breed with other pedigrees to improve their worth by reinforcing their patience, speed, and profile.
The Arabian horse is a very near and dear element in Arab culture, and Qatar’s long prestigious history in holding the most important championships and their interest in the most refined breeds does this cultural affection for equestrianism justice. GWC is proud that the solutions have kept up to pace with the demand for such specialized requirements, and that the high degree of coordination in the operations while maintaining the internationally recognized quality standards have been able to support the needs of these noble steeds.
