Shuttling Stallions

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PNkt

PNkt

Well-Known Member
Jul 25, 2011
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Newmarket
The Racing Post bloodstock team have put together a blog looking at how stallions are shuttled from one hemisphere to the other, focusing on the Darley boys.

Part One

Follow the Darley squad as they head down under

SHUTTLE stallions have been part of the bloodstock industry for more than 30 years. The concept was pioneered by, among others, John Messara, whose Arrowfield Stud stood French champion sire Kenmare and the legendary Danehill - a move that would change the shape of the Australian breed.

Nowadays, tens of stallions across Europe, plus more from North America and Japan, spend the winter continuing their day job down under, many enjoying high-profile success in both hemispheres.

That fact is nothing new, but a lesser-known part of the process is the journey itself from north to south, one that takes over four weeks from start to finish.

To investigate, the Racing Post is following Darley's shuttle stallions as they make their way from Britain to Australia, a trip of more than 10,000 miles with quarantine stops either side.

The journey started on Friday as, fresh from Darley's annual stallion parade at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice, Sepoy and first-timer Dawn Approach were prepared for quarantine.

This includes removing their shoes, a disinfectant bath, and disinfecting all of their rugs, tack and clothing for their stallion men.

After the big clean, the Darley half-dozen were boxed from Dalham Hall to the operation's own quarantine facility nearby, where they will stay for the next two weeks.

Only their stallion men and a daily vet, Newmarket Equine Hospital consultant James Crowhurst, will be able to visit them during this time. On arrival, all staff are required to have a shower, and wear daily disposable overalls while in the stables.

James makes the quarantine centre his first call of the day before visiting any other studs or yards.

And that's their life for the next two weeks. Come back on Monday to find out more about the stallions' daily routine.
 
Part Two

Link to article

DARLEY SHUTTLE SIRES
Weblog: Charting the course of Darley's shuttle sires

Swabs taken as stallions settle into quarantine

IT'S day four of post entry quarantine - PEQ - for the Darley half dozen. Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy left Dalham Hall on Friday following the stud's annual stallion parade, and will remain in quarantine for two weeks before flying to Australia, via Dubai, on Sunday July 27.

On Saturday the stallions were wormed, and today vet James Crowhurst took the first of two swabs for contagious equine metritis (CEM), a bacterial infection that can cause infertility in mares.

The swabs were then sent to the AHVLA Regional Laboratory in Bury St Edmunds.

Stallions generally thrive on routine and, while a CEM swab may not be part of a normal morning, the rest of their day is similar to their time at Dalham Hall - minus the covering of course!

Daily routine

6am First feed of the day
8am Turnout
2pm Back to their stable
4pm Second feed of the day
10pm Third feed of the day

Each horse also has his temperature taken twice a day by the stallion men who, besides the vet, are the only people allowed in to their quaratine facility during the two weeks.

Every time the stallion men enter they have to take a shower, then don a very attractive disposable bio suit, similar to this - hopefully they're a bit happier than this chap on the left!
 
Part Three

Link to article

DARLEY SHUTTLE SIRES

Shuttle sires lead a busy lifestyle, covering almost year round with short breaks in between each season. One of Darley's stallions who knows the game well is Exceed And Excel, who has just completed his 20th straight covering season.

As an Australian-bred who commenced his stud career at Darley Australia, the son of Danehill is referred to as a 'reverse shuttler', and in returning to Kelvinside in New South Wales he will get to work on season 21.

Bought by Sheikh Mohammed towards the end of his racing career, Exceed And Excel landed two Group 1 sprints among his wins down under before a brief trip to Newmarket to run in the July Cup.

Since retiring to stud he has sired nine top-flight winners - including fellow shuttle sires Excelebration and Helmet - and last year was chosen as the first stallion to cover legendary sprint mare Black Caviar.
 
Part Four

Link to article


Dawn Approach settling into quarantine life well

THE Darley shuttle stallions have been in quarantine for almost a week now, so it seemed like a good time to check in and see how they're doing - of course, strict quarantine regulations mean bloggers can't just swing by for a chat, but luckily head stallion man Ken Crozier was on hand to provide some inside info.

"They're all settled into the routine now," says Ken of the six stallions bound for Australia - Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy. "We try and keep to the same routine as home, so after the vet has been in the morning to take any blood samples or swabs, they go out in the paddock from 8am until about 2pm.

"Then when they come in they're all in an American barn together so they have each other for company - but they can't get too close to each other!"

Ken has been working alongside the shuttle stallions for over a decade, so knows each one well - he describes Exceed And Excel as "an old pro" and says newcomer Dawn Approach has taken to the task well.

"Dawn Approach is good, he's really relaxed and a nice quiet horse," says Ken. "Nothing really fazes him at all."

With the stallions in a strict routine, so too are the stallion men, but 2014 post-quarantine will be slightly different for Ken.

"This year is only the third time in about 12 years that I haven't flown out with them," says Ken. "I've been out and done whole seasons, or sometimes I've stayed for the first five weeks or so.

"The lads who are going this year are just staying for quarantine to help with the handover and then they'll come back."

With temperatures in England currently double those in Sydney the stallion men may welcome a quick return, but here's hoping they still have time for a quick trip to Bondi while they're down under!
 
He covers 140-odd mares each hemisphere each year, so assuming a standard fertility rate of 70% something in the region of 2,000!
 
Latest instalment link




DARLEY SHUTTLE SIRES
Weblog: Charting the course of Darley's shuttle sires

Vet James Crowhurst on shuttling stallions

DARLEY'S jet-setting sextet - Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy - have now been in their Newmarket quarantine facility for ten days.

Their routine of being fed every morning at 6am, being turned out into their own paddock at 8am and coming in at 2pm is broken only by visits from vet James Crowhurst, who comes to the Woodditton facility five times during the two-week quarantine period to do blood tests and swabs.

Like anyone else who comes into contact with the stallions in quarantine, James has to comply with the rules and before entering the facility has to shower and change into disposable overalls.

It will be James who on Saturday - fingers crossed - signs off all the shuttlers as ready to travel by conducting a medical check on each stallion and signing a health certificate, a process that takes around ten minutes per stallion.

James says the horses are well equipped for the processes they must undergo before they are allowed to travel to Australia.

"Many people in the industry have been surprised by how robust the stallions are and how well they cope with the travel and the two covering seasons per year," he says.

"The bio-security is excellent, the stallions are looked after by all who handle them extremely well and they seem to cope very well."
 
Another entry

Flying vet Des begins 28,000-mile round trip


IT'S all quiet in the Darley quarantine facility this week, with four days still to go before the operation's six European shuttle stallions - Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy - begin their 10,000 mile journey to Sydney.

The stallions are still in their regular routine of breakfast, turnout, lunch and dinner, with regular visits from Rossdales vet James Crowhurst - who this morning took the second and final flu swab.

However, someone whose week is considerably less quiet given the 28,000 miles he will cover is vet Des Leadon. Des, who alongside his partner Mariann Klay owns Swordlestown Little Stud, will be joining the stallions on the long flight down under - but not before making another pick up. . .

He is currently en route to Darley's Kentucky base Jonabell Farm, ready to meet the stud's US shuttle sires Bernardini, Denman, Lonhro, Medaglia D'Oro, Street Boss and Street Cry - Denman and his sire Lonhro are reverse shuttle sires, being Australian born and bred.

After a brief stop in Lexington, on Saturday Des will travel with the six stallions and two stallion men to Cincinnati in Ohio - only about an hour and a half from the stud - where the group will take off for Stansted. The plane, owned and operated by Darley's transport arm Janah, will land in Britain on Sunday, where the Des and the team will be met by the European shuttlers - and then it's time for take off again!
 
Part 7


Quarantine nearly over as take-off approaches

IT'S not long now until the Darley shuttle stallions get suited and booted for their flight to Australia, but what exactly will the journey entail?

Well, given the distance - more than 10,000 miles - it will really be two flights, with a stop-over in Dubai for refuelling. The whole journey in total will be a jetlag-inducing 24 hours, although studies show that horses are less susceptible to jetlag than humans and recover much quicker.

Travelling first from Darley's Newmarket quarantine facility - home of Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy for the last two weeks - to the airport, the six stallions will then be loaded on to the jet, which will already contain the operation's US shuttle sires fresh from Cincinnati.

Each stallion has his own row on the plane in a box 2.1m by 2.9m - on a commercial flight three horses may take up the same space in a stall layout. The stallions are tied up for take-off and landing, but are loose for the rest of the flight.

Joining the stallions on the journey will be four stallion men, two from the US and two from Britain, five of Janah's flying grooms, and vet Des Leadon - plus a pilot and co-pilot of course!

Des is currently in the US preparing to travel back to Britain with Darley's US shuttle sires, Bernardini, Denman, Lonhro, Medaglia D'Oro, Street Boss and Street Cry, but before leaving he said the biggest worry on a flight is "shipping fever", a respiratory disease that in some cases can lead to pneumonia.

Generally triggered by a lowering of the immune system caused by long-distance travel, the key symptoms Des will be looking out for are a soft cough, depression and not drinking enough water - which is why the stallions do not have water in their stalls, but are offered a drink at regular intervals by the grooms, so their water intake can be monitored.

Hopefully careful observation will enable Des to prevent any mild cases turning serious if they occur, but as the vet in charge he can make the decision to land the plane before its destination if further treatment is needed - a move with huge ramifications but one that will be made if necessary.

Of course that's a worst case scenario, and under the watchful eye of Des with nine other staff catering to their every need, the stallions will be jetting down under with first-class treatment - if lacking in movies and complimentary peanuts.
 
Part 8 - a change of plan


DARLEY SHUTTLE SIRES

Change of flight plan for the Darley half-dozen

ANYONE who has ever travelled by plane will know that schedules and routes can sometimes change, and horse transport is no different. Today we received news from Darley of a slight change in plan for the operation's shuttle stallions in the following statement:

The Janah plane that was due to take the shuttle stallions to Australia for the southern hemisphere covering season has been diverted and has embarked on a very different type of mission.

In the wake of the fighting in Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed had ordered the diversion of the Boeing 747/400 freighter plane to be utilised by the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai to increase the capacity of aid being transferred to Gaza from Dubai. The IHC established the first humanitarian air corridor from Dubai to Amman and is utilising trucks to transfer humanitarian goods for the United Nations via the Allenby Bridge.

The plane has been added to the Dubai four C130 planes that already have been maintaining a constant shuttle in this corridor. The Boeing 747/400 freighter plane is the only one large enough to take blanket capacity for 35,000 people, hygiene and water kits and mats. Its first mission was on July 21 - yesterday and today it has embarked on priority missions for the World Health Organisation and UNWRA, delivering approximately 200 tonnes of medical supplies and pediatric emergency medical kits.

The Dubai International Humanitarian City created by Sheikh Mohammed in 2003 has grown to become the world's largest hub for humanitarian aid for the United Nations serving the MENA region. It has nine UN agencies and nearly 50 non-government organisations (NGOs) and commercial entities as members. This is the second time the Janah plane has played a part in a humanitarian crisis for Dubai - the last time was after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

The Janah team has worked tirelessly to make alternative arrangements for both the European and American stallions to ensure that they arrive on time, therefore not jeopardising the start of their covering duties at Kelvinside and Northwood Park.

The Dubai International Humanitarian City are extremely grateful to the Janah team.

"We cannot thank Janah and Dubai Air Wing enough for acting so quickly and making this possible," said the chairperson of Dubai International Humanitarian City HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein. "Everybody understands the value of the Darley stallions yet it was wonderful to be able to be so completely supported and have such a spirit of co-operation with everyone working together as instructed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to save human lives."

Following the change of plan, Darley's US stallions will now fly direct from Cincinnati to Dubai, and on to Sydney. The British stallions - Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy - will take-off from Heathrow on Saturday night, flying to Sydney via Dubai on an Emirates cargo plane. The layout inside the plane will be as in today's earlier blog.
 
I've missed a few updates!

Part 9

Shuttling sextet are leaving on a jet plane

WELL, that's it - they're off! Darley's six British and Irish shuttle stallions - Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy - have said goodbye to British shores for the next six months and taken to the skies en route to Australia.

Their journey began earlier today with the trip from Darley's Newmarket quarantine station to Heathrow airport, travelling in pairs in horseboxes built for nine - so they can't get too close to each other!

Speaking from the tarmac at Heathrow after their arrival, Darley stallion man Graham Lovatt said everything was going to plan.

"The horses are professionals and take it all in their stride," said Graham. Commenting on first-timer Dawn Approach, he added: "He's handled it very well, he's very relaxed and like and old pro.

"We'll get them loaded and once we're airborne and levelled out they're free to move about their boxes, which are as big as stables.

"Our job is to keep them happy and comfortable. They'll have plenty of hay, and we'll make sure to keep them hydrated during the flight.

"We have a six-hour flight to Dubai, where we'll refill all the water tanks to make sure we have enough for the 13-hour flight to Sydney."

And with that, the Darley half-dozen, their vet and two stallion men - Graham and Ben Gunn - jetted off to foreign climes, albeit it not warmer ones, with temperatures in Sydney currently around 11 degrees celsius.
 
Part 10


Stopover in Dubai as first leg of journey complete

ONE leg down, one to go. At around 7am local time (4am here) the Darley stallions arrived in Dubai safe and sound for a stopover before jetting off on the final stretch for Sydney.

Stallion man Graham Lovatt gave us an update from the airport.
"We've touched down and everything is going well," he said. "The horses have all travelled well - they'll often sleep once we're in the air - and [first-timer] Dawn Approach is very good.

"We monitor their water intake throughout the flight so we know how much they're drinking and make sure they keep hydrated, but apart from that it's often just best to leave them alone so they can relax.

"We're in Dubai for three hours and then it's on to Sydney - we'll get plenty of coffee while we're here! It's a 13-hour flight, so we'll take it in turns to have a sleep, because once we touch down in Sydney at around 6am local time on Monday, it's a hectic day."

Once the stallions land in Sydney it's just a short 30 minute journey to Eastern Creek quarantine station, where they'll spend another two weeks before the final leg of their journey to stud.

At that point the group will go two separate ways - Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Poet's Voice and Sepoy will all travel to Kelvinside Stud in New South Wales, while Helmet will stand at the operation's stud in Victoria, Northwood Park.
 
Part 11


Journey almost complete as stallions touch down

Well, after 24 hours, the stallions landed safe and sound in Sydney around 6am local time this morning.

The journey - two weeks in the making - went without a hitch, and was quickly followed by a 30 minute trip to the nearby quarantine station where Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Helmet, Poet's Voice and Sepoy will spend two weeks before the final leg of their journey to stud.

After the stallions touched down in Australia, Kelvinside stud manager Barley Ward-Thomas said: "The European shuttlers landed in Sydney this morning and have all coped very well with the trip.

"Brand new shuttle stallion Dawn Approach arrived in Australia for the first time in great health. He handled the long journey very well and is in great condition.

"He will spend the next two weeks in quarantine before locating to Kelvinside for the breeding season."

Five of the operation's European shuttle stallions, Dawn Approach, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Poet's Voice and Sepoy, will stand the southern hemisphere season at Kelvinside in New South Wales, while Helmet will relocate to Northwood Park in Victoria. Then after five months the whole trip begins again in reverse.

So, there we have it. What does it take to shuttle a stallion from Europe to Australia? Now you know! That's almost it for the Darley Shuttle Sires blog, but come back tomorrow to see our full gallery of the trip from start to finish, including as yet unseen photos from the flight.
 
Final entry

As there are a lot of photos in the entry I'm not going to post the article here as it won't make much sense. Follow the link above to see it for yourselves.
 
If I were wanting to drag this down to gutter level (yet again - sorry Princess) might this be termed a "shuttlecock"?
 
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