For horse enthusiasts, spring brings a smorgasbord of events at which they can saddle up for the show. While the equestrian calendar boasts events such as the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and The Red Hill International, racegoers can gamble away their dollars on the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes. These top-level events gain national and international attention.
Making it possible for riders and their mounts to get to these events are companies in the horse-transportation business. Jim Walsh of Elite Horse Transportation has been trucking and flying horses across the country for five years. Walsh’s expertise and reputation for quality handling keep him on the road. “We cover close to 300,000 miles a year,” he says. “When I started this business going out on my own, I spent the first 17 days straight on the road only to get back home, load up and head out again. It was a heck of a first month.”
Walsh grew up with horses, riding in competitions from the age of 13. As a teenager he took work grooming horses, finding himself among Olympians and the elite in U.S. equestrian riders. His weekends working with horses would pay big dividends when building a client base for his own company.
After graduating from college with a financial degree, he took a job as an investment banker on Wall Street in New York. However, the tragic events of 9/11 resulted in his company closing its doors. Walsh elected to leave the hustle and bustle of city life and return to his horse roots.
“I love being on the road, being my own boss,” says Walsh. “Obviously, with this job, there needs to be a love for horses and I have that. I’ve been around horses for a long time and I think it is important for my clients to know I’ll care and tend to their horses as if they were my own.”
His humble beginnings, with a straight truck and a Class B license, have grown to include his 2001 Peterbilt tractor and 48-foot Kentucky trailer. “I worked with Tim Dutta at Dutta Corp. for a while and really got my introduction with them,” says Walsh. “When I started on my own with the straight truck I could only carry five to six horses so it wasn’t really returning the dollars for the amount of work I was putting in. So I had to get smart, got my CDL and a big truck and it’s been nonstop ever since.”
Working in horse transportation, Walsh feels the brunt of being an owner/operator and handling all the expenses and headaches that come with that. He also must accommodate for his precious cargo, which at times is valued at millions of dollars. “It is tough for truck drivers, with the rise in fuel costs, insurance and everything else,” says Walsh. “I can never stop to sleep while I’m on the road so I must always have a co-driver with me if my trip will go over the DOT hours-of-service requirements. So with insurance and specialized equipment there is a little more expense I must face.”
Walsh offers comprehensive services to clients of Elite Horse Transportation. There is no limitation to the areas he will cover; he can find himself among the horse-farm havens in Wellington, Fla., one week, and loading a champion stallion on JFK Airport's tarmac the next. When national or international transportation is needed via aircraft, Walsh has also flown with horses to their destinations to ensure everything runs smoothly. “I think my clients find it comforting to know that I will travel with their horses from start to finish if they desire,” he says.
With international transportation comes quarantine requirements. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has highly governed regulations on the international transportation of livestock. It becomes part of Walsh’s transportation services to stay with his cargo during the many hours it takes to meet quarantine requirements. “I’m to make sure all the correct paperwork is in order when the USDA do their checks,” says Walsh. “And if necessary, I will fly with the horse to the final destination, whether it is domestic or international.”
Walsh’s recent transportation duties included the transportation of two U.S. contenders in the 2008 FEI World Cup in Amsterdam. He transported Idocus, an 18-year-old KWPN stallion, and Maksymilion (“Mak”), a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood, to compete in the event. Both horses were loaded into individual stalls in Welsh’s trailer from a farm in Wellington, Fla., and taken to the quarantine farm in Miami. “This particular trailer can carry up to 15 horses, but I’m uncomfortable with that many animals being carried at once and try to stay around 10 at a time,” Welsh says. “It is more comfortable for the horses and just makes the journey a lot safer.”
Once in Miami, the horses were held for the required duration before being loaded onto the cargo jet to Amsterdam. “I need to make sure the timing is right and everything goes to plan,” explains Walsh. “Holding up the plane from mishaps like breakdowns and mistakes will cost me around $7,000 an hour.”
Idocus and Mak spent the eight-hour flight in “flying” stalls. Although these stalls were a lot smaller and more confined, they kept the horses stable during the flight while allowing enough room to lean forward and backward during take-off and landing. “Some horses get very accustomed to being trucked and flying and know what to expect,” says Walsh. “Others need special attention or have certain animals or ‘buddies’ they feel comfortable traveling with.”
Walsh’s reputation within the close-knit horse community has grown considerably. His dedication to the horses plus up-to-date equipment ensures he is very rarely out of work. “It is important that my truck and trailer always stay in top condition and my equipment is state-of-the-art,” says Walsh. “This is what I feel a lot of horse owners look for.”
His client for the Amsterdam trip, Jane Hannigan, Maksymilion’s owner and rider, agrees with Walsh that high-quality equipment is important, but she places even more emphasis on selecting a trustworthy company to transport her prized horse. “We need to trust drivers,” says Hannigan. “Reputation goes a long way in this business and it is what a lot of owners and riders look for. I trust and know that Jimmy will get Mak where he needs to be safely.”
Hannigan, who represented the United States in the FEI World Cup, knows all too well how important it is to find the right transportation team. “My mom has two mortgages to help pay for Mak, and my boyfriend knows where he stands in the pecking order – second to Mak – so it is extremely important to find the right person to do this for me,” she says.
Horse transportation is a specialized business, where many put their faith and trust into a person behind the wheel of a truck. Walsh provides his clients with the best possible service with a dedication to excellence. “I see myself as a truck driver who is a horse person,” says Walsh. “I’m proud to have built the trust in my clients who put so much faith in me.”
