UAE Equine Logistics Specialist to coordinate the international movement of horses to Butheeb International Endurance Village this December
Equitrans Logistics has been appointed the Official Shipping Agent for the FEI Endurance World Championship 2026, taking responsibility for the international transportation of horses travelling to Abu Dhabi for the global championship at Butheeb International Endurance Village (BIEV).
The appointment will see the UAE-headquartered specialist coordinate the large-scale international transport operation bringing horses from across Europe, North and South America, Australasia and the Middle East to the UAE ahead of the Championship and returning them home safely after the event, which takes place from 14–20 December 2026.
The Organising Committee will provide transport for all team horses included on the Definite Entry list, with a maximum of five horses per team. Equitrans Logistics has been appointed as the official international horse transport agent responsible for managing the inbound and outbound movement of horses and equipment.
The appointment follows the decision earlier this year to relocate the Championship from AlUla, Saudi Arabia to Butheeb in the UAE due to the current geopolitical situation. The FEI Board subsequently approved the termination of AlUla’s host agreement on 1 July and reopened the bidding process. Four organisers came forward, with the FEI Board awarding the Championship to Butheeb, Abu Dhabi during a teleconference on 28 July.
In announcing the decision, FEI President Ingmar De Vos highlighted the Organising Committee’s detailed sporting and logistics plans, including arrangements for the transportation and accommodation of horses and delegations, as well as contingency planning designed to make the Championship accessible to eligible National Federations.
It marks a return of the FEI Endurance World Championship to Butheeb after the venue successfully hosted the 2022 edition, which took place in February 2023. Since 2004, Butheeb has hosted approximately 180 FEI competitions and more than 360 national endurance events, establishing the venue as one of the region’s most experienced endurance facilities.
For Equitrans, the appointment represents one of the company’s most significant international equine logistics operations of 2026.
Under the approved transport framework, horses from the EU and UK will travel via Liège to the UAE and return to Europe, while horses from the USA and Canada will travel via Chicago. Routes have also been established for horses travelling from Argentina, Uruguay and Chile via European hubs, with horses from GCC countries and Jordan travelling to and from the UAE by road.
Specific health protocols apply to horses travelling from certain countries, including Brazil, Australia and New Zealand, with return movements routed through Europe. The transport plan currently anticipates movements for between 130 and 160 horses, subject to final entries and confirmation.
David Robson, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Equitrans Logistics, said “Being appointed Official Shipping Agent for the FEI Endurance World Championship is a tremendous responsibility and one that our entire team is extremely proud to be part of and take on. A Championship of this scale requires months of detailed planning, particularly when horses are travelling from so many different regions, each with its own routes, veterinary requirements and import and export protocols.
“Our job is to bring all of those elements together and make what is an incredibly complex international operation as seamless as possible for the National Federations, riders and their teams. Above everything else, horse welfare remains at the centre of every decision we make. We have transported horses to major championships and equestrian events around the world for over two decades, and we are proud to bring that experience to a World Championship here in the UAE.”
The logistics operation will involve coordination with National Federations, airlines, veterinary authorities, ground transport providers and the Butheeb Organising Committee, covering the horses’ journeys into the UAE and their subsequent return following the Championship.
The Championship’s provisional schedule allows for horses to begin arriving at Butheeb from 12 December, with quarantine taking place at the venue. The first pre-ride veterinary inspection will be held on 18 December before the Championship begins at 5:45am on Saturday 19 December. Fit-to-travel examinations are scheduled for 20 December ahead of outbound movements.
The FEI Endurance World Championship is one of the discipline’s most important global competitions and has been contested since 1986. Butheeb’s previous edition brought together 129 combinations representing 37 nations, while the UAE has established a particularly strong record in the discipline, including four individual World Championship titles as of the 2022 edition.
For Equitrans, the December Championship adds to an extensive portfolio of international equestrian movements and major event logistics. Further details regarding individual flight schedules and final horse numbers will be confirmed following the Definite Entries deadline on 17 November 2026.