MANY Irish riders heading to mainland Europe for competitions this winter are taking the 18-hour ferry from Ireland directly to France, in order to avoid the chaos of the UK landbridge as the full effects of Brexit are felt at ports in Britain and France.

Kilkenny rider and breeder Marion Hughes opted to send her horses directly to France on Monday. Speaking to The Irish Field on Wednesday, Hughes said the horses had safely arrived in Spain. “The long boat seemed like the only option at this stage and it probably turned out cheaper too,” she explained.

Hughes sent an experienced person on the boat with the horses. “They all came off the boat fresh, they were very comfortable and it was hassle free. They stopped in St Lo after the boat and the guys travelling with them were able to get another Covid-19 test there. I would be more concerned about the journey back after they have been jumping for a few week. We will stop in France for 24 hours before the boat.”

Hughes also suggested the presence of a vet, in case of any emergencies, would be a good idea on the route going forward.

Another show jumper departing Ireland for Spain next week is Kilian Browne who runs Sceilig Sport Horses in Co Cork, with two trucks and eight horses. He is also taking the route from Dublin to Cherbourg with Irish Ferries.

“We would always go via Britain but we have been advised not to go near it. When you are travelling with horses, you can’t chance getting stuck there” Browne told The Irish Field.

His local vet is doing the health certificates for all the animals before the DAFM vet will do the necessary checks in Dublin. “We are going as far as Dublin, taking horses off and meeting the Department vet there, horses can rest a few hours and then we take the 18 hour boat to Cherbourg.

“The new Irish Ferries on that route now is a big steady ship. My logic is, for us personally, to get to Dover in England with no traffic is 16 or 18 hours anyway. This way, they will have rested in Dublin for a couple of hours and then on the ferry, in terms of truck movement, they will have no breaking. It is just the unknown a little bit of the horses. They are going to be resting then in Cherbourg, about 30 or 40 minutes after we get off the boat we will be stopping for 10-12 hours.”

Browne said he has an added cost of about €1,000 in the last two weeks between getting trucks approved by the Department of Agriculture and doing his driver certificate of professional competence (CPC), while Coopers Transport is doing a lot of the paperwork for the trip.