Equine International Airfreight

What Equine International Airfreight does

Equine International Airfreight (EIAF) is an Australia-based, privately held specialist in international horse air transport, founded in 2014 through the acquisition of Crispin Bennett International Horse Transport by former Eliza Park International CEO Cameron Croucher and Magic Millions owner Gerry Harvey. The company coordinates end-to-end international logistics for high-value horses, including pre-export and post-entry quarantine management (via its Australian Government-approved Blackhorse Farm facility in Newmarket, UK, and the Mickleham PEQ facility in Victoria, Australia), customs documentation, charter and commercial cargo flight arrangement, professional flying grooms, ground transport, equine insurance placement through Lloyd's of London, and foreign exchange services via a partnership with OFX. Its primary customer segments are Olympic and FEI-level equestrian competitors, thoroughbred and sport horse breeders and bloodstock agents, and national federations including Equestrian Australia.

The company's underlying technology stack is operational rather than platform-based: client-facing flight tracking and weather monitoring tools, online enquiry and quote forms via Smartsheet, and standard multi-channel social presence (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn). The competitive moat is built on regulatory assets (government-approved quarantine facilities that are difficult and slow to replicate), exclusive distribution partnerships with Equestrian Australia and Magic Millions, and a small but deep leadership team with decades of combined bloodstock and logistics experience.

The business model is professional services-led, with revenue generated per shipment on a fully quote-based, pay-as-you-go basis across 7 global regions (Australasia, Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, North America, South America). Ancillary revenue streams include commission or referral economics from insurance (Lloyd's) and FX (OFX). The company is small, with 6 employees, no institutional funding, and no public revenue disclosure, making this a high-touch, relationship-driven niche operator whose economic profile is constrained by its scale but supported by meaningful fixed-asset infrastructure.

Name

Equine International Airfreight

Legal name

EQUINE INTERNATIONAL AIRFREIGHT

Website

https://eiaf.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Equine International Airfreight (EIAF) is an Australia-based specialist coordinating end-to-end international air transport for high-value horses, serving Olympic equestrians, thoroughbred breeders, national federations, and affluent private owners across 7 global regions with proprietary quarantine facilities and integrated logistics services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Animal Air Freight Logistics

NAICS

Horses and Other Equine Production (112920), Horses and Other Equine Production (11292), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Racing Logistics & Transport (Equine Haulage, Quarantine) (MPAEADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equine Transport & Hauling Services (AFAEAGAI), Regulatory, Health Certificates & Export/Import Compliance (Large Animal/Equine) (HLAMABAL)

Keywords

• Equine air freight
• Horse transport services
• International bloodstock logistics
• Quarantine facility services
• Equestrian shipping solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. International Air Freight Services: Core revenue from arranging and coordinating international horse air transport including charter flights and commercial cargo flights. Services include logistics coordination, veterinary requirements, customs documentation, and quarantine management.
2. Charter Flight Services: Arrangement of dedicated charter flights for horse transport, providing exclusive use of aircraft for clients requiring personalized transport solutions.
3. Insurance Coordination: Placement of equine insurance through Lloyd's of London underwriters, covering mortality, transit, theft, and related risks for imported and exported horses.
4. Foreign Exchange Services: Referral arrangement with OFX for foreign currency transactions, providing competitive exchange rates for international payments related to horse purchases and transport.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Equine International Airfreight specializes in the international air transportation of horses, coordinating end-to-end shipments including airline bookings, professional flying grooms, ground transport, customs clearance, and boarding at its own quarantine facilities in Mickleham (Australia) and Blackhorse Farm (Newmarket, UK). The company also arranges ancillary services such as insurance through Lloyd's of London and foreign exchange via OFX, delivering a single accountable shipment from pickup to quarantine release.

Product overview

Equine International Airfreight (EIAF) offers a comprehensive suite of international horse air transport services, operating as a unified service offering rather than a modular platform. The core service is international airfreight for horses, supported by integrated ancillary services including quarantine management (via Blackhorse Farm in UK and Mickleham PEQ in Australia), customs clearance, ground transportation, professional flying grooms, charter flights, receiving agency services, equine insurance coordination through Lloyd's of London, and foreign exchange services via OFX partnership. The company also provides flight tracking and weather monitoring tools. EIAF's service portfolio covers all aspects of transporting horses internationally, from origin to destination, including regulatory compliance and post-arrival care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Horse Air Freight End-to-end international air transport of horses, coordinating airline bookings, customs paperwork, professional flying grooms, ground transport to and from airports, and onward delivery. Available for competition horses (including Olympic and FEI events), thoroughbreds (sales and racing), and breeding stock (mares and stallions) for shippers in Australia, the UK, and worldwide.
• Mickleham Quarantine Services (Australia) Pre- and post-flight quarantine boarding at EIAF's Australian facility in Mickleham, meeting Department of Agriculture import protocols for horses entering or leaving Australia via Melbourne.
• Blackhorse Farm Quarantine Services (Newmarket, UK) Pre- and post-flight quarantine boarding at EIAF's UK facility on Blackhorse Farm near Newmarket, meeting UK import protocols for horses entering or leaving the United Kingdom by air.
• Professional Flying Groom Service Provision of trained professional flying grooms to accompany horses on international flights, managing in-cabin welfare, water, feed, and stable-to-stable handovers.
• Customs Clearance and Agency Services Coordination of customs documentation, import permits, veterinary inspections, and receiving-agency duties at both ends of an international horse shipment.
• Ground Transportation Service Specialist horse transport by road between client premises, quarantine facilities, and airports in Australia and the United Kingdom, integrated with the air freight service.
• Charter Flight Services Arrangement of dedicated charter flights when commercial capacity or schedule does not suit a high-value or large-volume horse shipment.
• Insurance Coordination (Lloyd's of London) Coordination of mortality and transit insurance cover for horse shipments through Lloyd's of London underwriters, offered alongside the freight service.
• Foreign Exchange Service (via OFX) Cross-border payment and foreign exchange support for international horse shippers, provided through a partnership with OFX.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully transported 15 horses (first UK to Australia group) in October 2017 including thoroughbreds, eventers, gypsy cobs and show jumpers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, support and core.

• Matt HarnackeflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2018International model and #1 equestrian influencer worldwide (Vogue Australia 'face to watch') with millions of social media followers. EIAF transporting his horse 'Chase' to Europe. Matt documents and promotes the journey through social media, providing significant brand exposure to equestrian audiences globally.
• Equestrian AustraliaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Three-year exclusive partnership naming EIAF as official equine airfreight partner. EIAF will transport Australian-based horses to the 2018 World Equestrian Games in the United States and the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan. Partnership provides FREE Equestrian Australia membership when booking with EIAF.
• OFX (formerly OzForex)supportGTM or Marketing PartnerOFX is a listed Australian Stock Exchange company specializing in international currency transactions. EIAF refers clients to OFX for foreign currency exchange services when arranging international horse purchases and transport payments. OFX provides competitive exchange rates with no transaction fees for transfers above A$1,000, saving clients money on banking fees. Senior Alliance Manager Jon Sermon works directly with EIAF clients.
• Qantas FreightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQantas Freight is the primary airline partner for EIAF's horse transport operations. The partnership enables transport of horses on Qantas cargo flights, with EIAF featured on Qantas freight website. EIAF has a longstanding relationship with Qantas, dating back to early company history.
• Magic MillionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred airfreight partner of Magic Millions Sales, one of Australia's largest thoroughbred auction houses. David Chester, former Magic Millions executive, appointed EIAF Director in 2018. Partnership enables overseas buyers to purchase at Magic Millions sales with complete international transport logistics handled by EIAF.
• Definitive Events AustraliasupportGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent promotion company behind Australia's largest equestrian festival Equitana (50,000+ spectators). EIAF partners with Definitive Events for the 'Riding with the Stars' trans-Tasman equestrian entertainment event in New Zealand.
• Oaks Sport HorsessupportGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganizer of the Oaks Young Horse Jumping Championships, an annual 10-show series in NSW developing young jumping horses. EIAF sponsors the event and its 'EIAF Futurity' award category.
• Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR)coreOthersAustralian Government department responsible for biosecurity and import/export regulations. EIAF operates under DAWR-approved quarantine facilities and coordinates all veterinary inspections and health certifications through DAWR-appointed officers.
• Blackhorse Farm (Leanne Needham)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAustralian Government-approved quarantine facility in Newmarket, UK. Managed by Leanne Needham, well-known and highly respected horseperson. Facility spans 30 acres with modern stabling, veterinary facilities, and isolation stables. Enables pre-export quarantine for horses traveling from UK to Australia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Kuehne+Nagel KN Animal Logistics: Kuehne+Nagel operates a dedicated animal logistics (ANIMALOG) practice coordinating international air transport for horses, livestock and pets. Overlaps with EIAF on international horse airfreight but embedded within a global forwarder's wider portfolio.
• FedEx Custom Critical (Live Animal Desk): FedEx Custom Critical handles time-sensitive live animal shipments including equine transports on charter-style operations. Comparable asset-light airfreight model but at much larger scale and less equine-specialized than EIAF.
• Schenker Animal Transport (DB Schenker Equine): DB Schenker offers specialized live animal and equine airfreight services as part of its global logistics portfolio. Comparable air-transport capability but offered as one product line within a much larger freight forwarding business.

Regional players

• Tex Sutton Horse Transportation: Tex Sutton is a US-based specialist in equine air transport, primarily serving North American clients shipping to international destinations including Europe, Asia and Australasia. Comparable to EIAF in service scope but geographically centered on North America.
• Equine Express Services: US-headquartered equine transport company offering ground and airfreight coordination across North America and internationally. Comparable service model to EIAF for North American sport horse and racehorse clients.
• Bob Houghton Bloodstock: Australia-based international horse transport and bloodstock agency with established relationships to thoroughbred sales. Comparable to EIAF in the Australian outbound equine logistics market.
• John Parker International Horse Transport: UK-based equine transport specialist with international road and airfreight forwarding services. Comparable offering to EIAF for EU-based customers but with a primarily European geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Peden Bloodstock: Peden offers bloodstock transport services for thoroughbreds and sport horses across international routes, including airfreight coordination. Overlap with EIAF on high-value bloodstock and sales-related transport.
• IRT (International Racehorse Transport): IRT is the most established international horse airfreight company globally, with hubs in Australia, the US, UK and Europe. It is the most direct competitor to EIAF on key routes such as UK-to-Australia and competes for the same elite trainer and breeder customers.

Emerging players

• Happy Tails Travel: Boutique international horse transport service arranging air shipments and ground transport for sport horses. Smaller scale than EIAF but competes in the same niche with similar full-service positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Equine_Freight
• Facebookfacebook.com/equineinternationalairfreight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equine-international-airfreight
• Instagraminstagram.com/Equine_Freight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Equine International Airfreight