MIA welcomes 97 top European horses competing in global championship on Miami Beach

Horses are among more than 2,000 others that come through MIA during its peak sea sonMIAMI - Four days before Miami Beach hosts some of the world’s top horses and riders at this weekend’s Longines Global Champions Tour, Miami International Airport was the first stop for 97 of the Olympic-level horses. The horses arrived at MIA on April 9 via two flights from Leige, Belgium, with a stop in Mexico City. MIA is one of only four points of entry for horses arriving into the U.S. and is one of only two airports with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) facility equipped for equine quarantine, handling more than 2,000 horses during the high season. Annually, more than 4,000 tons of live animals transit through MIA, at a total value of more than $280 million. “These valuable animals are one example of the diversity and importance of cargo that comes through MIA regularly, and we are honored to serve as the welcoming point for this global equestrian event,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. “MIA continues to lead the way in international freight because of massive shipments like this from around the world. We are also proud to partner with the USDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to facilitate the smooth entry of these precious animals and other livestock into the country.” The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service facility at MIA is the only USDA facility in the nation to house the Veterinary Services’ import and export operations and inspection station in one complex, consolidating the functions of veterinary services and plant protection and quarantine into a single site.