This will develop and expand the equestrian industry in Georgia. Although number one in carrying passengers, the airport ranks 17th in handling freight or cargo, DeCosta said. The people who run the Foxhall Cup, a three-day horse event held about 15 miles from the airport near the Chattahoochee River, are rubbing their palms in glee in anticipation of how the facility will help their business. Beginning in May 2000, the International Equestrian Federation added the Foxhall Cup to its global competition calendar. Now that the airport provides direct access to incoming horses, Foxhall Cup Chairman Jim Richards expects the event will be large enough to draw 60,000 people.
Direct access is important.
The owners often incur considerable expense and animals are exposed to additional safety risk for each mile traveled. Claudia McQuillen, the owner of Fox Hollow Farms in Alpharetta, said her company typically has a horse flown to Miami's airport, where they place it in a trailer and transport the animal the 12-13 hours to Atlanta. I know we'll be using this service immediately. The city's climate is a plus for the horse-hauling business. The moderate weather conditions discourage transportation delays incurred in more extreme climate locations.