Moving a 50-horse acrobatic show around the world requires military planning and execution.
It involves packing up and shifting thousands of bales of hay, the white big top tent, a 50 metre-wide stage, a human crew of more than a 100, and 50 adult stallions and geldings.
Every action must be performed in a specific order, including loading the horses on to aircraft and ensuring they are next to their friends, so everything is ready to be unpacked and set up at the next destination in the shortest possible time.
Cavalia’s public relations director Eric Pacquette, who recently landed in Abu Dhabi for the Qasr Al Hosn Festival, describes it as a “logistical nightmare”.
The Cavalia team, based in Montreal, Canada, arrived in the final week of January and is busy putting the finishing touches to the show, which will run from February 22 until March 1.
Before to coming to the UAE, the Cavalia team toured Australia for almost 12 months.
Much of the planning to move the production from city to city, and then on to Abu Dhabi, was the responsibility of Donna Morton, the stable director.
Originally from Queensland, Autralia, she worked as an assistant to the horse master and trained riders for the opening ceremony at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She joined Cavalia just over a year ago.
As stable director, she is responsible for the transport, feeding and care of the horses.
“It is important that anything involving the horses is properly planned and carried out,” Ms Morton says. “When the shows finish the first thing to depart is the horses. Before that we start to pack everything up so it’s all ready to go as soon as the horses leave.”
The stables at the Qasr Al Hosn site were made in Dubai after Ms Morton gave the company the go-ahead.
Each horse has their own enclosure with feeding buckets of water, grain and hay.
The bottom halves of the steel-framed walls, screwed together with large bolts, are made from Puckboard, the material used to border ice hockey rinks, so they can withstand kicks from the stallions and geldings.
The layout of the temporary stables is the same at every location to make it as familiar as possible for the animals.
On the ceiling of the large stable tent, which is split in two so that one half can be used as a practice ring, are wide, clear tubes hooked up to an air-conditioning system that keeps the temperature at about 23°C or 24°C.
Cavalia’s founder, Normand Latourelle, is no stranger to large-scale and elaborate shows, having set up the original Cirque du Soleil in the 1980s.
His son, Mathieu Latourelle, has now taken the reins as tour director of the Cavalia production.
“When my father left Cirque du Soleil he had a show in Montreal,” says Mr Latourelle. “At one point there were 100 performers on stage and one horse. He realised the whole audience was captivated by the horse and forgot all about the performers.
“As a show producer he thought there was a natural interest so he created this company in 2003.”
Mr Latourelle, 33, is used to life on the road, having spent parts of his childhood touring with his father.
“Every time we had a vacation I would go and join my father at Cirque,” he says. “I have great memories.
“When I was six or seven and he had no childcare, I was on a little stool doing the popcorn for everyone and I remember the performers bringing me on stage.”
It has cost about US$500,000 (Dh1.8m) to transport everything from the last stop in Australia to Abu Dhabi. This included 25 shipping containers sent ahead of the crew and animals in December.
On a longer stint lasting more than a few weeks the number of containers can reach 80, Mr Latourelle says. The big top, stage, training tent and stable tent are usually sent in these containers.
When the horses travel, their manes are braided and wrapped to keep them neat and to stop them catching on anything in transit. They are also given a booster meal of vitamins to keep them healthy en route, and a last once-over by the vets.
For Mr Latourelle, the movement of the horses is not a worry.
“The only things that can worry me are the things out of our control,” he says. “We can’t control rain, we can’t control wind, we can’t control Mother Nature.
“If there are very strong winds, it will wake me up in the middle of the night. And we don’t want the stables to flood. We’ve had times when there has been 15 guys outside pumping water.
“If it’s not in our control, it is a worry. Everything else is good.”
Fortunately, everything related to the care of the horses is under Ms Morton’s control and she always has their best interests in mind.
Wherever possible, she obtains the same hay the horses were fed at their previous destination. If she cannot, she finds the closest alternative and blends it into their diet little by little.
To prepare for the animals’ arrival in the UAE she sent 24 tonnes of hay and 85 tonnes of grain in one of the 40-foot shipping containers.
Ms Morton knows exactly how much each horse needs each day, and makes sure there is also a backup supply.
“We feed the horses 24 bales a day,” she says. “Times that by 50 and the number of days, that’s thousands of bales of hay. It’s all worked out to be exact.”
Ms Morton does not work alone. She has a team of 20 to help care for the horses.
There are grooms, a farrier to look after the horses’ hooves, and two veterinary technicians (or vet nurses, as they are also known).
The benefit of having them on site all the time rather than relying on different local vets is that they can build special relationships with the animals.
“It’s important to us to keep the same people because they just know the horses,” she says. “They can walk into the stable and immediately see if something is wrong. We are so pedantic, checking the horses daily, so it is important that they know everything.”
As well as daily vet checks, during show times the horses also get daily showers and massages.
At the side of the shower area sit soapy bottles. They include regular Pantene shampoo bottles, intended for humans but apparently they also work brilliantly for most horses, and Canter Silk Mane and Tail Conditioner Spray.
There is also a special bar of oatmeal soap found by Ms Morton after scouring the malls in Abu Dhabi. It is reserved for one of the horses that “loves that product”, the grooms say.
The grey and white horses are shampooed with an intense purple-coloured wash, which helps to bring out the white in their hair.
There are also specific washes to help remove the yellow stain from manure so they look as good as possible for the show, in which each animal performs for about eight minutes.
The group includes breeds from all around the world – seven Arabians, 20 pure Spanish, two Criollo and one miniature named Troubador, who is 8 hands tall (one hand is about four inches). The tallesthorse, Merlin, is an 18 hands-tall Percheron.
All of the horses are male.
“Mares can be really moody,” Ms Morton says. “A lot of trainers say that they prefer to train male horses. Stallions have expression and exuberance in their training. Females are temperamental.”
When the crew are between cities they try to give the horses as much of a break as the schedule will allow. Where possible, Ms Morton will scout for appropriate stables where the 50-strong herd can get some much-needed R and R.
When it comes to needing the odd break, the same applies to the crew.
The Cavalia staff spend much of their time on the road, away from friends and family.
“We are very, very lucky, we have amazing people,” says Mr Latourelle. “When you go on tour you take the decision from the get go that you will be away from your family.
“Some people try it and realise quite quickly that’s it not for them. You get homesick really fast and if you learn to live with that, you’re good for touring.
“In 10 years I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly but day in, day out, it’s the good that’s there.”
munderwood@thenational.ae
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
New schools in Dubai
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Sour%20Grapes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZakaria%20Tamer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESyracuse%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Superliminal%20
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20One%20%26amp%3B%20X%2FS%2C%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PC%20and%20Mac%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD
Roger Federer's 2018 record
Australian Open Champion
Rotterdam Champion
Indian Wells Runner-up
Miami Second round
Stuttgart Champion
Halle Runner-up
Wimbledon Quarter-finals
Cincinnati Runner-up
US Open Fourth round
Shanghai Semi-finals
Basel Champion
Paris Masters Semi-finals
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
