BREXIT brought so many unknowns, starting with the first BIG question. I will never forget January 2021. I have worked with the wonderful bunch of people at Bramhams of Buckingham since I started Irish Horse Service (ISH) five years ago, assisting them with their deliveries and collections in Ireland. We sat in the Zoom meeting and the mood was disbelief. We had a stark choice, fight or flee. We choose to fight, to expand our knowledge when we saw something in the way; we worked harder, went through it, around it, over it.

Ethos and humour

It became apparent early in 2021 that with Brexit, there would be considerable advantages to having a base within the European Union and so we established Bramhams of Buckingham Ireland Ltd. I am the company secretary and the company holds our European Type 2 approval for long-distance transport and enables us to produce EU health documents. A separate Bloodstock EU VAT number also allows us to complete all export/import customs documents directly with the Irish Revenue.

I liaise directly with local vets (PVP) and Government Vets (DVO) here in Ireland and take care of all aspects of the export papers to meet our time-sensitive deadlines.

Joanne Bramham takes care of the UK export and import papers in our head office in Buckingham, while Ben Skilbeck looks after all the customs and accounts. By in-housing all the complicated bureaucratic elements, people are secure in coming to us for peace of mind. This week alone, we have over 65 horses on our agency travelling to Spain, UK and Germany. We are quite literally keeping the equine industry moving, and I’m fortunate to work with such amazing people. I guess the company ethos and humour are what keep us going!

Game changer

When I am not in the office I am on the road drivng. I am very lucky to have what I believe is one of the best two-stall horseboxes on the market. The Overlander R160 is one of the best builds I’ve ever driven. Upgrading was terrifying at the time as we’d just gone into the first Covid-19 lockdown, and OMG, did I panic! But it was a total game-changer for Irish Horse Service, and I’m fortunate with the team in Hireco Plant and Tool in Naas that look after all to be done with it maintenance-wise. But to be fair, it is super reliable!

The specific build for the horses is what makes me love it so much. The stallion stalls are sturdy and aerodynamically designed to promote airflow, keeping the horses as comfortable as can be at all times. The box comes off the factory line pre-approved for the Eurotunnel and can be Type approved by DAFM quickly because everything is in place. What I love about the teams in Hireco & Overlander is their commitment to being the best. They are constantly working on improving the build without compromising the horses or driver. I believe there is a new one currently being designed, and if that’s the case, I cannot wait to drive it. It’s guaranteed to be fabulous!