HONG KONG, May 12, 2014 —FedEx Express and Shanghai Juss Event Management today jointly announced FedEx sponsorship of the upcoming Longines Global Championship Tour 2014 Shanghai. As the Patron and Exclusive Logistics Sponsor, FedEx will provide its logistical services to the show jumping tournament by transporting the horses from Belgium to China and back. The world-class show jumping event will be held in the Shanghai Expo Park from June 6-8.
Mr. Zhang Huimin, chairman of Juss Event, the local organizer of the event, Mr. Jiang Lan, general manager of Juss Event, and Mr. Eddy Chan, senior vice president, FedEx Express China, attended the press conference.
FedEx will use its extensive global transportation network to ship at least 80 jumping horses, the best jumpers in EMEA, to China for the jumping competition and then back to Belgium once the tournament is complete. The horses will be flown on a FedEx MD-11 aircraft from Liege, Belgium, make a stop at Dubai before flying onward to Shanghai Pudong International Airport with all necessary precautions for a safe and comfortable journey.
“FedEx has a long history of transporting the world’s most precious and rare cargo. With the Longines Global Championship Tour 2014 Shanghai, we are delighted to employ our unique expertise to our customers with a perfectly tailored solution in the delivery of these 80 jumping horses.” said David L. Cunningham, Jr., president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express.
FedEx is one of the pioneers of sports marketing. In addition to sponsoring the Show Jumping Event, FedEx is also known as the global Platinum Sponsor and Official Carrier of the ATP World Tour as well as the Sponsor of China Badminton Team.
FedEx has a long history of transporting rare and delicate cargo safely and securely, having shipped thoroughbred horses for both the U.S. and Canadian Olympic equestrian teams to and from the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia. Since 2000, FedEx has donated its extensive global transportation network to ship multiple pandas to support efforts for their preservation around the world, and recently completed the successful transport of 65 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex bones from the Museum of the Rockies in Montana to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.
Endangered species and exotic cargo transported by FedEx has also comprised polar bears, white tigers, elephants, penguins, mountain lions, gorillas, eagles and even a 13-foot tiger shark used in filming the movie “Jaws.” Other unusual international cargo transported also includes a windmill from Denmark, the Ryder Cup, an 11,000-pound helicopter, and a vintage Jaguar Le Mans car worth more than £1 million.