Armed escort guides Frozen Fire to new stud home in Romania

Following an intrepid journey over land and sea, the 2008 Irish Derby hero Frozen Fire is settling into his new home at Cislau Stud in Romania, having been driven all the way from Coolagown Stud in County Cork.

The trip lasted six days with overnight stays in Belgium, Germany and Hungary, before two days spent crossing the Carpathian mountains under armed escort.

Kirsteen Reid, who has driven horseboxes for George Mullins Transport, the company run by Willie Mullins' brother, in County Carlow for over 25 years, takes up the story: "He'd a little break after arriving at George's yard from Coolagown Stud and we then set off for Dublin port.

"The only issue I had with him during the whole trip was when I passed up in the lane to go on the ferry, and he started roaring like a bull. Of course, there was a mare in the horsebox ahead of us and she'd started roaring back at him.

"He was getting quite fractious, but Irish Ferries couldn't have been better. They allowed us park up on one side of the Ulysses ferry, with four lanes of articulated vehicles between us and the other horseboxes, so then with the other noise on the ferry he couldn't hear a thing."

After arriving at Holyhead, they drove through Wales and England before sailing with P&O Ferries from Dover to Calais, staying the first night in Bruges in Belgium.

"There's a company there we use a lot called European Horse Services and that's where we stayed," says Reid. "We set off again at 5am the next morning and drove through Germany and arrived at Nuremberg, and stayed at a show-jumping yard the second night.

"We drove on again at the same time the following morning and arrived at another show-jumping yard an hour's drive south of Budapest in Hungary, but there was a show on, so we had to wait for that to end before we could unload him, in case he sensed one of the other horses."

Frozen Fire will be loaned to the Romanian government for two years by his new owner Irina Vladuca-Marghiloman, a descendant of the country's former prime minister Alexandru Marghiloman who joined Reid at the border between Hungary and Romania.

Her ancestor took office for eight months in 1918 and was an avid racing fan, winning the Romanian Derby no fewer than 28 times as an owner.

Irina Vladuca-Marghiloman and Kirsteen Reid at the border between Hungary and RomaniaCredit: Kirsteen Reid

Reid and Vladuca-Marghiloman visited his statue in Romania en route, with the latter hoping her gift to the government will honour Marghiloman's legacy.

"Irina accompanied me for the next two days as we drove over the Carpathian mountains," says Reid. "We actually had to cross them twice. We drove 300km into Romania and stopped off on the first night at Sambata de Jos, which is the biggest stud for the Lippizaner breed of horses in Europe.

"That was fascinating to see - it was like a trip into the past. They were all tied up in their own individual stalls, and Frozen Fire had his own stable.

"The following morning we met the armed escort. They led the way and Irina and her husband followed in a car behind, and we communicated through walkie-talkies. The roads were so dangerous and the armed escort was just a precaution.

"There's a lot of poverty up in the mountains and they still use horses and carts, and Frozen Fire was able hear the horses. He was a kitten for most of the journey and settled really well, and we stopped for a break every two hours, but if there were horses outside at all he just lost the plot."

Credit: RP Graphics

Television crews and photographers greeted the horsebox on its arrival at Cislau Stud, following the 3,250km trek across three different time zones, as Reid paraded the stud's new recruit against the striking backdrop of the Carpathian mountains.

"Irina had phoned ahead so there was a large press reception when we arrived," recalls Reid. "The stud had to move around 60 horses from the nearest fields so they wouldn't be there when we drove up to the stud.

"The stud was huge - I couldn't tell you how many acres it was, but the land went on forever and ever. The government owns 15 mares there and he'll cover all of them."

Frozen Fire looks in a position to help with the regeneration of racing in Romania. He won a Gowran Park maiden in the August of his two-year-old season before finishing second to Tartan Bearer on his seasonal reappearance in the Dante Stakes.

Two starts later he recorded the biggest win of his career when running out a two-length winner of the Irish Derby, with Tartan Bearer in arrears. He was kept in training at four and five without capturing the same level of form and he was subsequently retired to Coolagown in 2011.

The 14-year-old is inbred 3x3 to Northern Dancer through both his sire Montjeu and winning granddam Fabula Dancer, the dam of German Oaks winner Flamingo Road and second dam of Italian Derby hero Feuerblitz.

Reid's previous claim to fame was riding the 2006 Champion Hurdle hero Brave Inca when he won the inaugural Racehorse to Riding Horse class at the RDS Dublin Horse Show in 2009, while she also rode Beef Or Salmon after he finished racing.

"I'd just been told that there might be a trip coming up to Romania and was asked if I'd be interested, and I said I surely would," says Reid.

"It's just something different from the norm. It was a really interesting trip, just incredible, and I learned so much about Romania having spent three days with Irina."

Kirsteen Reid aboard Brave Inca at the 2009 RDS Dublin Horse ShowCredit: Caroline Norris

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