Irish breeder set to drive from Tipperary to Ukraine to deliver vital supplies

The Irish racing community has come together behind a fundraising campaign for equine medicine to be driven across Europe to aid horses in Ukraine.

At the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 it was thought there were roughly 100,000 horses in Ukraine, but the number now is unknown.

Many horses have become displaced, been killed or have died due to hunger and injuries, while others have been stolen, and the number of stressed and injured horses has also placed great strain on the veterinary medical supply chain in the country.

John O’Connor of Ballykelly Stud in County Tipperary has created Project Cossack, which will see him drive to Ukraine and deliver much-needed supplies to Kyiv and Odessa.

Hundreds of horses are currently based at the Hippodrome in Kyiv, a thoroughbred centre. O’Connor has acquired a Nissan Pathfinder for the 3,000km trip and has been given the required medicines with the support of a number of industry figures.

"In recent months I've visited the Hippodrome in Kyiv on several occasions,” said O’Connor. “It's home to about 250 horses. Caring for them has become increasingly problematic and there is an urgent need for equine veterinary medicine.

"A large four-wheel-drive vehicle has been acquired and is in the process of being made winter-ready. It’ll be filled with veterinary medicines and driven from Ireland to Kyiv."

It is hoped that the journey can be undertaken as soon as possible, with a fundraising page having been set up online to raise the €20,000 required to run the operation.

"When we get there the medicines will be handed over to the management of the Kyiv Hippodrome," O'Connor. added. "We’ll then proceed eastwards towards the conflict zone, where the vehicle will be given to an NGO specialising in the exfiltration of the vulnerable and wounded from frontline areas. There is a desperate need for this capability.

"We will also make the most of our journey by travelling to the frontlines to help with the evacuation of people. To escape the worst-hit areas of the war, the most vulnerable Ukrainians are reliant on volunteers using any vehicles they can find to ferry people to safety.

"It is among the most dangerous jobs in the world, playing a cat-and-mouse game with artillery fire to retrieve vulnerable civilians from the devastation that is the east of Ukraine.

"We have a very brave friend, Dmytro 'Dima' Omelchenko, who spends his time doing just that. He started by using his parent’s family sedan until it was full of holes from shrapnel and bullets and, ultimately, destroyed by driving over a landmine while evading a missile."

O’Connor admitted there is tension and nervousness ahead of the trip, but he is determined to do whatever he can to make a difference.

He said: "We hope to launch the first mission soon. The fundraising effort is being managed by the Breeze-Up Consignors Association and we’d ask people to try and give generously to this very worthwhile activity. It will make a very big difference to the equine and human population of Ukraine."

O’Connor is hopeful he will have returned in time to see the Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale’s bid to land the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, having bred the Grade 1 winner.

The racing community in Britain has already been helping deliver equine and humanitarian aid to those impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Trainer Gay Kelleway has made trips to the Ukraine-Poland border, which has seen her bring back horses and refugees from aid missions, while the likes of Charlie Mann and Oisin Murphy have also delivered aid to Ukrainian refugees in Poland last year under the banner of Racing To Help Ukraine.

Donations can be made to the fundraiser by going to GoFundMe page

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