Nearly 100 horses were flown from Europe to Calgary via Boeing 747s to compete in the Spruce Meadows Masters – a record number of "equine athletes" for the prestigious tournament celebrating its 50th anniversary this week.

From Sept. 3-7, more than 100 horses from across the world are taking part in the yearly equestrian show jumping event in Calgary's Spruce Meadows.

But the journey to bring those international horses to Canada began well in advance, involving all kinds of planning, paperwork and precision to make sure the horses arrived on time and in the best condition possible.

A show jumping team clears an obstacle at Spruce Meadows, a sports and entertainment facility in the southern city limits of Calgary. (Zazak Bouarab/Radio-Canada)

"As soon as we see the whites of their eye

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