World Vision - 'Mr Michael' whips up trade

Dec 11 2006 By Rebekah Ashby, The Journal

A North firm is bringing a whole new meaning to the words speed humps, as Rebekah Ashby reports.

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When Michael Reay, known as "Mr Michael" among rich sheikhs in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, conducts business he does so through an Arabic interpreter.

And while camel racing is not particularly well known in the western world, it's been causing quite a stir.

And the controversial sport - which uses remote controlled robots as jockeys - has doubled sales for a North firm.

Newcastle-based Equine Products UK, founded by former Northumberland racehorse owner Michael Reay 20 years ago, is developing quite a reputation for its go-faster supplements for camels.

The company, bought by Irish firm TRM Thoroughbred Remedies two-and-a-half years ago, kept Mr Reay on as its Middle East director and now sales have doubled from £350,000 in 2005 to £700,000 this year. Mr Reay says the Middle East now accounts for 70% of the Newburn company's sales of blood and muscle supplements.

Camel racing attracted international criticism two years ago for the use of young children to ride camels during the long and often hazardous races. Aid workers said there were up to 40,000 child jockeys working across the Gulf, with many said to be have been kidnapped and trafficked from South Asia.

Mr Reay, who stays in Dubai, said: "The robots were tried and tested 18 months ago and were accepted six months ago. The robots are controlled by remote control so you press the button and the whip goes, rather like a windscreen wiper.

"With the changeover from young riders to robots the sport has been transformed, the robots are in and they are here to stay."

He has developed an intense education-led marketing strategy for the Arab states, where users of Equine UK's products are encouraged to study for a diploma in nutrition.

"Serious users are encouraged to take a 20-question exam. The first 18 months were difficult and we only had three participants and then, bingo, 40 more completed and 70 will do the course between now and April."

Because no figures exist as to how much the camel racing industry is worth, Mr Reay is also conducting research to compile some formal data on the sport.

He said: "There's no gambling in camel racing so it's all about its historic value and the culture. It's a fascinating sport and each country holds their own festival which lasts for a week and all the royal families and dignitaries attend.

"Camel milk is also regarded as having lots of well-being properties and is now readily available in supermarkets. I met a guy who said he was 106 years old and had two children who were only eight. He lived on camel milk."

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Love of horse racing led to links overseas

Michael Reay was born and bred in Tynedale and got involved in camel racing through his love of horse racing in the UK.

He owned several racehorses, who were trained by Grand National treasure Jenny Pitman, including Benghazi Express who earned his keep when he won seven races in a row.

Now living in Dubai, Mr Reay founded Newcastle-based Equine Products after buying muscle and performance supplement Selenavite E and red blood cell generator supplement Haemavite from Blythman & Partners in Gosforth, Newcastle. He sold the Newburn-based company, but stayed on as its Middle East director, after taking a call from famous racehorse owner Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum.

"I got a phone call from Sheikh Mohammed to say he wanted 500 five-litre bottles of this supplement sent to Dubai," he says.

"The biggest order we had ever sold at this point was for four bottles and that was from the UK's top racehorse trainer Henry Cecil.

"I didn't know at the time it was for camels but I followed it out to Dubai and that's how it all began."