TO most, a work trip entails an overnight stay in a Premier Inn attached to a conference centre on the outskirts of a town you wouldn’t otherwise visit. To the grooms of the world’s top riders, it can spell a trip to the Olympics.
If you would find yourself questioning your ability to function facing such a responsibility, we'd be there with you. But, testament to their skill and professionalism, grooms never break their stride at a World Championship. How do they do it? Experience and graft rank high, but teamwork, a sense of humour and unrivalled camaraderie are the core tenets.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
AS Geoff Billington's groom Jenny Ellis prepared to travel showjumper It's Otto to Sydney in 2000, she recalls feeling nothing but dread.
"We'd heard from everyone that went to Atlanta in 1996 that we shouldn't bother doing an Olympics," she says. "They weren't allowed alcohol in, it was too serious and intense. We thought that we were going to prison for six weeks, and didn’t like the idea!”
Soon after arriving at the park, though, Jenny’s fears were quashed.
“I’d hidden two bottles of Scotch in Otto’s travel feed, hoping it wouldn’t be searched – but I didn’t need them!
“We couldn’t have had a better time – they put a tent up just by the stables full of whatever food we wanted and they put parties on for us.”
MAINTAINING ROUTINE
“GENERALLY, when you’re travelling, the aim is to have everything how it is at home,” explains Tilly Hughes, Laura Collett’s groom in Tokyo. With all the disciplines stabled on one yard at that Olympics, the grooms worked together to fashion a routine that suited everyone.
この記事は Horse & Hound の June 06, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Horse & Hound の June 06, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change