Steve Guerdat and Venard de Cerisy won the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final on Friday, could you tell us how you feel?

Venard [De Cerisy] is my favourite horse, and so this win was extra special for me. I knew that they could do it, but you never quite know in this sport whether it will actually happen. They were incredible. After a few years that have not gone quite as well as we would have liked, winning this prestigious class to finish an incredible year is just amazing.

 

Venard de Cerisy and Dynamix de Belheme are such incredible horses – could you tell us a little bit more about them?

Venard is a very shy horse. He likes to know the people that are around him, and sometimes this can make him a little bit harder to look after, but he is just such an incredible jumper. He is my best boy!

Dynamix, has her own personality! She is a star in the ring, and is very easily to look after, but she gets bored very quickly. Steve changes her riding routine quite regularly to keep her happy – she doesn’t want to do the same thing over and over again, but when she is at a competition she is just phenomenal.

 

What are the facilities like for both yourself as a groom and the horses at the CHI Geneva?

The stables here at the CHI Geneva are great – this year the horses have really big boxes, and so they have plenty of space to relax between classes.

The other day, there was a brunch for the grooms, and that was a great start to our day. The food was wonderful and it was a very nice touch from the organisers.

Everything here is so organised and well thought-out. I have no complaints!

 

You recently won the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award – how much did that mean to you?

It feels amazing. I am not sure that I have the right words to express my feelings – but it means a lot to me. I feel like all of the other grooms and the people around me appreciate what I am doing, and the way that I do it, so it is a great feeling to have won that prize.

 

How much do you enjoy coming to the Majors – The Dutch Masters, CHIO Aachen, Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, and CHI Geneva? In your opinion, what sets them apart from the other shows?

They are the best shows in the world. For me, I think what truly sets them apart from the other shows in the calendar is that they are so well organised. You also feel like they truly prioritize the horses and the highest level of the sport.

 

How special it to be part of Steve’s team?

It is so special – I love working with him and the team. He treats the horses so well, and I really like how he thinks that horses should be allowed to be horses. At the stables, we keep everything very simple – it is not overcomplicated, we just try to keep the horses happy and successful. He is also an amazing rider!

 

As a show groom, you travel a lot. How important is your team at home?

They are crucial to our success. I trust them so much. I never have to worry about the horses at home when I am away, as I know that they will be perfectly looked after. This is really important to me, and to Steve as well.

 

What is your favourite part of the job?

I love the travelling and being at shows – I do not really like being at home, so this jobs suits me very well! Also, just been around the horses and taking care of them, each horse has their own personality which makes this job very interesting.

 

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

The best piece of advice that I have been given is to always keep learning. I think that it is incredibly important to watch other people, and learn from them as you can always improve.

 

How important is the groom’s community?
I do not think that many of the grooms would do this job without the incredible community that we have – it is one of the things that keeps us all going. We all help each other, for example on Friday night after the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final we all helped each other so that we could all leave the stables. Having a community like this is really great.


source Rolex Grand Slam - F. © Ashley Neuhof / Rolex Grand Slam