I went to Cazenovia college which is a college right up the road from the farm here. I did an internship year and never left! I’ve now been here for 26 years and it’s the only job I’ve ever had grooming and I still love it.
What do you think has kept you there for so long?
I think the Maddens are just really easy going and great people to work for. It’s been a really good fit for me and when you love something why change it?
How has your job changed and evolved along with the sport?
When I first started, we weren’t doing quite as much and we certainly weren’t as busy, but the sport has definitely got a lot bigger and there are now so many more competitions. Keeping up with all the events requires a lot of travelling so I have definitely had to travel a lot more than when I first started.
What is your proudest moment of your career so far?
Probably the most recent one would be when Beezie won the Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows, that was really exciting. I couldn’t really watch too much of the class as I was with the horse and when it came to watching Beezie, I was very nervous! It was pretty amazing when she won, we were doing a boot check and suddenly someone came around the corner jumping up and down and told us the news. We didn’t really do too much celebrating because we had to get back to work, however, the horse got lots of carrots and treats and we gave him a couple of days off in the field to have a break.
What are Beezie’s top horses like personality wise?
They all have their little personalities and the good thing is that none of them mind the crowd when performing. Back in the barn they are all pretty even-keeled I suppose. Coach is like a big dog that craves attention and wants to be on your lap all the time, Darry Lou is actually very good for a stallion but he is very vocal and again, Garant would sit on your lap if he could. They are all puppy dogs really and thank goodness for me they’re all amazing horses, I feel very lucky.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
I quite like the travelling because you get to visit a lot of different places and see so much of the world.
What’s your least favourite part of the job?
The very long days and sometimes it is six or seven days a week which makes it hard to plan stuff with your family. I guess that’s just something that comes with the job.
What’s it like working for someone like Beezie?
She’s a great person with a good sense of humour, so it’s very enjoyable. At the same time, she is very quiet and down to earth, and doesn’t ever seem to get too stressed.
After 26 years of being a groom, do you think grooms are now in the spotlight more than ever before?
I think there is still quite a lot of room to increase the recognition of the groom, but I do think organisations are doing a much better job, especially in the last 10 years. Even after winning a Grand Prix, there is a lot more recognition shown towards the groom which is great.
If you could swap careers for a day what would you do?
I would probably just be a bartender on the beach somewhere.
If you could describe Coach and Garant in three words, how would you describe them?
Garant is definitely quirky, has a lot of personality and is very handsome. Coach is very loveable, always happy and very handsome too.
In your 26 years which horse has been your favourite to work with?
I would probably say current the current horses Coach, Darry Lou and Garant because they are all extremely fun to go to work with and I care about them a lot.
