In our sport, of course, it's not just about the horse and rider. Every rider has a team of employees behind him who make sport at the highest level possible. That's why Rolex Grand Slam spoke with Ludovic Escure, the groom of France's top rider Kevin Staut, about the horses, the best aspects of the job and... the CHIO of Aachen.
Tell us about the horses you have here at CHIO Aachen?
We have a seven-year-old called Emir [De Moens Harcour], who isn’t the most scopey and finds it hard to focus in the ring, but I think he’s going to be really good. A mare called Tolede [De Mescam Harcour] is also here, who will probably jump in tonight’s class [Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe] and then in Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix. She is really quiet and would prefer to be in the field alone, which is what she does most of the time at home. She’s a bit inconsistent and complex – she can win one week and then have three down the next, and we won’t really know why.
We have a 12-year-old with us called Visconti Du Telman, who is really cute and special. With her, I sometimes wonder if horses have the same disorders as humans, such as autism. She’s in her own world and sometimes in a dream. Kevin’s been riding her for two years now and it wasn’t easy in the beginning. We were short on horses and Viking [Scuderia 1918 Viking D'la Rousserie] was lame, so she became our number one and she was jumping lots of Nations Cups and Grands Prix, which I don’t think she was 100% ready for, but she tried so hard. She learned a lot from the recent European Championships and she will jump the Nations Cup here.
Finally, we have a mare [Lubie de l'Elan], which is owned by one of Kevin’s really good friends. Kevin is only riding her for four shows to see what potential she has. He competed with her at Valkenswaard and then at the Brussels Stephex Masters, and most recently at Riesenbeck, where she jumped clear in a 3* Grand Prix. She doesn’t have any particular qualities like power or strength, but she tries so hard to jump clear.
What’s Kevin [Staut] like to work for?
He’s a really special guy and he knows his horses so well. He reads articles and researches stories because he wants to be the best possible horseman. It’s not easy when we’ve had a bad show, as he can be really hard on himself. He’s also really demanding with himself, which is exactly how he is with me. It’s really nice to work with him because we work together as a team, and we’re constantly trying to improve together. He’s a real morning person, and I question whether he actually sleeps sometimes! However, I’m not a morning person. I’ve been with Kevin for four years now and people told me I would become a morning person, but this is definitely not the case so far! He really cares about me and he helps me at shows when we have a lot of horses and things are busy, like this week at Aachen. Of course, he’s my boss, but we’re really close now and he’s like a friend to me. We both understand when we need to work and be serious, but also when we can relax and enjoy life.
What makes CHIO Aachen so special?
I’ve been watching Aachen on the television since the World Championships was here in 2006, with great horses like Shutterfly. Even on the television you can feel how special it is – the atmosphere, the stadium, so many spectators. If you ask all of the grooms and riders which show they don’t want to miss, it’s this one. When I came here for the first time, I wasn’t disappointed. The noise coming from the stadium was incredible and I thought it was coming from the football stadium next door, but then we realised it was the opening ceremony, which was full of people. Every day it was packed! It’s such an important show for Germany and people are coming here from all over the world. When you do this job and you go to Rolex Grand Slam shows like at Aachen, it’s just different – they’re on a different level. Geneva, Calgary, Aachen and The Dutch Masters – it’s a dream to work at those shows.
What’s your favourite part about being a groom?
Winning, for sure, and this is what keeps me motivated. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if it’s a 1m40 class or a 5* Grand Prix, it’s such a special feeling to win. I’m excited about winning and I love it when Kevin qualifies for a jump-off. There are some periods when nothing goes to plan, so it’s very important to have a good relationship with you boss when times are like that.
What’s your least favourite about being a groom?
Early mornings! And maybe mucking out, but I don’t mind it too much. In general, we have to make a lot of sacrifices, like seeing family and old school friends, but we have so many friends on the show jumping circuit, which makes up for it. Driving a lot isn’t so easy, but at the same time I quite enjoy it – it gives me a chance to be alone and think and dream.
Source: Press Release