Grooms have been given special recognition at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark. Organisers provided a host of services to the professionals, including a dedicated Groom’s Lounge at the stable area and in-venue recognition on the big screen.
“We have been very impressed with the level and attention that the grooms have received,” said Founding Director of the International Grooms Association (IGA), Lucy Katan. “The #ChampionsAsOne concept has resonated strongly throughout the event and we are extremely pleased to see that grooms, who have been the unsung heroes of the equestrian world in the past, are now being formally recognised and appreciated for all their hard work behind-the-scenes.
“While the organisers have proactively introduced key initiatives to provide comfortable working conditions for grooms, they have also been open and willing to listen to the IGA’s ideas and suggestions.
“As an ‘IGA Show Supporter’, the Organising Committee have worked closely with us to implement feedback from grooms received through an international survey we carried out earlier this year. A key point that came through strongly was to have a ‘grab-and-go’ style take away option for late night food provisions that would be of use to grooms on the really busy and long days. The IGA fed this back to Herning 2022 and we were delighted when we learned that this service was made available for the Grooms at the Championships.”
Emotional moments
Television graphic from the World Championships
In a move away from tradition, the World Championships also saw grooms feature in the prizegiving ceremonies for the first time. Every groom was mentioned by name and included in the gift-giving protocol during the ceremony.
“Grooms are an integral part of the equestrian family and as any athlete knows, behind every happy horse is a happy groom!” Herning 2022 CEO of Sport, Jens Traberg said. “We wanted to ensure that grooms are looked after, not just in terms of food and beverages but that their work and their important place in the equestrian community is also recognised.”
IGA representative in Herning, Jenny Ellis added: “It was an emotional moment to see members of the grooms community finally get recognised for the work that they do behind-the-scenes
“The ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning have certainly set the bar high and we hope that others will continue to build on what has been done here in Denmark for the Grooms community, and will share these best practices with other Organising Committees in the future.”
Karina Krause, Rihards Snikus’ groom. Credit: FEI/Liz Gregg
An independent not-for-profit professional association, the IGA was established to achieve greater representation and career recognition for grooms, as well as to improve their working conditions, especially at equestrian events where long hours are the norm.
Lead image: Emma Chapman and Cristalline (Stella). Copyright of FEI/Liz Gregg
