Being a groom leads to great things...

Freelance groom Emma Cornish, won the 2023 Groom of the Year category in the Equestrian Business Awards, she has also been an Olympic volunteer for years!

Being a groom isn’t just a rewarding career choice, the skills needed to be a successful groom are vast and transferrable to other roles within the equestrian industry as well as other sectors.

The experience gained as a groom also provides the knowledge needed enjoy opportunities, such as being an important member of the equine welfare team at the Olympics!

We caught up with Emma ahead of the Paris Olympics to find out more her Olympic experiences, here’s what she had to say….

“With the countdown to me flying out to Paris rapidly approaching, it is getting super exciting! I fly out on 21^st of July, with my first shift due to be on Tuesday 23^rd.

I have two roles for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is unusual.  In the previous three Olympic Games, I have only ever had the one role of Forge Manager. For Paris, I will primarily be Forge Manager, but on certain days, including cross country day, I will be assisting with overseeing the Thermoregulation and Cooling Team.

Being Forge Manager, I am the main point of contact between teams, vets, riders, farriers, grooms, FEI officials, and stewards so being organised, approachable, friendly, calm, confident with the ability to multitask and work in a confidential environment is vital.

On certain busy competition days, I shall be assisting with overseeing the cooling and misting areas, monitoring water temperatures, ice requirements, weather changes and forthcoming weather events. 

Undoubtedly our most testing day will be cross-country day, with the weather and temperatures being very unpredictable, this makes it a real challenge, but we are all hoping that we do not have a repeat of the 40-degree temperatures that Europe saw two summers ago.

Previous Olympic Games

London 2012 was my first Olympic and Paralympic Games, at Greenwich Park. This was a temporary structure, the main arena, stadium, vet clinic, stables, training arenas, gallops, forge, offices, cross country course, it was a specular sight to see and a phenomenal place to work in and be around for that summer. It gave me the bug and addiction to want to do it again.  

Each Games is different because they have their own organizing committee.  Rio 2016 was in a revamped Military base, with permanent buildings, a new vet clinic, a big airy forge, and a lovely new indoor arena, the facilities were great.

Tokyo 2020 was held at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park, where the 1964 Equestrian section of the Olympic Games was originally held. Again, the park had been renovated with air-conditioned stable blocks, a brand-new vet clinic, and beautiful training arenas. I had a large temporary forge and the main arena had temporary stands and seating around it. It was such a shame it was a closed site due to COVID-19, this meant there were minimal team members which drastically reduced staff allowed on site, and no members of the public. With an empty stadium that could hold 11,000 people, the riders had to compete in front of a handful of supporters, which made for a very different feel and challenge. It was another great experience, but one full of very different challenges.

Paralympics

The difference in pace changes from the Olympics to the Paralympics.  We all say the Olympics is the warm-up for the Paralympics because the super-humans are coming! I stand in awe from start to finish while at the Paralympics, it is the most incredible experience. How perceptive and adaptable the horse is to their rider is just breathtaking.

You can't beat time served and the longer you have worked with and around horses the more you learn and the more you know, no-one knows everything, and every day is a school day.

Good luck to all the riders, grooms and support team at Paris 2024."

Emma

Thanks Emma for sharing your experience with us. Being a groom is a professional career choice, a varied occupation with exciting opportunities to be had.

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