We all know how awesome our grooms are and the FEI Best Groom Award seeks to highlight those grooms who really go above and beyond for their horses and riders. We caught up with the three finalists to find out a bit more about them.

Dressage rider (and FORMER GROOM!) Charlotte Dujardin has put equestrian sport firmly in the spotlight with her short-list nomination for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year.  The 29 year old rider has had a remarkable year with Carl Hester and Roly Luard’s Valegro in taking a number of World titles which has earned her a coveted place.

The BGA is increasingly concerned about the responsibility placed on grooms concerning what the horses in their care eat and the risks of disqualification from naturally occurring prohibited substances in feed.

Unprecedented unity by the equestrian industry has led to the successful bid for a new equine groom apprenticeship from the government under their new Trailblazers scheme. The Member Bodies of the British Equestrian Federation, including the British Grooms Association, the British Horse Racing Authority, equestrian charities, The Household Cavalry and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery as well as representatives from polo and hunting have aligned to become part of the steering group, facilitated by Trent Park Equestrian Centre, to set the standard of this new apprenticeship scheme.  

In the recent case of HMRC v. Holmescales Riding Centre 2014, the EAT held that a riding school’s trainees were in reality ordinary employees and not apprentices. Accordingly, the trainees were entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage applicable to employees rather than the lesser rate of NMW applicable to apprentices.