TO most, a work trip entails an overnight stay in a Premier Inn attached to a conference centre on the outskirts of a town you wouldn't otherwise visit. To the grooms of the world's top riders, it can spell a trip to the Olympics.
“I remember ‘Pumpkin’ going into the arena and there was this eerie silence”
ALAN DAVIES ON GIO'S TEST AT TOKYO
If you would find yourself questioning your ability to function facing such a responsibility, we'd be there with you. But, testament to their skill and professionalism, grooms never break their stride at a World Championship. How do they do it? Experience and graft rank high, but teamwork, a sense of humour and unrivalled camaraderie are the core tenets.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
AS Geoff Billington's groom Jenny Ellis prepared to travel showjumper It's Otto to Sydney in 2000, she recalls feeling nothing but dread.
“We'd heard from everyone that
