Emily King’s groom Sarah Morrilly will not only be looking after Valmy Biats, who Emily is riding at this year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials this week, but she will also be celebrating her 30th birthday on cross-country day.
“I get terribly nervous on cross-country day and can barely watch as I just want them to come home safe, so it’s not the best day to be in a celebrating mood,” laughs Sarah, who has worked for Emily for four seasons.
Sarah, who is from Wrexham, says Valmy Biats, a 14-year-old gelding owned by Philippe Brivois and the Valmy Biats Syndicate, is “super sweet and so easy to look after”.
“Everyone calls him ‘Grandad’ because he can come across as being grumpy – he’s not nasty at all and is really affectionate, but he’s not one of those horses that will put his ears forward for a photo, for example,” she explains. “He’s just done his dressage and I took him out for a hand-graze and he had a noice roll. He’s got a lovely personality.”
Sarah, who grew up on a beef and sheep farm and got her first pony when she was 12, says when they take Valmy to a competition, they try to keep his routine as normal as possible.
“At an event like this I take him hand-grazing a lot as he lives out at home,” she explains. “At every opportunity I take him out for a graze.”
Sarah says working as Emily King’s groom is a lovely job to have.
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“It’s a very family orientated affair and Em is really nice to work for. When we go to a show Sam [Ecroyd, Emily’s boyfriend] looks after us and Maz [Mary King, Emily’s mother] and David [Emily’s father] make sure we’re always fed and Em is just such a nice person.”
When it comes to competing, Sarah says that Emily is “laidback to a point”.
“On competition day, she gets in the zone and I leave her alone,” explains Sarah, who previously worked as a freelance hunt groom and then freelanced as an international showjumping groom.
“While I was freelancing, I lost my dad and packed it all in, before going back to grooming. I went to work for Em two days a week and I’m still here now!”
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Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor
Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
