French showjumper Kevin Staut has had leading groom Mathilde Schmidt by his side for the past three years, looking after some of his top horses including Dialou Blue PS, Visconti Du Telman and Beau De Laubry Z.
Here she shares some of her top horsey tips, mantras and trade secrets in her role as an international showjumping groom.
“I always wanted to work with horses in the sport but I did not know how to start out,” explains Mathilde. “There was a large school in France where we could learn about the different careers in the sport – I did a course specifically designed for aspiring grooms. At the end of my time at this school, my professor spoke to me as he knew about a vacancy at Kevin Staut’s stables. I went there to try it out and I have been working for him for around three years.”
According to Mathilde, moments like Kevin’s victory in this year’s Rolex Grand Prix of Dinard riding the 11-year-old Beau De Laubry Z in front of their home crowd in France, has been just one of the highlights.
“The horse gave everything to Kevin and that is when the magic really happens,” she says. “It was particularly special to win in front of our home crowd – it is a memory that I will cherish for a long time.
“[The Majors] are some of the best shows in the world – everything is excellent from the stables to the arenas,” she adds. “It makes our job as grooms much easier when the facilities are designed for the horses and this is definitely the case at the four Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping Majors. It means that the horses are relaxed so they can fully focus on the classes.
“When they enter the arena, it is a very special feeling. I always have a huge rush of adrenaline – the atmosphere at those shows is like nothing else and the crowds are electric. It is an amazing feeling competing there, especially when you have good results.”
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“Horses are like humans” says Mathilde Schmidt
Mathilde says the most challenging part of the job is dealing with the pressure, but the key is to form close partnerships with all the horses she looks after.
“They are like humans and these relationships are very important to them,” she explains. “It is essential for the horses that they have routine so that they know when it is time to work and time to rest. Each horse is an individual and therefore they have their own unique qualities and personalities. You need to know each horse by heart for them to be as successful as possible.
“I try to keep the pressure outside of the stable for the horses so they stay relaxed before the competition. Of course, as you get tacked up and go to the warm-up the pressure builds, but there is not too much you can do about that. When they enter the ring, I start shaking from beginning to end, so the video is not the best!”
“The horses give Kevin Staut all their heart in the ring”
It is Kevin Staut’s love for his horses that makes him so successful, reckons Mathilde.
“He is really hard working, both at home and at the shows,” she reveals. “He is dedicated to the sport and his horses. He gives them everything and they in return give him all their heart in the ring.”
Spending so much time on the road, Mathilde says her priority is to make sure each horse enjoys an easy and comfortable journey.
“Travelling can be tiring for them,” she explains. “We try to make sure that the drive is smooth, they are at a good temperature, that they have enough hay and that we make regular stops.
“When we arrive at the show, the most important part is to make their stables as nice as possible so that they are able to fully relax and rest.”
Mathilde nominates the Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament, which she travelled to for the first time in September, as one of her favourite shows, for “the place, the experience, the classes, the history”.
“Everything is sensational,” she says, adding that “travelling to the other side of the world is something else”.
“It was like a dream,” she says. “As grooms, we have a really tight community, so getting to experience these moments with your friends makes them even better.”
Mathilde’s final horsey mantra she would pass on to any aspiring groom is to “believe in yourself no matter the situation – it is the mantra I have with some of my friends.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
