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“I was keen to do something for the grooms,” Ireland’s Cian O’Connor tells World of Showjumping about initiating a €10,000 sponsorship funded by his own Karlswood Stables to launch a competition for international grooms at the 2024-edition of the Rolex RDS Dublin Horse Show. 

“I think everyone realizes the importance of a brilliant team around you,” O’Connor continues. “Whether it's feeding the horse on time, having the horse clipped correctly, having the bandages done properly, or making sure that the blankets are changed according to the weather, these are all things that are very basic. However, if you don't have the right staff and it's not done well, it can cost you dearly in the end. I couldn't stress enough the importance of the team.” 

“It takes an army of people to keep the show on the road,” O’Connor – who has no less than 30 employees at Karlswood Stables in County Meath, Ireland – points out. “For me, the most important people in any team are the grooms, because they put in so much effort and so much work. I think the industry has gotten better in acknowledging them and we see horse shows making improvements, but it's important that we entice people and that we look after them.” 

In Dublin, experienced judges will be deciding on who gets awarded and the prize fund of €10,000 will be broken down into three individual prizes of €5,000 for 1st, €3000 for 2nd and €2,000 for 3rd. “I wanted to have judges for the competition who have groomed and gone on to other professions,” O’Connor explains. “Jimmy Doyle was a groom in the Irish Army for many years and then he went on to become trainer and manager for Georgina Bloomberg and had other successful jobs in America as well. Marie York groomed for Conor Swail and she now runs the veterinary office of Marcus Swail, the Irish team vet.” 

My thought-process behind the judges was to showcase how grooming isn’t a dead-end job, that there are other opportunities if you work hard and are resilient

“My thought-process behind the judges was to showcase how grooming isn’t a dead-end job, that there are other opportunities if you work hard and are resilient. I think in society in general, people maybe want an easier life nowadays, but you should get rewarded for hard work and I wanted to promote this kind of mindset. It's not a huge thing, but it's something and maybe others will do the same at other shows. It would be nice if we had all the major shows reward grooms.” 

At Karlswood, O’Connor is constantly striving to improve his staff by bringing in other professionals to educate them and making sure that his team has enough members to delegate the work efficiently. “Because the industry is growing, we need to figure out how we can develop staff. We are all responsible in this regard, and we all have to do something,” O’Connor points out. 

People do a little bit of a stint somewhere and call themselves an experienced groom, but you should have to earn your stripes and build your way up

“It's important that those who work as grooms get the right experience because there is such a shortage of staff,” O’Connor continues. “People do a little bit of a stint somewhere and call themselves an experienced groom, but you should have to earn your stripes and build your way up. Eventually, I would like to see some kind of an academy, or a star-rating, for grooms, where according to your stars, you can start grooming on a certain level. There are all the basics of horse care, but a FEI groom is something different, as is a championship groom. For me, experience is important, but so is the ability to get on with other people. There is a lot more to working within a team than just being able to groom. The system should be the same as in the real world, as in any other business, where people are only rewarded based on what they can actually deliver.” 

Experience is important, but so is the ability to get on with other people

“Obviously, better conditions would be one step,” O’Connor says about making it more attractive to work as a groom. “In my opinion, we also have to figure out a sustainable way of getting the maximum productivity out of people, while at the same time making sure they have time for a normal life and that they are paid correctly. Obviously, horses don't know if it's Christmas Day or a bank holiday, so as an employer you have to find a way where you can rotate and you have enough people. What we are trying to create at Karlswood is to have enough staff whereby people can be rewarded for their work and then be happy to work hard when they are there.”

Running a successful team is not an easy feat either, and O’Connor is adamant to point out that it takes work from both sides to make an operation run smoothly. “Like everything in life, you have to work at it,” he says. “With my staff, I make sure to take the time to talk to them and run through things with them. We discuss what is happening at the yard, what they are happy with, things that could be better. I try to get everybody's point of view. If you don't communicate and if you don't listen, I think that's when it starts to go wrong.” 

The industry is booming in every way and we have to find a way to move with the times

O’Connor believes it is up to the employers to provide good conditions, while employees should deliver. “Everyone should work hard, but they should have days off, they should have planned holidays and schedules,” he says. “However, because of the nature of our industry, everyone also has to really put their shoulder to the wheel and work.”

“We need to get ahead of things before it becomes a problem,” O’Connor concludes. “The industry is booming in every way and we have to find a way to move with the times.” 

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