Text © World of Showjumping

“To be honest, I still don't think it's sunk in,” Georgia Ellwood – who for the past six years has worked with Great Britain’s Harry Charles as his show groom – tells about last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris where the Brits returned home with team gold.

“I'm not a very nervous person when it comes to it, but when I want something so bad – and I knew that Harry wanted it – I get the nerves,” she continues. “I try and hide them from Harry, but sometimes I just can't. As Scott went into the ring as last to go for the team, I walked off – I could not watch.”

One year after the unforgettable week in Versailles, World of Showjumping speaks with Georgia about her Olympic experience. To WoSJ, the 31-year-old also tells about her path to becoming a professional groom, who she has learned from along the way – and looks back at the surreal week in the magnificent palace park of the Château de Versailles last summer.

Growing up in Cheshire, Georgia’s mother had a horse, and even though no one else in the family was very interested in riding, Georgia went to get some lessons. “The teacher who gave me my first ever riding lesson wanted me to help with the basics – mucking out, poo picking the fields – instead of paying him,” she recalls. “He wanted me to learn how to lead a horse properly and other essential lessons. Obviously in the long run, it has done the world of good for me.”

“I did quite a bit of jumping and the odd bit of eventing,” Georgia continues. “As I got older, I began to realise that I probably wasn't as talented as most of the other kids that were around. Therefore, I took it upon myself to become a groom instead of a rider. From there on, I worked for Anthony Condon and Billy Twomey, and then came to the Charles-family in 2019.”

It took me a while to see grooming as a serious profession

Georgia has preferred to learn on the floor rather than ride. “I like getting on a horse every now and again, but it's nice just to be on the ground, watching everything that goes on. I'd rather do that,” Georgia explains about her interest in being a groom. “It took me a while to see grooming as a serious profession though. At around the age of 17 I got to the point where I went to college. However, I also worked on a yard first thing in the morning to pay for the horse that I had back then. For me it felt like college was a waste of time because I believe you learn more in the real world, when you're actually having a job. That's when I thought to myself, ‘I want to be a groom’.”

Georgia started as a freelance groom for Harry about six years ago. “I used to go and help at the yard and cover for everybody,” she tells about the beginning with the Charles-family. “I was also the driver, because the groom Harry had at the time didn't drive. Harry’s father Peter kept asking me to come work for them full time. After a while, I thought ‘what have I got to lose?’ They're lovely people, it's a great environment.”

While Georgia believes that winning motivates everyone, it is witnessing the evolution of their horses that brings her the most joy. “We have talented young horses, and it's nice to see them being produced through the levels,” she tells. “Obviously, I want to see Harry do well; I want him to succeed in everything that he puts his mind to. I'll always be a top supporter of him.”

Along the way, Georgia has learned a lot from Billy Twomey's groom Kerry Finch. “When I was working for Billy, Kerry had a big impact on how I did things,” Georgia explains. “She was his show groom at the time and obviously very busy, but she always found the time to help and teach. When I moved to the Charles-family, Peter – who knows a lot of things that most people probably don't – has been very influential. You learn a lot just by listening to Peter. He'll never come and say ‘you need to do this, you need to do that’, but he is always watching.”

You learn a lot just by listening to Peter

Learning the ropes right from the start has served Georgia in the long-run. However, seeing the next generation of grooms enter the circuit worries her at times. “It seems as if there is a small majority of them that actually want to do this,” she points out. “A few of them want to learn and have the work ethics to do it, whereas there's a large amount of those that want everything; good pay, less hours – some of them aren't really doing it for the love of the horse.”

To secure the future, Georgia believes it is up to those already in the industry to teach the next generation. “For the handful in the younger generation that want to groom, that actually have a good representation of what we do, teaching them is what we need in this sport. We have to teach them how things are done.”

While Georgia is blessed with good conditions and a great working environment, she knows not everyone in the equestrian industry is treated with the same level of care. “I can completely agree with some people arguing how the conditions for grooms are not ideal, because I've seen it first-hand myself,” she says. “We are very lucky as a team that we have a beautiful yard, great accommodation and Peter and Tara are A+ – always there if we need something."

"However, I understand some people are not as well looked after, and it's not very nice to think about it because we all work so hard. When you're trying your best, you're tired and emotional, and don't have the sort of stability we have, it's not a nice environment to be in. I know it's a big issue in the industry,” she points out.

Grooms should have the same rights as the riders have

“In the last few years, I do think there has been a change,” Georgia continues to speak about the general attitude towards grooms. “There's been a shift, and grooms have started to have a voice. It's needed, because at the end of the day, we work just as hard as anybody at these shows and we should be treated equally. Grooms should have the same rights as the riders have. I feel like grooms were missed out on somewhere along the lines, while in the environment that we are in, grooms should have a say in everything.”

“I think all grooms just want the best for the horses; good stables, nice big boxes, safe alleyways, efficient waters,” Georgia lists the basic things every show could focus on to make the working conditions for grooms better. “I think it all adds up; we're there for the horses more than anything. Some shows have things better organized than others, and I feel like most of the venues are starting to make more of an effort. If I had to pick a favourite, I would probably say Aachen, because of the great facilities. Aachen is an iconic show; you can’t really get much better than that.”

Last summer, a dream came true for the British jumping team when Harry, Scott Brash and Ben Maher claimed team gold at the 2024 Olympic Games after a nerve-wrecking final at the stunning venue in Versailles. “It was something else,” Georgia recalls about the week in France. “It was a whole new league. I understand people who win the medals, they obviously are going to say the same, but until you're actually in that moment, you don't realise how special it is for everybody. It is not just about you, the horse and the rider, but the whole team around, the whole yard and Team GB, everybody there. So many people had put everything into it, and it was so nice when it all happened – everybody was so emotional. I think all of us were kind of speechless. It was a surreal sort of experience to be in.”

So many people had put everything into it, and it was so nice when it all happened

“I was quite lucky with Romeo because he is one of these horses that you can't be around too much,” Georgia explains when asked how she dealt with the exciting week in Versailles, with only one horse to take care of and hence lots of time to think about the monumental competition days ahead. “You kind of have to let him have his space because he just likes it. Just because you have one horse, doesn't mean it needs to come out the stable 10 times a day. It's always the same if you go to any major championship; you feel like you have to be doing more than what you normally would. However, the routine that we have, I try and stick to that – why change something because it's an Olympic Games?”

The exciting team final came down to the very last horse-and-rider combination, with the pressure piled on Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson. As the British anchors entered the arena at the fully-packed Versailles-venue to decide the team medals, Georgia was unable to watch it all unfold. “As soon as Scott went into the ring, I couldn't watch. I walked off and stood in the stable area with Romeo, just listening for a cheer or anything that would give me an indication as to what had happened,” she recalls.

It was a surreal sort of experience to be in

“I was seriously ready to be sick, it was horrific. I don't know what triggered me, but after a while, I thought I should start walking down. I was literally just about to go into the warm-up with Romeo when the massive, screaming cheers started – and I was like, ‘what just happened?’ Next minute, all these people started running up to me and all I could say was ‘what did we do?’ I probably sounded like a right idiot when I kept repeating ‘what happened?’ – when we had just won Olympic team gold.”

4.8.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.