Tremendous groom Josefine Eliasson has been working for US showjumper Jessica Springsteen for the previous eight years. She now follows the worldwide worldwide circuit with the Olympic silver medallist, taking care of Jessica’s high horses together with Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve and Hungry Coronary heart.

“To start with, I used to be based mostly at her dwelling yard and I rode a bit,” says Josie. “However for the previous six years, I’ve travelled the world along with her and her horses as her present groom.”

Swedish-born Josie began using when she was 5 – 6 and fell in love with horses.

“After I was barely older, I had a pleasant younger horse that I competed in Sweden,” she says. “The proprietor of the stables the place I saved my horse competed recurrently together with within the nationwide younger horse championships and I’d go along with her and groom for her.

“I quickly realised that I actually loved grooming and she or he was all the time very encouraging. She would say that I used to be superb at it and I remembered all the vital small particulars. I then went to go to a good friend of mine, who on the time was working with horses in Switzerland,” she continues. “After solely about two days, I knew it was what I wished to do, so I requested if she knew anybody who wanted assist at their stables. That’s once I received a job with Romain Duguet – I nonetheless had my horse, however I managed to lease her out, and I packed my luggage for Switzerland as a everlasting transfer.”

“Jessica Springsteen’s Olympic horse Don Juan is particular”

After a 12 months, Josie returned to Sweden, desiring to get her HGV driving licence, however that’s when the job with Jessica Springsteen got here up and she or he’s been taking care of her proficient string of showjumpers ever since.

“Our most particular horse is Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve [pictured, below], Jessica’s Olympic Video games horse,” says Josie. “I’ve an unbelievable bond with him. You spend a lot time alone along with your championship horses that you simply get to know them another way. As a groom, you all the time inform your self you might have a particular bond along with your horse, however I actually suppose we do. For instance, once I stroll into the steady he’ll whinny for me however he doesn’t do this with a random particular person. He is essential to me – I’m very emotional with regards to him. He’s a stallion, however he’s the nicest stallion I’ve ever dealt with.

“Each time I movie Don [Juan Van De Donkhoeve] within the ring, I all the time appear to be giving my commentary of the spherical, telling him ‘You are able to do it!’” she reveals.

“Hungry Coronary heart is one other of our high horses who’s competing at five-star stage. He’s 12 and has the most important character within the stables. He is sort of a canine, you possibly can play with him. I all the time joke that I believe I may educate him to sit down if I actually tried. He’s a really humorous horse. We’ve a few different youthful horses who’re very thrilling, I believe the long run is trying good.”

Jessica Springsteen and Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve win the Longines World Champions Tour of London grand prix.

“You’re all the time studying – take heed to these with extra expertise”

Having now labored with Jessica Springsteen for eight years, Josie’s key piece of recommendation to grooms is to “take heed to those that have extra expertise”.

“What I like about this occupation is that you’re all the time studying new issues,” she says. “That is for 2 causes – as a result of the game is evolving, in addition to the truth that each single particular person has their very own programs and methods. Ask extra questions – that’s the way you be taught.

“I’d additionally say don’t be afraid. Lots of people are comfy about the place they’re working, however they don’t seem to be as completely happy as they might be. In fact, it’s scary to strive one thing new and to make a giant change in your life, however it’s so vital to search out the proper place for you. You even have to like horses – as a groom, you need to work such lengthy hours and there’s a lot of travelling – however when you love horses it’s the greatest job on the planet.”

She additionally underlines the significance of understanding and understanding your horses.

“This fashion, you possibly can discover the small indicators that one thing could be flawed,” she explains. “The sooner you possibly can see a difficulty, the extra ready you’re to assist them with no matter they want. It may be simpler to identify this along with your championship horses as you spend a lot time with them and also you get to know their habits so effectively, so you possibly can see the smallest adjustments of their behaviour and do one thing about it earlier than it turns into a difficulty.

“I believe everybody has their very own distinctive superstitions with regards to the extra vital courses. It doesn’t matter what, I all the time inform my rider to have enjoyable, and I give the horse somewhat pat. In fact, throughout the greater courses, I do that quietly so I don’t interrupt my rider’s focus and focus – however I nonetheless do it.”

Jessica Springsteen makes her Olympic debut in Tokyo using Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve.

Josie tries to make sure every of Jessica Springsteen’s horses retains their routine as a lot as attainable once they’re at reveals.

“I believe that the horse takes consolation from that,” she says. “In fact, on the greater competitions, you’ll use issues comparable to therapeutic massage blankets extra however I attempt to preserve it so simple as attainable and allow them to be horses.

“We attempt to work backward from a selected competitors or purpose to make sure that now we have deliberate the absolute best schedule for that particular person horse. If we all know {that a} horse jumps higher throughout their second week of competitors, then we are going to be sure that it competes two weeks in a row.”

“The very best profession you possibly can have,” says Jessica Springsteen’s groom Josie Eliasson

In addition to the massive championships, Josie Eliasson and Jessica Springsteen journey to among the greatest reveals on the planet together with the Rolex Grand Slam and she or he says CHI Geneva is her favorite indoor present.

“The Rolex Grand Slam has had such an unbelievable affect on the game,” she says. “It’s the one factor that each rider goals for. In fact to win a Main and to grow to be the Rolex Grand Slam of Present Leaping dwell contender is wonderful, however I believe it’s a large privilege for riders to even be competing at these reveals – they’re essentially the most prestigious on the planet. To compete and even simply be at a venue such because the CHIO Aachen or The Dutch Masters is extremely particular. They actually enhance the degrees of visibility of the sports activities. It’s all the time nice to look at the very best stage of sport, and that is what the sporting Majors present. They provide an opportunity to win one thing past the conventional competitions, such because the Rolex Grand Slam of Present Leaping. I believe that even a non-equestrian fan would discover this thrilling to look at.”

Josie has launched her personal on-line platform connecting grooms with riders.

“I did, and nonetheless do, get lots of people asking about good workers and good jobs,” she explains about establishing Yeehaw. “There are such a lot of good grooms and employers on the market however it’s laborious to match them collectively. I wished to create a platform the place everybody would be capable of see the alternatives obtainable.

“It’s not a tough trade to get into as a result of there are such a lot of jobs, however what is tough is discovering the proper place,” she gives. “One other purpose is to attempt to elevate the trade requirements for grooms – to make sure that their working situations are improved.

“Having grooming job makes you wish to do it ceaselessly. But when in your first job you aren’t handled effectively then it might in a short time kill your curiosity in persevering with within the enterprise, even if you’re superb at it. I simply wish to be sure that folks get the perfect jobs as a result of to me that is the perfect profession you possibly can have.”

With because of Rolex Grand Slam.

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her function as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her all over the world reporting from reveals and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to steady administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian trade as a using teacher and yard supervisor.