It’s been a bit of whirlwind here this since I last blogged. As you all know I was due to take part in my first five-star event out here in Abu Dhabi, which I was so excited for, so I had been training hard to make sure that I was prepared. Sadly due to confusion in the office beyond my control, I was no longer able to attend, which slightly threw off my plans to debut the show on this blog!
In the spirit of onwards and upwards I thought it was high time you met the team out here.
Your team in any sport is so important — we’re all familiar with the cliché ‘there’s no ‘I’ in team’, but this is particularly relevant in the equestrian world. The horses and the riders are what most people see and we are the ones that get the unbelievable feeling of jumping round courses at some of the best shows in the world. But behind all that, there is a key group of amazing people working tirelessly to make this possible.
As equestrian athletes, we have to keep ourselves fit, train hard and make sure we are ready for every competition, but we are nothing without the horses. Everyone featured in my vlog today plays such a big part out here in making sure all horses are happy and healthy and at the top of their game — the riding and training is just one element of this.
It is a real system here that cannot work without everyone, and organising us all (probably the hardest job of all) are Laura and Claire. They are so dedicated to all horses, riders and staff making sure everything is running smoothly and we are all doing what we need to be doing. The best thing about these two is how much they love their job — it lifts everyone to know that while we all have our part to play, they make it possible to enjoy every second of it.
Nasacat has been with the team for so long. He helps make sure the horses are looking and running at their best, which is no easy job — you’ll see on the vlog the care and detail put in during feed time – which is just one piece of honed routine that he follows for the horses. Along with this, Nasacat and Milan exercise the horses to make sure they are kept fit in the blazing heat, which trust me is exhausting!
Our farrier, Alex, shoes all the horses, and with over 90 to be done, he is definitely kept busy continuously making sure that the horses’ feet are 100% healthy and in good nick!
Continued below…
Georgia Tame’s jet set showjumper blog: I’ve fallen in love with my sport all over again
Georgia has arrived in glorious Dubai where she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what she has been up to
Being at Breen Equestrian means I am used to working in a team, but it can be hard to leave everyone behind to work with a new set up — you get used to how everyone operates, their personalities, way with the horses and how you gel together. Although I always knew that Z7 has a phenomenal team [Shane Breen took on 30 Team Z7 horses last year] , I was nervous about coming out here and how I would slot in, but they have all been so amazing. It is very easy to work alongside people that you have so much respect for; their knowledge of the horses and the showjumping world is something that I have loved to be around and has taught me so much.
Have a watch and meet the team, what they find are the best and worst parts of the job and who their favourite horses on the yard are.
Georgia
