“The plaiting could be very completely different for showjumpers… I did discover ways to do jumper plaits from TikTok!” says Georgie Driver, travelling head groom for Gemma Stevens.
Even earlier than arriving at Mars Badminton Horse Trials this week, Georgie had had a busy seven months since becoming a member of Gemma’s group final October.
She travelled to the Sunshine Tour together with her showjumpers in each the autumn and February, in addition to accompanying her occasion horses to Kronenberg and one-day occasions resembling Thoresby, the place Gemma gained the Lycetts Grantham Cup.
Georgie grew up fairly close to Badminton and earlier than becoming a member of Gemma’s group she labored for eventer Kat Raybould.
She stated: “Clearly while you’re youthful, you’re all the time like, ‘I wish to trip’, however then I used to be like really, ‘No, I don’t wish to trip’. However I by no means wished to go to uni, I used to be determined to work with horses as quickly as I might. I actually moved to Kat the day after I completed my A ranges.”
What attracted Georgie to grooming?
“I feel it’s the love of the horses. I like seeing the way you get them after which they go on,” she stated. “I’m fairly aggressive, so I like seeing them do properly.
“It’s clearly a lot strain for the riders, so it’s good to be that individual with the horse the place it’s good and quiet they usually can belief you. You get such a pleasant relationship with the horses while you go away.”
Like fellow Badminton groom Meigs Rutherford, Georgie mentions that point administration is crucial to be groom.
“I feel it’s important to be actually organised. Additionally, the riders are below a lot strain, so that you’ve bought to verify the horse by no means feels that strain,” she stated.
Georgie is the top travelling groom for Gemma Stevens’ group of each showjumpers and eventers, whereas others take the duty for driving and working the yard at house.
“We’ve bought a very good group of ladies at house who’ve been so useful for me coming into a brand new group – they’ve instructed me all the pieces I have to know in regards to the horses,” she stated. “It really works very well. We will get house from an occasion and have two days at house and be gone once more and know that all the pieces’s OK.”
Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight on the 2026 Badminton first trot-up.
Georgie’s cost this week is Christopher and Lisa Stone’s Chilli Knight (Alfie), the winner of the 2021 Bicton Horse Trials five-star.
“He’s very cheeky – he’s a simple horse take care of, however he is aware of what he needs,” she stated.
“I’ve bought caught on the garden a number of occasions this week, as a result of he needs to remain there and eat grass all day. I tricked him on Friday morning with some treats, however he’s undoubtedly not going to fall for that once more. He doesn’t make Gemma’s life simple at occasions, however he’s fairly particular.”
Georgie has really spent extra time with Gemma’s small string of showjumpers than her eventers since becoming a member of due to their two journeys to the Sunshine Tour in Spain.
“Whenever you go eventing, it’s like a household and also you appear to know all people, whereas leaping is extra like a enterprise,” she stated, joking that the jumps in pure showjumping warm-ups are too excessive for her to succeed in as she is sort of quick.
“Usually we glance after the showjumpers just about the identical,” she added. “They’ve a unique health regime as a result of they’ve bought to have the ability to go and carry out for a brief period of time, whereas these guys have gotten to have the ability to go and run throughout nation for silly quantities of time.
“I nonetheless graze the showjumpers for hours when there’s time – I spend my life watching horses eat grass!”
Georgie says the busy way of life with a whole lot of travelling fits her.
“I’m not excellent at sitting nonetheless, so it really works fairly properly. I don’t know what my very own mattress is, however that’s positive,” she stated.
And the way does she preserve her vitality ranges up?
“Good snacks! And I’m fairly good at napping.”
Tips on how to watch and hearken to Badminton Horse Trials
To look at Badminton Horse Trials dwell or through catch up, together with the trot-ups, from the consolation of your house anyplace on the earth, you want a 2026 Badminton TV Move. Badminton TV is as soon as once more powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, however you do not want a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to observe – you may simply subscribe to Badminton TV for £22.99. Go to badminton-horse.television to enroll. If you’re already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. Additionally take a look at the Badminton app, which gives free dwell outcomes and far more this 12 months. Join Badminton Plus membership for £4.99 to entry the dwell Radio Badminton broadcast and obtain unique affords from on-site exhibitors. Seek for Badminton Horse Trials in your app retailer.
Take pleasure in the most effective of Badminton with Horse & Hound
To make sure you preserve updated with all of the breaking information, behind the scenes perception, and the most effective of the motion all through Badminton Horse Trials with no limits on how a lot you may learn, subscribe to the Horse & Hound web site from as little as £1 per week. Join now. And don’t miss our bumper 28-page journal report on Badminton, together with in-depth evaluation and unique feedback from prime names, within the difficulty of Horse & Hound dated 14 Might.
You may additionally be desirous about:
Meigs Rutherford with Redfield Fyre within the stables at Badminton.
Credit score: courtesy of Meigs Rutherford
Emily King and Valmy Biats completed fifth final 12 months, and are again for 2026.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney D’Arville at Badminton 2025.
Credit score: Nico Morgan
Credit score: Lucy Elder
Credit score: Future
H&H journal editor and eventing editor
Pippa is a real eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand expertise of competing as much as British Eventing intermediate and worldwide CCI2*-L degree, and has labored within the trade on a prime occasion yard. Pippa enjoys nothing greater than immersing herself within the sport on the highest degree, reporting from the five-stars and worldwide championships, together with the Olympics.
