IGA | The legacy of the groom

The legacy of the groom

We chat to a Mexican groom whose family legacy is the care of horses for some of the best riders in the world.

“My name is Hugo Rangel, I was born in Mexico and raised in America.

My father (Hugo Rangel Senior) worked for US Jumping legends, Chris Kappler and George Morris. It was here I learnt about the preparation of elite jumping horses.

I was still just a kid when my father then moved to Beverly Hills and worked for a well-known US equestrian, Suzanne Saperstein. I went with him and the education we gained at this fantastic farm really set myself and my brother up to be able to be professional grooms.

To succeed in the equine industry, it is important to have good mentorship and practical knowledge, and I was very fortunate to be given both from an early stage in my career.

Right now I am freelancing and my father works in California at El Campeon Farm and my brother Luis works for Alain Juffer in Switzerland – we really are a family of #supergrooms!

I am lucky to have attended international championships, young horse championships, Nation Cups, World Cups, League championships, a little bit of everything at home and overseas.

As a result I feel that I have a real understanding of the challenges that the international show groom encounters at all the ‘star’ levels.

The things I would like to see resolved are:

1. Food – it needs to be taken more seriously; we need to eat! It does vary depending on the show and country but there must be minimum standards set by the FEI. The grooms provision often feels like it is an afterthought, and this is not good enough.

2. Representation – the IGA is a great step forward in this, however now we need to see the formal representation of grooms on the showgrounds. Just like the riders rep. I wonder how this could happen more.

3. Profile – the greater the media profile of the groom, the more people will know what we actually do and how critical our role is. The IGA needs to work with the worldwide media to ensure that this happens.

4. Culture change – grooms are often afraid to speak out regarding the issues. It is just how it is and a problem I see very often. I hope that the IGA becomes a safe place for grooms to be able to share their concerns.

I also think that riders/employers should change their attitude towards their staff. Although I’ve worked for good bosses, riders are very driven and forget that they need to look after their grooms.

This can create a bullying or uncaring atmosphere. How can grooms have the confidence to speak out if their boss doesn’t treat them as a professional person with a valid opinion?

If grooms are regarded as professionals and invested in, it will be easier to keep people in the industry.

5. Remuneration (pay) - Even top grooms are often not paid for the actual hours and work that they deliver. It makes grooms feel like they are not cared for, and on a practical note it means people cannot afford to work long-term as a groom.

Some of the change needs to come from us grooms also. Good grooms have a high attention to detail and are highly emotionally invested in their job. Sometimes this creates an atmosphere of jealousy and people not wanting to work together to make positive change.

Hopefully the IGA can give us a way to speak up together in an organised way that makes sense to the FEI and the shows.

There are some fantastic shows: Wellington International, La Silla in Monterrey and Spruce Meadows are all personal favourites. Great facilities and a great community.

But there is always room for improvement, and I think this is where the IGA will be able to support grooms and give us the voice to create change.

I really hope we can work together to make real and lasting changes for our and future generations of professional grooms."

The IGA supports all FEI level grooms at all stages of their career.

The legacy of the groom

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