Heritage Farm grooms dominated the $6,000 YETI Grooms Class held during WEF Week 5. Luis Mandujano topped the hunter section with Lexi Maounis’Forsini, and Ladislao Lara won the jumpers with Grace Lowe’s Kilbrackan Blue Jay. The platform HorseGrooms reported about the grooms’preparation for the class and the details the judges took into account.
The first YETI Grooms’Class of the Winter Equestrian Festival $2,025 -with $6,000 in prize money on offer -saw a record number of entries and a majority of ribbons for Heritage Farm grooms. Forty-two grooms entered the class with well-turned-out horses in full tack, lined up for the judges -complete with backpacks and all the equipment and extra items they would choose to bring with a horse ready to show.
Emily Williams
Emily Williams judged the hunters and selected Heritage’s Farm’s Luis Mandujano with Lexi Maounis’Forsini as the winner. “I was surprised,” Luis said. “But I am super happy.”
Emily raced over from showing in the 1m40 in Denemethy, to make it to ring 10 in time for the Grooms’Class. “I was pretty honored that they asked me to judge this,” she said. “I came running over because I really wanted to do it, but it was tough. Between the top six, it really could have gone almost any way. So then we had to really get down to little details.”
Luis Mandujano with Lexi Maounis'”Forsini” (C) Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
Recognition
Grooms’classes at WEF have grown steadily in popularity with the aim of giving recognition to those whose work behind the scenes is essential to the success inside the ring. Hunter rider and trainer, Emily, who won the $25,000 USHJA 2* International Hunter Derby in Week 4, understands the importance of a good team of grooms.She enticed Remiglio Padilla out of retirement to join her Hunter barn this winter -and he works with a team of three others, none of whom could compete this time because of the conflict of interest. “I wanted my guys to be able to come and do this but I didn’t really think it was fair if I was judging,” she said.
Heritage Farm
Luis was one of eight Heritage Farm’s grooms to finish in the top eight – five in the Hunter group and three in the Jumpers. Heritage could claim a Trifecta with their Hunter Grooms as Carlos Mares and Darjeeling came second, and Roland Hernandez with Moonshine took third place -both horses owned by Hallowell Lane Farm LLC and showing with Heritage Farm.
Ladislao Lara with Grace Lowe’s “Kilbrackan Blue Jay” © Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
Quick Learner
Luis’counterpart winner in the Jumper category -selected by Jimmy Torano and Charlotte Jacobs was also his stablemate Ladislao Lara with Grace Lowe’s Kilbrackan Blue Jay. Ladislao said he was fairly confident going into the competition even though he only started working with horses three years ago when he joined Heritage Farm. “I learned very quickly,” he said. “And I learned everything here at Heritage.”
Like many of the grooms Ladislao had spent most of the day preparing the horse for the contest -paying attention to every detail while giving baths, cleaning tack, polishing lead shanks and in Ladislao’s case braiding the Jumper himself. He chose to show Kilbrackan Blue Jay for a reason. “This is the horse that I spend most time with and I trust him,” he said.
Details
Details proved to be the difference for the judges, and the fact that one groom was marked down due to what Emily described as “the tiniest shaving in the top of the tail” speaks to the high standard of the competition. Another contender for the title lost out due to the tightness of the girth. “That [horse and groom] is probably used to winning,” she said. “But the girth was super tight. I understand the concept of having a tight girth if your rider is getting on, but for me, as a rider, I want my horse to be comfortable until I’m ready to get on.”
Feedback
Other critiques included horses’feet that had not been freshly painted and grooms who had their shirts untucked. Emily provided feedback to the riders in her top eight and would have liked the chance to give more information after the class to those who entered -reminding them that they are judged on the overall presentation of themselves as well as the horse. “I would have loved to let them know that a tank top is not really acceptable,” she said. “You want to look professional.”
Creative Thinking
Some grooms impressed with their use of creative thinking, including sunscreen, a KIND bar, and water for their riders in their backpacks. Luis stood out as the only groom to bring a halter with him. “You never know if you might need to tie the horse up,” he said.
He has been a groom for six years now. Unlike Ladislao, he was surprised to win. He received a check for $990, but that was not his main reward. “I am so happy,” said Luis. “It is not about the money. I am just really proud and happy for the horse.”
By Sarah Eakin
