Heather has been a groom since she was 18 years old and finished school. What was originally only supposed to be a gap year before starting university, has turned into her passion and thus, her job. Now she is 33 years old and never regretted the choice to work as a groom. Heather has always been in love with the sport and horses, wanted to be a show jumper when she was little and dedicated her life to horses. After working as a freelance groom for a long time, she came to Beerbaum Stables four years ago – first as a freelance groom and temporary. But working in the Beerbaum Stables Team and falling in love with the horses, she decided to stay “and the rest is history”, she says smiling. Thanks to Ludger and the whole Beerbaum Stables, she got to travel the world with the horses she loves so deeply and dedicate her life to what makes her the happiest.

Although she loves all the horses in her care, some are very special and hold a special place in her heart. The first horse that travelled the world with her was Cool Feeling. With him she got to experience all the big competitions in the world and did her first Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix in Prague. About three years ago, Mila joined the team and has been a special horse for Heather ever since, especially because they have been together since Mila was only seven years old and Heather watched her come up through the classes from Young Horses to Grand Prix. With her she got to experience the biggest shows in the world like CHIO Aachen or all the legs of the Longines Global Champions Tour. One of the most special shows has been the Longines Global Champions Tour in Doha 2022 because it was Heather’s first Grand Prix win and so unexpected for both Ludger and Heather – that made it very special.

But also the Nations Cup in Hickstead last year has been a special show for Heather – because of several reasons. Firstly, as Ludger is retired from the German National Team, it was a very special occasion that he wore the red jacket once again. Secondly, it was with Mila and finally, Hickstead is Heather’s home show. But now, Riesenbeck feels like her second home. On the one hand because of the bond to the horses in her care but on the other hand because of the outstanding team spirit at Beerbaum Stables. Outside of work she has found great friends in her colleagues and also spends her free time with them. Since several of the Beerbaum Stables riders travel to the same shows all around the world, the grooms almost never travel alone. Besides travelling with their favorite horses, they get to share these experiences with colleagues and friends.

For any young people who think about working as a groom, Heather has the advice to do a lot of internships, work in stables alongside school as much as possible, gain as much experience as you can and ask all the questions you might have. Although the work as a groom is very fulfilling, it can also be very hard. It involves a lot of early mornings, late nights, and weekends. But if you are aware of this and prepared to work physically, you will have the best time of your life because “you get to travel the world with the horses and never have a boring day”. As the work of a groom is physically demanding, Heather does not want to work as a fulltime groom for the rest of her life. Yet, she does not want to leave the world of show jumping behind altogether. She has very reflected views on the sport and most importantly the sustainability of show jumping. She can imagine working in this field of the sport when she is ready to take her next professional step and improve the sport with all the insights she gained as a groom.