Van Olst Groom Claire James: "No Day Looks the Same for Me, Which is How I Like It"

Focus

F.O.C.U.S.

British Claire James has been an international show groom for Anne van Olst since the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. In the past 10 years she has traveled the world to the most exciting venues of dressage sport and is currently grooming for Charlotte Fry. In love with the variety on the job, Claire commutes between Luxembourg and The Netherlands with a passion for horse care.

From Hester to Van Olst

Claire's grooming experience actually began at the 2010 Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, where she groomed for Carl Hester as a temporary job. At this show the young Uthopia and Valegro gained their first mileage in the international show ring.

"I had come back from working for a show jumper in Belgium and Carl’s secretary had seen my CV on a grooms' recruitment website and asked me to come to the stable for an interview," Claire reminisced about how she got started in the grooming business. "I went and after a few days work Carl invited to go with him and Charlotte to the Sunshine Tour. It was an amazing experience and I completely got the bug for competition grooming. Carl very kindly recommended me to Anne van Olst as she was looking for a show groom at that point, and the rest is history."

Claire has been working at Van Olst Horses since April 2010 and aside from a small break in the middle when she went back to the UK to refocus, she realized that grooming was her passion after all. "I missed my boys so much I came back again," she added.

The Boys at Van Olst

Claire with World YH Champion Glamourdale

Claire is not full-time grooming at Van Olst but is called in to the competitions, holiday covers and for the busy periods in the barn.

"I take care of a wide range of horses from younger ones to the international boys to the oldies," said Claire. "Of course the main horses I travel with at the moment are Everdale, Dark Legend and Glamourdale. Sophie O’Bray is Lottie's home groom and does an amazing job of taking care of the horses on a day to day basis."

At Van Olst the majority of the horses are breeding stallions. When asked if the testosterone can be difficult to manage, Claire replied, "they are all very well behaved boys. Of course they have their moments but that’s horses! We keep the breeding and the riding/grooming very separate, so I don’t handle the boys for breeding at all, only shows etc. They seem to know that and don’t associate me with breeding at all."

James will not name a favourite in the barn though. "That’s a really tough shout," she admits. "I love all of the boys, they all have their small quirks and personalities. That would be like choosing who your favourite child is," she stated.

Life of a Groom

Claire with Fry and Dark Legend at the 2019
European Championships

For James a day in the life of a groom is one filled with diversity and just one constant.

"I don’t think any day looks the same for me, which is how I like it," she said "It keeps me on my toes! But whatever happens, it always starts with coffee!"

The grooming has taken her on the road to the most important (inter)continental Dressage Championships the past ten years. Claire finds it hard to pin-point one favourite moment, but says the pleasures lie in the small moments.

"Being at London 2012 with Anne, Lottie winning the U25 Europeans with Dark Legend, Glamourdale winning the 7-year old world young horse championship, the list goes on," she said, "but then just watching all the boys grow and develop is just so rewarding, and it’s the small things, like a whinny when you go to get them from the field, or the nudge for a cuddle from over the door."

When asked if there is rivalry and a power-play amongst grooms in the stable area, Claire believes there is a binding feeling of community.

"They are mostly friendly," she explained. "Most of us have seen each other at so many shows over the years we’ve all slowly got to know one another. End of the day we are all in this together, there is no point in making each other lives any more difficult! We all claim our small patches when we arrive at shows and usually there’s not any problems."

Commuting between Holland and Luxembourg

The grooming life has also brought love for Claire. She currently lives with her boyfriend in Luxembourg and commutes to Holland for the job.

Fry and Claire at the 2019 CDI-W Mechelen

"My long time boyfriend Jean-Pierre Barsties is also a groom. He is currently grooming for a junior rider who has her horses based there," she said. "This is one of the reasons I work periodically at Van Olst, so it gives me some time to go home and spend some time with him in between shows."

James has given up her own riding though, but she still owns her 22-year old ex-show cob Benson.

"He is very happily retired in a field back in the UK. He goes by many names: Beany, Beefcake, Tank, Chubbert. He only gets called Benson by me if he’s being naughty," she said. "I used to ride a lot but the competitions kind of took over, it got to a point where I would rather be packing a truck or scrubbing a bucket than riding," she admitted. "I like to take care of horses from the ground, grooming them and caring for them that way."

When asked where she sees herself in five years, Claire stays happy-go-lucky.

"I actually have no idea, I am not getting any younger but I love this job and struggle to imagine doing anything else," she confessed. "So as Mik (Mikkala Krog) also said, as long as I’m waking up happy then I’ll keep going!"