“I’m known as a tough task master and am often asked to help people find jobs. The CV will help match up what people can do and what employers want from their groom, so it won’t just be that ‘Ronnie thinks this person is OK’.
“The CV system is quite tough but fair, and it should be. You can work at your own pace and complete it with your usual day-to-day work. It is important too that it’s not college, nor exam- based.
“To be at the top of this game you can’t take things lightly. Doing the Elite level was almost like going back to school, even though I have a wide range of experience in show jumping, dressage, eventing and showing, and the CV covered every discipline. But the Elite and other CV levels are not just for specific competition grooms, they’re for everybody, which is the beauty of them.
“I’ve met one 18-year-old who already wants to become elite, but she’ll need a few more years’ experience to go for that. For example, flying with horses or driving an HGV, but it gives her something to work towards.
“I would recommend the CV system 100% and hope it becomes the industry standard. If we up the game and get the younger grooms on board, it will be invaluable. The better the CV people get, the better the job they will get – and they will have had to work for it, so they will be entitled. And the EquineSkillsCV will stand separately from references, which don’t go into that kind of detail.
"This is a way forward. For so many years grooms have been just ‘grooms’ – but that one word isn’t enough, nor does it indicate any status. We’ve got to up our status because this is a very responsible job – and the CV will help achieve that.”
