Groom: Ronnie Dawes (43 years old)
Work: Show Jumping Groom, Buckinghamshire
Endorser: Sophie Tobin
“I always thought the Equine Skills CV was a good idea and I enjoyed doing the Elite ESCV. I’ve been doing this job for 30 years and, yes, people know me because I’ve got a bit of a reputation for grooming on the show jumping circuit. But other than references, what is there to say what I’ve done? I know I would always get work, so the ESCV might not seem to be for those at my level, but if people like us do it, the younger ones will follow. I’m very keen on encouraging young grooms coming into the profession to get involved.
I’m known as a tough task master. I’m often asked to help people find jobs and the ESCV will help match up what people can do and what employers want from their groom, so it’s not just that ‘Ronnie thinks this person is OK’.
The ESCV system is quite tough but fair, and it has to be. You can work at your own pace and get through it with your usual day to day work. It is important too that it’s not college and not an exam.
To be at the top of this game you can’t take things lightly. Doing the Elite ESCV 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 ESCV covered every discipline. But the Elite and other ESCV levels are not just for specific competition grooms, they’re for everybody, which is the beauty of it.
I would recommend the ESCV 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 ESCV people get, the better the job they will get - and they will have had to work for it so they will be entitled; the ESCV 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 ESCV will help with that.”
