Alan Davies has shared his plans to take a step again from his job as head groom for Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin in 2023.
Alan joined Carl and Charlotte in 2011, and has been a relentless and massively widespread determine throughout the staff that has dominated British dressage within the years since. However from this 12 months, Alan, 56, will not work full-time as a groom, explaining that there are a number of causes behind his choice.
“I’m getting older and I really feel drained – I believe I want a little bit of a break,” he instructed H&H.
“The previous three years have been fairly robust, each on a private stage and with work. We have now had main championships cancelled and postponed, and 2021 was a extremely robust 12 months, with the Tokyo Olympics after which the European Championships just some weeks later. It took extra out of me than I realised on the time,” defined Alan, who has now seen Carl and/or Charlotte’s horses by means of a complete of 12 main championships: six Europeans, three world championships and three Olympics.
“The dynamics within the yard are altering a bit this 12 months, with Charlotte being pregnant, and so it looks as if an applicable time to start out considering sensibly about my very own future,” he added.
“After all it hasn’t been a straightforward choice – Valegro and Uthopia are my absolute sweethearts and it’ll be heartbreaking to not see them on daily basis – however Carl and Charlotte have each been very supportive.”
Alan hopes that stepping again from the depth of his full-time grooming position will give him extra time to deal with different issues, together with academic initiatives round grooming and horse administration, in addition to exhibiting his Shetland ponies.
“Individuals maintain speaking about me writing books, each about my life and horse administration; possibly I’ll have time to have a take into consideration that,” he mentioned.
“I additionally need to see the youthful era of grooms taking on the mantle and shifting ahead with ardour and drive for the career. As a founding member of the Worldwide Grooms Affiliation and ambassador for the British Grooms Affiliation, I’m very happy with what we’ve got achieved on this nation and the way issues are bettering for these throughout the grooming trade, however it’s time for others to take the momentum ahead and run with it,” mentioned Alan, including that he’ll at all times supply assist and help to the trade, however with a much less hands-on method.
Alan Davies isn’t retiring from his position altogether, and can stay concerned with Carl, Charlotte and the horses.
“I anticipate I’ll in all probability pop up on the odd championship right here and there,” he laughed. “I plan to nonetheless pop into the yard and assist the place I can – and I anticipate I’ll nonetheless be hacking out on Wednesday afternoons.”
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