Based in Aberdeen, Kim Masson combines a full time professional career alongside being Becky Moody’s competition groom. Kim heads up the marketing team for a private-equity backed accountancy firm and uses annual leave to groom. The firm she works for is growing rapidly and while much of Kim’s work is remote, they have offices all over the UK so when she’s at Becky’s, Kim can work from the Leeds office. The incredibly hard-working Kim has already completed four abroad internationals this year as part of Becky Moody’s team – Amsterdam, Den Bosch, Fontainebleau and Aachen. She has also groomed at some of the competitions that land on the weekends (without having to use leave!) like Somerford Park Premier League or the young horse qualifiers at Alnwick.
Kim was quite late to horses compared to many in the industry – She first sat on a horse at seventeen years old and says “It was a slippery slope from there and I quickly signed up to regular riding lessons at my local riding school. After a few years of lessons and starting to work at the riding school while I studied Product Design at university, I bought my first horse. I’ve always been a bit of a geek so working at the riding school seeing others complete their BHS stages I jumped on that too, completing my BHS Stages one and two whilst I was still studying at uni.”
Kim combines a demanding full time career along with grooming for Becky Moody and explains how this came about. “I trained with Hannah Moody for a quite a few years and had been down to the Moody’s with my own horse for camps and to compete at British Events in the north of England. When Becky was to be competing at Compiegne in 2018 and Hannah couldn’t make it, Hannah suggested me as a possible co-driver having my HGV licence. I absolutely jumped at the chance – what an experience! Samantha Brown was grooming for Becky at that Nations Cup and it was my first glimpse of the international dressage scene. Like the bug I caught when I first sat on a horse, this felt like I’d caught a slightly different bug! While it was a fantastic experience in a lot of ways, it was also a really tough competition as when we were there one of the horses picked up an injury and had to be withdrawn. This was really tough as I didn’t know Sam or Becky well at all – but with the rest of the team we rallied together and supported each other through it. As I’d caught the grooming bug it was from then I started to groom more regularly for Becky.”
How did you become a competition groom?
Kim and Becky giving the thumbs up. All set and ready to go .
I started going along to competitions to help friends before I even had my own horse (obsessed!) – I’d go along to anything. Local unaffiliated show jumping in random fields in Aberdeenshire to affiliated competitions further afield. I’ve never really felt like a true competition groom – I’ve always done it primarily for the social side, the love of the horses and thirdly the love of the sport. I get so attached to each horse and treat them (and love them!) as if they are my own. I think there is something special about stay away shows that really cements that bond.
What does your role as a competition groom involve?
Ran out of carrots in Aachen so Kim ran to the shop for more!
Ultimately the role of a competition groom is to take care of the horse but the duties that are to support the rider too aren’t to be underestimated! They can be really long days depending on how many horses we have at a competition and what time the competition starts at – that will dictate our morning feeding time though that isn’t usually much before 5.30am or 6am but it can be fairly non-stop through to about 8.30pm/9pm at some of the competitions. I’ve always been a planner – it helps me keep my cool if I know what needs to happen when so we usually do a day plan the night before. We do this as a team and it usually includes feeding times, hand walking, plaiting, competition riding and any general exercise. If it is a particularly busy show I’ll have my own separate plan that can include details as obscure as making sure we’ve got the right tack where it needs to be – if times are tight and we don’t have time to move things around it is better to have everything close by. Or who needs to be getting the next horse ready while the one before is being cooled off and washed down. My detailed plan also helps me account for lunch!! I’ve done enough of these longer competition days to know if I am not fed and watered I’m no fun to be around!
What have been some of your highlights?
The highlights are always getting to see the horses in the prize giving’s – it makes all the hard work feel super worthwhile. I don’t often get too emotional as grooms we are there to do an important job and have to keep our cool. But in the moments after prize giving’s, Becky often has to get straight off the horse to do media interviews. Those moments taking the horse back to the stable kitted out in the ribbons/sashes/rugs they might have won to then cool them off I do usually well up a bit – I’m welling up a bit now even writing this thinking about those moments.
What are the hardest parts?
Kim with her one-year-old poodle, Twyla, at Someford Park Premier League this year. Twyla can’t wait to get to her first abroad show!
Managing time can be one of the hardest parts – particularly if we have a few horses at a competition and times are close together. The standout hardest part though is finding time for lunch!!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Keep learning and evaluating. It is also hugely important to have your own support network – as a groom we are there as support for the horses and rider. The grooms I’m lucky enough to work alongside at the competitions are great fun and are always there to answer daft questions, or help as we all know we can’t do what we do entirely on our own. The moral support from others doing the same thing has been super important to me. It might be a competition in the ring but there is a great sense of community in the stables.
What does it mean to you to be part of the support team?
Groomed and ready for action with the quartermarks clearly visible
Because for me, it is a big part of my social life, it means a huge amount to me. Becky and I have become great friends over the last seven plus years so while the competitions can be hard work it always feels like going on holiday with your friend – and we get to take some of the horses with us too! Though when we go on holiday it usually freaks me out how little paperwork we need when the trip is only for humans. The amount of paperwork needed for the horses going abroad is utterly bonkers. Thanks again Brexit…
What have been some unexpected parts of being a competition groom?
I mean one thing that jumps out at me is changing fuses in the lorry over WhatsApp video – being spoken through it by the fab team at Whittakers Horseboxes! We don’t often have problems with the lorry but when we do Jordan is an actual lifesaver. That is maybe the most random one…or being tech support for Becky, she’s really good at a lot of things but does often come to me for support with tech!
Your Top Tip
Kim enjoying life as a competition groom and prepared for anything with her backpack (Alan) at the ready
Difficult question to answer. There are so many situations that I have different tips for. Using mane and tail spray for quarter marks is one of my favourite tips though – people often message me if I post on my Instagram story asking how I do my quarter marks. If you have to wait in the Customs queue at Sevington, ask for the general manager and let them know you have horses on board. They should let you jump the outside bit of the queue. Can mean you are 20 mins waiting for customs stamps rather than 3 hours in a queue!!
Are there any products that you can’t live without?
Again, this is a really tough one. My LeMieux ringside backpack though – as it has everything in it, I might need. We call ours Alan, after the great Alan Davies himself.
What advice can you give for planning ahead when going to a competition?
I have a two-page packing list for our trips away which I swear by. It is a complete fail safe making sure we have everything. But even when I’m at shows I’ll often have notes in my phone for things to sort before the next one – that list currently includes new stable fans, a drying rack, 3x size 13 spanners and something to make compartments in our huge trunk. (Kim has kindly offered to send her packing list to anyone who wants a copy, please contact her directly.)