A Different Path Takes Emma Ford To The Top

She’s reached new heights as Phillip Dutton’s groom.

Like many riders, Emma Ford had a vision of herself at the Olympics, the World Equestrian Games and other top international equestrian competitions. But, realistically, she knew her riding wasn’t going to take her there. So Ford decided to focus her love of horses in another direction: grooming.

And as Phillip Dutton’s head groom, she’s been able to achieve some of her goals—participating on a team at the WEG in Aachen (Germany) and at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)—and she’s well on her way to adding the Olympics and others to the list.

“I’ve always loved the horses, and it’s always been horses for me,” said Ford. “I did compete, but I’ve always been better on the ground and turning them out to the best standard. I wanted to be at a top level with the horses, and that was how I could do it without riding.”

Ford, 31, earned the U.S. Eventing Association’s Professional Groom of the Year accolades in 2007 for her excellent work keeping Dutton’s extensive string of horses looking their best at competitions.

“Not only can she make the horses look spotless, but she also makes sure the horses are mentally and physically as comfortable as possible,” wrote the anonymous person who nominated her.

Ford arrived in the United States from England in 1998. “I originally came over for a year,” she recalled. “I got my [bachelor’s degree] in England, and I wanted to do horses for a year before I entered the ‘real world.’”