Untacked

c h r o n o f h o r s e . c o m w i n t e r 2 014 67 T he crowd's applause fades as Alan davies and valegro walk from the ring, in step. davies rests a hand on valegro's gleaming neck and whispers, "good boy, 'Blueberry.' " e horse exhales, lowers his head and walks on, content. he's adored by the public; they flock to the schooling areas at shows, piling in 10 deep to catch a close-up glimpse of the reigning olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion and World Champion. But when they get back to the barns, as Charlotte dujardin is doing her star turn in front of the press and the fans, valegro and davies step into the dance of post-competition rou- tine. Wash. unbraid. groom. Wrap legs. it's the same for this giant of the dressage ring as it is for horses the world over. Away from the big stadiums, the cheering crowds, the world record-displaying scoreboards and the eyes of the world, valegro is just a horse. he needs a simple routine, with grass, feed and water. he needs kind hands smoothing his coat. he needs a reassuring voice and a com- passionate touch. he needs quiet time. And davies, a charming yet unassuming chap, is the one who provides all that for the famous dancing horse. "valegro has no idea what's going on around him," davies says. "he has no idea he's won a gold medal. he doesn't really care, either, as long as he gets to graze in his field and hack and have time with his mates. he's not a diva at all. "he's very laidback and straightforward. he's not one for undue fuss," davies con- tinues. "he has a very clever mind; he loves to work, and he knows when work time is. But then he knows when down time is. he goes into his stall and knows that's his time; he doesn't fret or fuss. Blueberry likes to be left alone when it's his time. he just lets the world go by and doesn't worry." An incredible ride But saying that valegro is just a horse is like saying davies is just a groom; it doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the impor- tance of their roles. valegro has become the face of British dressage, and decades of experience have helped davies become a a caretaker capable of making a horse like valegro thrive. of course, dujardin is Blueberry's part- ner on stage, the guiding force behind his greatness in the ring. eir partnership is the stuff of legends. But it's a bond strengthened and bolstered by the relationship davies also has with the great horse. "i know it's cheesy to say, but he's really special," davies says of Blueberry. his voice takes on the soft tone of someone who truly loves the subject they're discussing. "he's a delight to take care of and such a personal- ity. it's a dream come true to have the cham- pion of the world in my care. i get to spend every day with him, and i know there are a lot of people out there who are so jealous of that!" valegro isn't the only superstar in davies' care. At the start of 2011, Carl hester knew he had some special chemistry going on in World dressage champion Valegro and groom Alan Davies shared a quiet moment in the middle of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games awards ceremony as rider Charlotte Dujardin stood atop the podium. sue stiCKle PHoto

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