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72 w i n t e r 2 014 U n tac k e d ProfiLE if you can drag your eyes away from valegro and dujardin while they're doing their thing in the ring, you'll see davies standing at full attention at the in-gate, intently focused on his charge, and sometimes with his hands clasped to his head. "i do get emotional when i see him go out there and try his hardest," he says. "e last day of the [2014 Alltech fei World equestrian games], he was a little bit tired, but he dug deep and tried so hard. i could see on his face the expression, 'oK, let's go, one more test.' it can be quite emotional when you know them so well." e bright spotlight of fame doesn't stop at dujardin, hester and the horses, however. davies himself has become a bit of a star. "it's been amazing the profile i've had. Carl and Charlotte have been doing tv programs and all sorts of things like that, and they've included me many times, so people are recogniz- ing me now and seeing how much i do behind the scenes and what goes into it," davies notes. "Charlotte's so good at always saying thank you and acknowledging me in public. she and Carl have both worked from the bottom up, so they're very appreciative of what i do. it's made my job even more worthwhile, knowing that. "people will come up to me at shows and want to speak to me and want my autograph," he continues. "it's quite bizarre, but it's great for the whole industry and for all grooms, too. it was a bit of a shock to start with, but i'm getting used to it now! it's great that grooms are getting recognition." And while he's left his own riding career behind to become valegro and uthopia's right- hand man, davies doesn't have a single regret. "i enjoy competing, but it wasn't the be-all and end-all for me. my main love is taking care of the horses," he says. "When i took this job, the fact that i wasn't going to get to compete wasn't important to me. e important thing was that i was going to have a major position in this set-up for people i admired and liked. it's one of the most important jobs, taking care of those two. ey're the two best horses in the world in my eyes. "i can't see what else i could do now," davies adds. "i always say that when valegro retires, i'll retire too, but Carl and Charlotte seem to have other ideas about that. ey have some young horses coming on, and they keep talking about the next championships and the future. so i don't know if i'll be allowed to retire. But i'm so lucky to have a job i love. i just absolutely adore it. i'm lucky to get paid to do what i do." Alan Davies has had the chance to travel the world with his best friend, the British dressage star Valegro. "oF CouRSE I WoRRy. I WoRRy ABouT ALL ThE hoRSES I TAkE CARE oF. BuT I CAN'T WoRRy uNduLy, oThERWISE I WouLdN'T BE ABLE To do My JoB." —Alan Davies hIS FAvoRITE hIghLIghT "I think one of the biggest highlights I can remember was taking Valegro to Hagen [Germany in 2012]," says Alan Davies. "He went and got the record score in the Grand Prix Special. It was very unexpected for everybody, that we'd do it there, at a German show. That memory always stands out to me, and the test was amazing. "He was just incredible that day," he adds. "He did the most beautiful test, then everyone was going crazy in the prize-giving, and he just stood there as calm as you like. It was like he was saying, 'I'm not sure what all this is about, but it's pretty nice.' " sue stiCKle PHoto

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