Marina Lemay had a big year in 2024, going to the Paris Olympics with Helix and USA’s Adrienne Lyle. At the moment, she is taking care of the amazing Indian Rock who, together with USA’s Christian Simonson, a student of Lyle, blew the competition away in the first Friday Night Stars Freestyle at the 2026 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
Pressure
Taking care of the Olympian Indian Rock and working with Simonson as USA Dressage’s Golden Child must bring a lot of pressure. Expectations are high for the talented young rider and the horse that competed at the Paris Olympics with Dutch rider Emmelie Scholtens. “Honestly no,” says Lemay. “We have such a great relaxed and fun atmosphere in the barn that I sometimes even forget there is pressure. I understand it, of course, but it’s not something that affects my work or that I think of every day.”
Going to Europe
It wasn’t until last year before Lemay started taking care of Indian Rock. “Adrienne has great horses at the moment but not ones that are ready for the big shows yet. So she asked me if I wanted to groom for Christian since the goal with him and Rocky is to go to Europe and do the big shows. I know Christian very well, and, obviously, I am not gonna turn down grooming Indian Rock,” said Lemay, smiling.
Kind Natured and Smart
The beautiful and impressive Indian Rock is special. “Not only for his looks, but also for his intelligence,” says Lemay. “I’ve worked with many stallions, but never one like Indian Rock. He is genuinely so kind natured and so smart. I feel he is like a human. He is very focused and very perceptive. He is really, really special. And together with Christian he makes a great team.”
Hand Grazing For Hours and Hours
Indian Rock’s routine at home is “straightforward”, as Lemay calls it. “He doesn’t really like the heat so after he gets fed in the morning, he goes straight out to his paddock where he stays for about two or three hours. He gets ridden mid day and in the afternoon he goes on the hot walker, those European type walkers, to stretch his legs. Oftentimes, Christian comes out in the evening to take him out of his stall again. He hand grazes him for hours and hours sometimes,” Lemay smiles, emphasizing the bond between the two.
A Lot of Hats
With clients and Adrienne’s and Christian’s competition horses all at one place, not one day is the same for Lemay. “I wear a lot of hats,”she says. “There are days that we have horses schooling in the stadium at Global or we go to the day shows at Jim Brandon. Those days, there is a lot of hauling in and out to do. My position might be head groom, but I do everything, like the other grooms. And I like that. In this barn, we are all the same.
Photo courtesy of Lily Forado
The Olympic Games in Paris
Looking back at the Olympic Games in Paris, Lemay calls it an incredible journey. “It was fantastic. Obviously it wasn’t the team result we were hoping for, but it was great to learn all the little details that come with it, like the travel, the flight, the paper work, can you bring your own grain and supplements etcetera etcetera. And it was very exciting to be in that environment around all those great veterinarians, riders, grooms, and other members of the support teams.”
Working Conditions of Grooms
While Lemay may have found herself in a great situation with Lyle and Simonson, she realizes that not all grooms are that lucky. “I do think most grooms at the higher levels of the sport are treated well and fairly. At lower levels, not all grooms are that fortunate yet. We are lucky that Heidi Humphreys of Zen Elite, who owns most of our horses, has been trying really hard for the grooms. One of the things she does is sponsoring the FEI lounge at the Global Dressage Festival where riders and grooms can get refreshments and relax. That really helps make our days easier. I do have the feeling that more and more people are trying really hard to better the lives and working conditions of grooms and that’s a very good development.”
About the partnership between HorseGrooms and Wellington International
This groom interview is part of an ongoing series by HorseGrooms, featured throughout the Wellington season in the official publications of Wellington International, the WEF Weekly Wire, and the AGDF Times. By highlighting the grooms behind elite competition, Wellington International supports HorseGrooms’ mission to give greater visibility to the people whose daily care, horsemanship, and dedication underpin top-level equestrian sport.
HorseGrooms collaborates with events, horse show organizations, brands, and professionals worldwide to share practical knowledge and real stories from the people who care for horses every day, from local barns to top-level competition venues.
For support options and to learn more, click here.
Dinette Neuteboom is a Dutch-born equestrian, educator and lifelong equestrian journalist whose career spans continents and disciplines. As the founder of HorseGrooms, she combines decades of hands-on experience as a rider, groom, barn manager and trainer with her talent for storytelling to support and spotlight grooms worldwide. Dinette has worked in the Netherlands, Argentina, the U.S., China and New Zealand, and she serves as the press officer for the international horse show Indoor Friesland. Her mission is simple: to keep horsemanship alive. Through HorseGrooms, she creates resources and community spaces that empower grooms, advocate for horse welfare, and strengthen the foundation of the equestrian sport.
