Corro HorseGroom of the Month August 2025: Bibi Diaz

Corro and HorseGrooms know that behind every great horse is a wonderful caregiver. That’s why, each month, Corro and HorseGroom select one member of HorseGrooms Insiders to celebrate their dedication to horses and their care. Whether you are a professional groom taking care of six or seven figure horses or taking care of your own horses at home, at HorseGrooms we believe that if you care for horses or like to learn about them, you belong here. HorseGrooms Insiders is for everyone who looks after horses, whether you are employed as a groom, manage your own herd, or help a friend on weekends.

HorseGrooms Insiders is an exclusive membership for everyone looking to learn, grow and connect with industry experts. Every Corro HorseGroom of the Month receives a $100 Corro gift card and is featured in a special interview. Join us this month in celebrating Bibi Diaz, whose story reminds us that perseverance and love for horses can take you anywhere.

Behind the Barn Doors: A Groom’s Journey from Venezuela to Life on the U.S. East Coast. An interview with Bibi Diaz

How did your journey with horses begin?

I’ve loved all animals since I was a little girl – when I was about three or four years old, my parents bought me a plastic horse that I would ride while listening to my Fisher Price record player. Most of my childhood I lived in Venezuela, and riding opportunities there are contingent on being a member of a country club. There aren’t any commercial riding barns or anything along those lines, you have to be part of one of these clubs to be able to ride.

My experience with real live horses was limited to five summers of camp in the United States where my brother and I went from the ages of twelve to seventeen. Other than that, I didn’t have any real exposure to horses until I turned eighteen years old – I started going to the club so that I could begin to learn how to ride, and it definitely did not come naturally to me. 

What was it like learning how to ride horses in Venezuela?

I had quite the rough start to horseback riding. I fell almost every single day and other people at the club would make fun of me constantly – they even made bets on when I was going to quit riding altogether. But when you love something so much, you learn to ignore negativity and overcome all the obstacles in your way, and I eventually got good enough at riding to become the assistant trainer at the club. 

I exercised the horses and even taught some of the kids lessons, yet I still didn’t have a horse of my own. My dad finally agreed to get me a horse under the condition that I paid for all of its expenses – which I of course said yes too and that’s how I got my first off the track thoroughbred. He definitely wasn’t anything fancy and took off on me constantly, but I spent countless hours at the club training him. We grew to have an incredible partnership to the point that I could ride him without any reins. 

My dad still thought I was a bit crazy for being out at the club so much – when finally on mother’s day he came to watch me ride. He saw all the hard work I had put into training my horse and how much I loved it and encouraged me to get a college degree related to equines. If I really wanted to have a career that involved horses, I needed to further my education – and that meant moving to the United States where I studied equine business administration at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.

Young Bibi Diaz show jumping Kahlua (left) in 1991 and Furioso (right) in 1993 at the Izcaragua Country Club in Caracas, Venezuela,

Where did you go after graduating with your degree?

I originally wanted to stay in the United States to find a job after graduating, but my dad unfortunately passed away which left my mom alone in Venezuela. They had built a business there representing North American companies that had to do with artificial insemination in cattle. 

I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to use my degree in Venezuela because there aren’t any commercial equestrian facilities to manage. However, a few weeks after I moved back, I was approached by a lady who was a member of one of the most prestigious country clubs in the country. My friend had mentioned that I had just finished studying equine business administration in the United States and was looking for work. I brought her my resume and was offered the position to manage the entire equine sector of the country club. 

What was it like managing such a big facility?

There were about 115 horses there and about 40 employees to manage who were all older men – it was quite a lot to handle, but I learned so much at this job and I think it was a necessary step for moving up in my career. It also became fun as I got to teach lessons to children and new riders in the afternoon, which brought me so much joy. 

While this was going on, my mom had been working on maintaining the legacy left by my dad with the family business. After working at the club for three and a half years, I decided that it was in my best interest to resign from my job and went to help my mom continue growing upon my dad’s vision for the business. 

Bibi Diaz worked with the cows on her family’s farm after her father passed away.

How were you able to continue working with horses during this time?

Well, my amazing mom built me a stable on our cattle property for my OTTB and the two other horses that had been gifted to me by members of the country club. It gave me the opportunity to do my thing with my horses while also helping my mom with the cattle. We worked the cows, vaccinated, and bred them, all while I was able to work with my own horses. 

Everything was going great until the political atmosphere in Venezuela took a massive turn for the worse. Due to the new economic climate we were facing, people stopped buying cattle and there wasn’t any demand for bovine artificial insemination. My mom encouraged me to go back to the United States so that I could keep growing my career in equine administration. It took a bit of convincing because I wanted to stay and help, but I knew that more was waiting for me when it came to the horses, so I moved back to the States in 2002. 

Where have you taken your career since coming back to the United States?

Even though I had the experience, I had to start over from scratch, so I went back to the basics and took on a job in Maryland, grooming and cleaning stalls. That didn’t last very long, though, as my boss wasn’t very kind, so I left after four or five months and moved to Florida to stay with my best friend since childhood. At this point, it was summer time, so there weren’t many equestrian jobs available in Florida, so I began looking for jobs all over the country. 

When I got my degree from Johnson and Wales University, I had completed an internship with a woman in Connecticut who had a horse property – I called to ask her if she had an opening and she did, so I packed up once again and moved to Connecticut to work for her. Shortly after, we actually came back to Wellington for the winter season, which is how I ended up back in Florida. 

That winter, there was a March in Miami for the people of Venezuela, and a friend of mine from the country club was living there at the time. She invited me to attend, and I said yes – there I was with my Venezuelan flag marching when I heard someone call my name from a distance. I didn’t know anyone else in Miami so I was confused who could be calling for me, when I looked over my shoulder and saw one of the girls that I had taught riding lessons to at the club in Venezuela. 

Her parents had purchased a farm in Wellington and offered me a job working for them, which I accepted so that I could stay in the area. After a few months, a gentleman came to rent stalls from this family, so I began working for him. My work began to become much more intense as I groomed, submitted show entries, and managed the horses for this gentleman. However, his business began to fizzle out, and I was once again looking for a job. 

Luckily, I knew of a woman, Mrs. Shear, who had recently bought a farm in Wellington, as her son would come ride at my previous boss’ facility. I took a chance and called her to see if she was looking for someone to help manage her property, and she didn’t need someone to begin working for her until October of that year – another woman I knew from my previous job needed someone to care for her two horses in Pennsylvania, so I did that for the summer until October when I could start working for Mrs. Shear. 

Once October came around, what kind of role did you take on for Mrs. Shear?

I started slowly and just took on grooming responsibilities as she had a lead trainer and barn manager already hired. However, after working there for a year, both of those positions opened up – so I took on the full responsibility of training, managing, and grooming for the entire property. 

Mrs. Shear competed in dressage and her son did jumpers, so I did a little bit of absolutely everything – you name it, and I did it when it comes to the horse world. Every hat that one could wear when working at a farm, I wore at some point or another. Sixteen years working in this position allowed me so many opportunities to experience more than I ever thought possible. Spending my early adult life allowed me to meet so many people who would not only teach me so much, but would become lifelong friends as well. 

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 Pandemic caused Mrs. Shear to have to sell the farm. I remained jobless for around three months to take a break from working as a sort of mini sabbatical. After becoming bored of taking time off, I found a job working for a family that has multiple properties in Wellington – I currently manage their largest property. 

What advice would you give your younger self, aspiring to have a career working with horses?

Always work hard – never put in less than one hundred percent of your best effort, because when you put in anything less, especially when working with horses, bad things are bound to happen. Horses are sensitive animals that deserve the best we can possibly offer, never let anything get in the way of putting them first.

Mistruths, unfortunately, are also far too common in the horse industry so it can be tempting to be included in the lies. I would tell my younger self to never become involved with this, and to stay true to myself. Again, the horses should always come first – so don’t be afraid to hold your ground and remain truthful. This philosophy means that I’ve worked for very little during my career, but that never bothered me because I love what I do so much. I not only care about the horses with all my heart, but I value and respect the people I work for and with – making less money never bothered me because of how much I love my work. 

What moment from your career would you say was your biggest accomplishment?

When I was grooming for Mrs. Shear – herself, her trainer, and her horse, Galant, were on the trials for the Olympics in 2016. While our team wasn’t selected to go all the way, the journey of getting to that point was so incredible to experience. Everyone involved put their all into making sure all of the pieces were in place so that the horse and rider could perform at their best. 

So many long days were spent helping with extra training and caring for the horses with the utmost specificity – I learned so much about what it takes to make it all the way up to that position in the equestrian world. Again, even though we didn’t make it all the way to the Brazil Olympics, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

What impact has Corro had on transforming the equine retail experience?

I first heard about Corro when I passed by their storefront in Wellington – due to the current economic landscape, I had to take on a second job, and I walked by a sign that mentioned a new horse store was opening soon on my way to work. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the opening day because my mom was sick and I needed to help care for her. 

Even just walking by the store, it’s easy to tell that Corro is innovative and is changing the game when it comes to purchasing equine products. The space feels approachable and thoughtfully designed, making it easy for riders and horse owners to find what they need without feeling overwhelmed. There’s a sense of clarity and comfort in the way everything is laid out, which makes the experience more enjoyable than the typical errand run.

And what about HorseGrooms – how have they worked to improve the groom community?

When I first heard what HorseGrooms was doing, I was thrilled that there was finally a place for grooms and equine professionals alike to come together. Not only is there an online space for people to share their experiences and have easy access to reliable resources – but they also host in person events so that we can openly interact with each other. 

It’s amazing to see younger grooms having access to resources that I could have only dreamed of having when I was climbing the career ladder. Every event of theirs that I have been to, I’ve learned something new and met people that have given me great insights into the equine industry. Being part of this community now feels like giving my younger self the support I always needed, and that’s something truly special.

Corro About the Corro HorseGroom of the Month:

“At Corro, we know that behind every great horse is a dedicated groom. Many of us have worked as professional grooms ourselves, so we understand the skill, commitment, and passion it takes to care for horses at the highest level. That’s why we’ve partnered with HorseGrooms, the leading global platform for grooms, to recognize an outstanding professional each month.
Each Corro HorseGroom of the Month is selected from HorseGrooms Insiders, an exclusive membership for grooms looking to learn, grow, and connect with industry experts. Winners receive a $100 Corro gift card and are featured in this special interview, which we’re proud to share with the Corro community and on the HorseGrooms website.
“Join us in celebrating this month’s honoree and their incredible contributions to horse care!