The Hunter ring is renowned for its ‘hurry up and wait’ vibe as classes move sedately through the show day. The wait was a particularly long one last week for Hunter groom Luis Escalera after his charge Cellestino went midway through the $25,000 USHJA International Hunt & Go Derby, presented by LeMieux, and took the lead, leaving rider Jennifer Hannan and her team on tenterhooks until the class was over.
Nervous
“After his round I went back to the barn with him to clean him up and wait for the end of the class,” said Escalera. “I was watching the rest of the class and the results on my phone. I was very nervous.”
Hannan’s and Cellestino’s score of 188 proved sufficient to stave off the competition and leave the whole team including owner Stephanie Bulger and her mother Louise Riggio, with a well-earned victory. “There were some very good horses and riders competing after our round,” said Escalera. “We had a great score and we were confident but you never know and we were happy for it to be over so we knew that we won.”
Twenty Years of Experience With Hunters
Escalera has worked with Hunters for 20 years and for Bulger and Rigio, for some 19 of those. “They are my favorite bosses,” he said. He grew up in Mexico where his family had racehorses. But if horses in general were not unfamiliar to him when he arrived in the States, Hunter horses were. “You have to pay attention to Hunters – to their paces, their conformation, to make sure they are calm at the show so they jump well and clear,” he said. “Racehorses don’t have to be perfect – Hunters do.”
Learning to Understand Cellestino
Escalera, 50, has come to love his role. “I have more contact with the Hunters, because I spend more time with them and I can get to know them better like a good friend,” he said. Cellestino – aka Cello in the barn – needed the extra degree of attention and patience, which Escalera has given him for the year or so that he has been in his care. “At first he was very fresh,” he said of the 11-year old warmblood gelding by Cornet Obolensky, a stallion renowned for his powerful personality. “He wasn’t wild but he had a lot of energy and you need to pay attention. Now he has learned a lot and he is much calmer. He is really charming and sweet. He is an incredible horse and he really loves to jump.
Calm, Routine, and Attention to Detail
Teaching Cello to take life easier was a concerted effort between Escalera and the rest of the team. The good news, said Escalera, is that “he is super intelligent. He learns really quickly when you teach him something. I spend time grooming him and chatting to him to keep him calm. I don’t know if he understands what I am saying, but I think he does.”
One quirk in his behavior that has not been overturned is his dislike of crowds – not of people but of horses. “He loves people but doesn’t like to be around a lot of other horses,” said Escalera. “He has a lot of personality and he needs space to be quiet. If we are around a lot of other horses at the show, I really have to pay attention, because he gets stressed and nervous.”
Like many horses he has his sensitive areas. “He loves being brushed,” said Escalera, “but he does not like you touching his stomach.”
Favorite Bosses
Just four weeks in and with a win under their belt, Escalera is feeling blessed. Jennifer is a great person and an absolute professional,” he said. “We are very happy and grateful for this season. It is wonderful working for Louise and Stephanie. They are very special people and they are my favorite bosses.”
Looking Ahead to Hunter Week
Not yet midway through the Winter Equestrian Festival, the team now set their sights on Week 6 – the World Championship Hunter Rider week, commonly referred to as ‘Hunter week’. Hannan and Cellestino hope to qualify so they can return to the site of their victory – the International Arena – this time floodlit for Saturday Night Lights and the Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular. “All the classes at WEF are intense,” said Escalera. “But now we are excited to see what happens in Hunter Week.”
Feature photo courtesy of Bridgette Ness Photography
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, go to www.horsegrooms.com/get-involved
Sarah Eakin has a long history of sports reporting and covering equestrian disciplines – particularly show jumping, polo, racing and dressage – for a range of international publications as writer and editor-in-chief. In 2024, Sarah launched Paper Horse – an online magazine with an eclectic mix of stories from the horse world at www.paperhorsemedia.com. Paper Horse is an official Media Partner of Wellington International. Sarah was born in England and came to the US in 1996 as Sidelines’ Polo Editor; at the time she was chief polo writer at the Horse and Hound and Polo Correspondent to The Daily Telegraph. She married US professional polo player Gary Eakin and stayed Stateside traveling throughout North America while covering equestrian events. She is also an author; Wed, White and Blue, her first novel is on Amazon.
