After an exceptional day in his grooming career when his charge Katriona won the Southern Arches $140,000 CSI 3* Grand Prix, Rene Morillo Garcia was back at work the next morning and still feeling the excitement of the experience. “It was a good day for the whole team,” he said after Katriona took her first international victory with rider Peter Lutz on the Derby Field to close out week two of the Winter Equestrian Festival. “Everyone was excited. We celebrated a little last night but it was quite late when I finished and work comes first.”
13 Years With Lutz
Garcia has been with Peter Lutz for 13 years. Working for the USA Grand Prix rider was his first job when he arrived in the States from Mexico. In his home town there were plenty of horses around. “I would see them and pet them,” he said. “But I did not work with horses until I came here.”
Now 31, Garcia says he is still adding to his knowledge that he has gleaned over the years from many people. “Peter has a lot of grooms,” he said. “And I have learned about grooming from working with them.”
A Queen
Garcia has worked specifically with Katriona for four years and it has been a special connection for him, which comes across when he talks about his relationship with the mare. “I love Katriona – she is a special horse. I have spent four years looking after her and I have created a bond with her. And it has become something beautiful – taking care of her is like taking care of a queen.”
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Eakin of Paper Horse Media
An Unexpected Squall
Sunday’s class brought special challenges to the grooms when an unexpected squall sprung up over the Derby field, causing noise and distraction. Katriona, who had already jumped clear to qualify for the jump off, was waiting in the wings and Garcia said she was unphased. “The wind didn’t bother her,” he said. “I walked her around, she didn’t get excited. She was extremely relaxed. She knew it was show time.”
Emotions and Nerves
When Garcia watches from the ingate, he cannot help but feel emotional. “I get nervous,” he said. “I want everything to go smoothly.” Next weekend will be a further test of that, as Katriona is currently slated to go in the Saturday Night Lights NetJets CSI4* $215,000 Grand Prix. “That is the plan at the moment,” Garcia said. Katriona competed under the lights for the first time last year in week 11 at WEF in the $50,000 FEI 4* Hermes 1.50m Classic Series Final and was unlucky not to make the jump off. “She had two time faults,” Garcia said. “But she jumped well – and of course the time faults did not bother her.”
Treats For Katriona
As the winning groom at last Sunday’s Grand Prix, Garcia was the recipient of the Double H Farms. Winning Grooms award – a $500 check. “It was emotional,” Garcia said of the presentation. “And it gives me motivation.” The money he planned to spend on something special. “I will buy some treats for Katriona I think,” he said. “To reward her for being so good.”
Feature Photo courtesy of Sportfot
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.
