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Bettina Cardinael wins the Best Groom award at the 2024 FEI Awards

FEI Awards 2024 Winners: Bettina Cardinael

18 November 2024

Meet the groom behind Lara De Liedekerke-Meier’s recent successes…

Bettina Cardinael has been recognised as the world’s top groom for 2024 after a stunning year working with Belgian Olympian Lara De Liedekerke-Meier.

 

French national Cardinael scooped the Cavalor FEI Best Groom prize during last week’s 2024 FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines.

 

It was a much-deserved honour for Cardinael, who has played a vital role in eventer De Liedekerke-Meier’s recent successes. The Belgian won her first CCI5* in Lumühlen and then finished an impressive 13th in the Individual Eventing competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Her consistency has helped her rise to No.4 in the World rankings.

 

While Liedekerke-Meier was at her best on the competition field, Cardinael was working hard behind the scenes during this milestone year. She ensured Lumühlen winner Hooney d’Arville and Olympian Origi were at their best ahead of these huge shows.

 

“I love working with Lara; she is hardworking, human and kind to her horses,” Cardinael said.

 

“This year has been both challenging and exciting, and I could see that our team was destined for great things. I am very happy to have contributed to this success and to be recognised with this award.”

Pathway to the top

After her first experience working with horses in France, Cardinael moved to England for a while, grooming for Ludwig Svennerstal. She then decided to go freelance which allowed her to work alongside some amazing athletes, top-class and up-and-coming, from around the world. This is also how she came to work for Liedekerke-Meier at Arville Sporthorses.

 

Cardinael did a couple of events with the Belgian and was quickly offered a full-time position which she did not hesitate to accept, as she saw a lot of herself in Liedekerke-Meier, including her love of the sport and horses.

 

 

Cardinael received her Cavalor FEI Best Groom from Cavalor Brand & Customer Experience Manager, Monique Vanhal (pictured). On winning her award, she gave an insight into how to prepare a horse for the biggest show on Earth!

 

She said: “I have always loved Lara’s horse, Origi, and he has improved so much over the past year. The special relationship between the horse and groom is developed at home but becomes more evident at shows. At home we try to follow the same routine every day in their schedule, and I love creating little habits with the horses that I can replicate at shows to make them feel confident.”

 

The other shortlisted nominees for the Cavalor FEI Best Groom prize were Lisa Fundis (GER), who works with Philipp Weishaupt; Mette Klose Nielsen (DEN), who works with Jens Lasse Dokkan; and Pille-Riin Roosileht (EST), who works with Zsolt Rimarcsik.

 

Subscribe to the FEI’s YouTube channel for more great athlete interviews, live action, and features that reflect the rich diversity of the equestrian world…

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