I BELIEVE that the key to success in what I do is to treat athletes and grooms the way you would like to be treated yourself,” says FEI Jumping Steward General, Gerry McCloskey. “Other stewards have different ideas, but I think there must be mutual respect between athletes and officials.”

Of course, in this role, McCloskey is first to admit that the welfare of the horse is paramount, but you must not abuse your power, he says. “The FEI mandate is, help, prevent and intervene and we as stewards need to stick to these principles, while of course looking after these animals.”

In 2017, three appointments were made to the FEI and Gerry McCloskey was one of these; the other appointees were Gillian Kyle (FEI Eventing Steward) and Dermot Forde (FEI National Head of Veterinary).

“It was a very proud moment for me and a testimony to the work that I have done. I enjoy the role and I do it to give something back to the industry and for the love of the horses. It’s a very proud moment when you get to walk a victorious Irish team into the winner’s enclosure,” said McCloskey.

The Derry native has spent 15 years stewarding at shows and it’s a job that he enjoys immensely. Although he was a latecomer to horse riding, he has made up for the time lost, in recent years.

“I was the only one in my family with an interest in horses and I was 19 when I got my first horse and really began to ride. I wasn’t that great to start off, but having hit the ground a few times, I soon learnt how to ride and went on to compete on the national circuit in show jumping. Now I try to ride about three times a week and I hunt with the Donegal Harriers,” Gery explained.

Stewarding career

McCloskey’s interest in stewarding began in 2005 when he took a course in what was stewarding, judging and general care of horses. The course was held in The Ambassador Hotel in Kill and was given by Paul Weier and Francis Triulzi.

“This course was the starting point and it gave him an appetite for more. That August, he was asked to steward at Dublin Horse Show under the guidance of the Chief Steward, John Chambers.

“My first international show was in Nice, France and that was also in 2005 and it was a great experience. It all seemed to happen at once and I found myself wanting to do more. In Ireland there are about 10 stewards that now travel to shows around the world and I was also proud to be one of these.”

One of Gerry’s most vivid memories is the time that he was a Chief Steward in Tyron.

“I remember how hot it was and how it made things harder to compete and work in. We had to be up at 5am even though competition didn’t start until 8am. All the stables had two fans with the horses to keep them cool. It was very difficult.

“Without a doubt, the best show in the world is the Dublin Horse Show. When I am stewarding at other international shows, riders always speak highly about Dublin and they all want to ride there. It is my favourite show in the world. It will be missed this year, but next year, it will come back even better.

“The staff in the RDS do a fantastic job at bringing this five-star show together and I would like to thank them for making this such an enjoyable show to work at.”

Planes, trains and automobiles

In normal times from January onwards, it’s a case of trains, planes and automobiles for Gerry as the role takes him around the world to various events.

“I have travelled all over Europe from Finland in the north to Spain in the south and all the countries in between. I would normally spend from February to March in Spain at Vejer de la Frontera. This was the first of the Sunshine Tours and David Broom was instrumental in getting this off the ground.

“At the tour I am responsible for 19 stewards. This year the tour was cut short due to the pandemic. It’s a busy tour, with competitions every day and over 2,500 horses competing. There are 20 arenas and they alternate the areas during show days. It’s an early start and sometimes it’s nine in the evening when you finish and you work seven days a week.’’

Improving system

Occasionally, McCloskey would travel to observe the stewarding team and report back to the FEI on how the team operated.

“This can be beneficial for me and the teams as you can share knowledge. This is another way that the FEI works to improve and help stewards. The FEI is always working on improving systems and we have Apps with up to date rules. This along with the IJRC keeps us on top of regulations.

“Through IJRC and in conjunction with FEI, we attend annual seminars. These take place in various countries and run from Friday to Monday and encompass updates on judging and stewarding requirements and any technical changes. In 2018 I also attended the Global Equestrian Forum in Aachen and this was a five-day seminar.

“In this role, you are always learning. You are learning to the day you die. We need to watch the horses, the arenas, the stables and you can’t become complacent. In many situations, you can just tell when a horse is uncomfortable and this can be in the arena or a stable.

“New types of tack mean that you need to be extra vigilant in terms of possible breaches of regulations. We have the authority to check any horse once they are on the showgrounds. We can do our job well and internationally we are supported at home by the SJI and the HSI, who are very helpful,’’ he said.

Gerry is well respected in his role and the job allows him to meet people from all walks of life. “I have made great friendships in this role and I would say that 99% of riders respect you. Like everything, you need to gain the respect of your team working around you. I have a motto, and that is explained in the anagram TEAM - T for together, E for everyone together, A for Achieve what you can and M for more.’’

Gerry also acts as a national steward as well as having a seat on the Showjumping Ireland Executive and being the chair of the veterinary committee. “As I am also a stewarding on the national circuit, I feel that it’s important to contribute to these committees.’’

The pandemic has seen shows disappear off the calendar and Gerry believes that there will be very little happening in terms of travel outside Ireland. “I feel that international shows will use stewards close to home, rather than ask international officials to travel. At home, both the SJI and HSI have laid down protocols that we must follow, as has the FEI.

“Hopefully things will return to some normality and that we will be able to travel to foreign shows, but until then we can use this time to develop our national system and home internationals.’’

Like most officials, even course designers, the prospect of travelling to foreign shows is not on the agenda at the moment. Now many are using the time to officiate at shows on the national circuit.

Although Gerry is no doubt missing the travel, he is using this time to catch up with his interests at home, while enjoying his time working at national shows.