Germany’s Lisa Sorg, 21, has been around horses all her life. She started working with Belgium’s Emilie Conter, just over a year ago. Since then she has been part of the accelerated journey of Portobella van de Fruitkorf and Emilie, from their first three-star in St Tropez, France, followed by their first five-star in the Nations Cup in Ireland, and now at the Winter Equestrian Festival, their first five-star win, at last weekend’s Saturday Night Lights.
What led to your job working with Emilie Conter?
I was looking for a change and I heard about this position with Stephex Stables on Instagram. I contacted the team and they took me on quickly. I started to work for them in Belgium on the first of April 2024 and then traveled with them throughout the year before coming to Wellington. This is my second year here, but first full season in Florida.
How would you describe Portobella’s personality?
She is really special. She has her moments. She is really, really nice - we call her Bella. And, well, she can really be a chestnut mare.
She loves horses. She doesn’t like to go to people that she doesn't know, but the people she knows she really loves and appreciates I have the feeling.
For the night class she knows when she’s going to the ring. When I start to plait her in the box, she’s really relaxed and she sleeps but when I tack her up - she knows.
How did you prepare Portobella for the $500,000 CSI5* Grand Prix during Winter Equestrian Festival’s [WEF] ‘Saturday Night Lights’
In the morning I come to the stable and feed her and take her out for a long walk and then Emily comes to ride her at lunchtime. And then most of the time we just leave her so that she can rest. Sometimes we take her out by hand to eat grass, but most of the time we just leave her until I have to start to prepare her for the night class.
I started getting her ready around two hours before. And then I let her rest a little bit so she can eat and drink and do whatever she wants. Then I take her up like, half an hour before. When I go to the ring I don’t say to myself oh she's going to jump clear. I just go there and say, okay, however she jumps, she is great.
What do you love most about your job?
I love the horses. Pretty much my job is my whole life. I'm just doing the horses. I don't really have time for anything else. I sometimes spend time with my friends, but I really just do the horses. They change our lives and we live for the sport at the end.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to work as a groom at the top level of the sport?
You have to be passionate. You have to work really hard and you need to love your job. If you don't love your job, I think it's not the right job for you.
If you work over normal hours. You have to be okay with this. You have to love to work long hours. After the night class at Wellington, I will be at the stable until 1am taking care of the horse. I will get home at 1.30am and then get up and go to the barn.
You have to love it and put everything into it at the end to do a great job.
This article is a collaboration between Wellington International, Paper Horse and HorseGrooms.
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