It's Time for the UAE Equestrian Community to Vote

Spend a season around UAE stables and you learn something quickly: this community helps each other and bands together like no other.

Now we have a chance to show that spirit on a world stage. Shahrouk Khan, a UAE-based dressage groom who works with rider Gabrielle Thompson, is one of just four finalists in the world for the 2026 FEI Cavalor Best Groom Award. Public voting is open now, and it closes on November 1, 2026.

From a Village in India to the UAE Show Ring

Shahrouk grew up in a small village in India, and loved animals from the time he was a small boy. His start with horses came when a friend took him to a stable about 50 kilometres from home, where he spent three months as an assistant.

In 2018 he moved to Dubai. He spent his first three years at another yard, then joined Gabrielle Thompson in 2022. He has been part of her team ever since.

He did not arrive as an expert, but he quickly learned by watching the senior grooms, asking endless questions and staying late to understand each horse.

One of his proudest moments was his first trip outside the UAE to compete with Gabrielle.

All the horses have a strong bond with him. He lets them be a horse and understands their herd mentality and their needs as horses and not as athletes or pets.

Sharouk really came into his skin in our last summer competition season in Europe. Becoming more worldly, seeing grooms from other walks of life and seeing deeper into the horse world outside of the UAE really helped him flourish. -Gabrielle Zaal

His Care and Passion for his Horses is Obvious

Many of us remember the storm that turned Dubai's roads into rivers and left cars under water and stranded across the city. For horse people, it was a night of worried phone calls that no one wants to receive.

Shahrouk got one of those calls. Some horses were stuck on the highway near the stables. He waded through deep water to reach them, and they were found safe. He has said he was scared, but all he could think about was the horses.

This is the kind of moment that defines a community. When something goes wrong here, people do not wait to be asked. They pick up the phone, get in the truck and go. Shahrouk did exactly that.

All our attention is on Sharouk at the moment but if it wasn’t for his mentor Bilal and our excellent team and their ability to respect and learn from one another I don’t think we could have come this far. I am extremely proud of the environment we are creating and I hope this can feed through into a wider community. -Gabrielle Zaal

The Groom Who Notices

Ask Shahrouk what makes a great groom and his answer is simple: "A great groom is someone who notices." To him, the job is far more than feeding and mucking out. It is spotting a horse that isn't eating normally, a stride that looks slightly different, or an eye that has lost its brightness.

He believes a groom has to stay calm, because horses pick up on the people around them. And he says the horse always comes first, which sometimes means having the courage to speak up when something is not right.

His advice to anyone thinking about the job is honest:

Expect early starts, late finishes and no weekends. But if you truly love horses, it will not feel like work. Keep learning about behavior, feeding and first aid, and work on your English.

What stands out most is where he wants to go next. Alongside learning more about how horses move, eat and stay well, he hopes to one day train young men from villages like his, both in India and here in the UAE. His goal is to help them groom to international standards and raise the level of the whole profession. That is community thinking at its best: success he wants to share.

To me Sharouk has always been someone that had a love for horses but it’s been watching him grown in confidence for his knowledge that has been the most rewarding thing to see. Sharouk is shy and was often quietly getting his work done, now he’s pulling people up on their work (me included, always!), chirpy, bright and bubbly around the yard. -Gabrielle Zaal

It's Time to Vote UAE Equestrian Community!

At a show, the applause goes to the horse and rider. Few people see the groom who was up at 4am, packed the truck, made sure the horse slept well and walked it for an hour after the class. Shahrouk has said this nomination makes grooms like him feel seen. He has dedicated it to his family, to Gabrielle for believing in him, and to every groom working hard behind the scenes.

Reaching the world's top four is already a huge achievement. Now the UAE horse community can do what it does best and rally!

Vote for Shahrouk Khan at fei.org/awards. Voting closes on November 1st, 2026, so there are only a few days left. It takes less than a minute.

Then pass it on. Share this with your yard WhatsApp chat, your riding club and your stable friends (cats included). Every vote counts, and nothing would say "UAE community" more than seeing one of our own grooms take home the title.

Shahrouk's full interview was first published by the International Grooms Association.