When David Bermudez first came to the United States from Caracas, Venezuela in 1994, he was 21 years old, he didn’t speak English, and he was looking for a job. So he looked for horses.  

“I grew up around horses my whole life. My dad had horses that I used to ride, western horses, but never anything like this here, nothing so sophisticated,” Bermudez said, referring to the hunter/jumper show circuit. 

So it made sense for Bermudez to look for a job in the world he knew—he got a part-time job cleaning stalls at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club in Darien, Conn. Bermudez had his eye on the grooms, though, the ones who worked more directly with the horses and traveled to shows.

“When I started doing stalls I saw what they do with the horses, and thought, ‘Oh, I can do this,’ ” Bermudez said. “I started out not knowing English or anything, because when I worked at home [in Connecticut] it was just Spanish guys around me, so I was just only speaking Spanish. But when I started going to the horse shows it was all Americans and myself. I just really practiced and picked it up at the horse shows.” 

It was around the horse show stables and rings that Bermudez really started to make a name for himself and catch the attention of some big up-and-coming riders—including grand prix star Georgina Bloomberg.

Bloomberg met Bermudez through her friend during her junior years, Jill Betuker. “He took care of her pony and junior hunter and that’s when I first met him,” Georgina Bloomberg said. “I remember being very jealous of [Jill] for having him groom for her—he was such a nice guy and such a great groom. She always thought it was so special to have him helping her. All the other riders, but especially me, were very jealous that she got to have David taking care of her horses.”

David Bermudez is a skilled horseman with a quick sense of humor.

As Bloomberg’s luck would have it, Bermudez started working at Old Salem Farm when she moved into the junior hunters, and he took care of her mount, Dialog L.  

“I was very pleased after all those years, because he was somebody who even at a young age I really respected as a horseman,” Bloomberg said. “I knew that he was a special groom and just a great guy to have around.”

Jeffrey Welles trained and rode a number of Bloomberg’s horses in the beginning of her jumper career, and Bermudez took care of those horses as well. Riviera, Bloomberg’s mount for North American Young Rider Championships gold and one of her first grand prix horses, was one of his charges. 

Georgina Bloomberg on Riviera at the 2003 North American Young Riders Championships. Photo by Beth Rasin

“He was not the easiest horse to manage in the beginning, and David did a great job with him,” Welles said. “And the horse ended up being a really good horse for Georgina.” 

Watching the horses he cares for day in and day out go in the show ring and win is particularly thrilling for Bermudez. He now works for Welles

“What I love most about it is when they do well in the ring, because I know I’ve been part of it,” Bermudez said. “And a rider like Jeffery, he wins a lot, so it’s kind of fun.” 

“He’s competitive but in a very nice way,” Bloomberg said of Bermudez. “He really loves the horses he takes care of and really appreciates seeing them win, but I appreciated the fact that he was always very supportive of me as a rider even when I messed up or didn’t win.”

Bloomberg bought a private farm for her jumpers and moved from Old Salem in 2002, and Bermudez stayed on with Welles to care for his horses at Triton Ventures Stables, based in Brewster, N.Y. During a stint where Welles was in need of more riders on staff, Bermudez briefly went back to work at Ox Ridge, but Welles invited him back on board with Triton a few years later. Bermudez, 42, has been there ever since—for more than 10 years.  

David Bermudez (right) with Jeffery Welles at the ring.

“It’s been a very a long relationship and he’s just such a great guy, not just with the horses but he’s a great person to be around and work with,” Welles said. “He’s super trustworthy, and I consider him a very good friend as well.” 

“It’s rare to have someone that’s so dedicated and loyal,” Welles continued. “And I feel very lucky that his loyalty is with me.” 

This is an article in Groom Spotlight, a new series of groom profiles to be featured on www.coth.com. Make sure to follow www.coth.com and like the Chronicle’s Facebook page to see them posted. If you know a fantastic groom you’d like to see appear in this series, email molly@coth.com.