Look near the in-gate at some of the biggest dressage shows as Steffen Peters rides into the ring, and you’ll see him. He’s Peters’ secret weapon—groom Eddie Garcia Luna.

And it’s not just Peters who’s bringing home accolades to the barn. Garcia Luna was named the Best Groom for 2015 by the Fédération Equestre Internationale.

Jose Eduardo, referred to by all who know him as “Eddie,” was born near Mexico City to a family steeped in horses. By the age of 7, he began helping out at home, learning how to ride and assist with barn chores.

After graduating from high school in 1995, he visited his brother Jose Hector in California for a month of vacation. He stayed to help out a friend of his brother’s, and Eddie said, “The United States has been home ever since.”

A meaningful figure in his life, his brother did more than just connect him to the job opening; he learned the trade from Jose Hector. Everything from “how to brush the horses, help with all the bridles, saddles, and tack. One of my brother’s friends taught me about medicines, wrapping and clipping,” Eddie said. He honed his skills with years of practice.

Eddie gained experience putting his skills to use in the jumper rings across California before he began working with Shannon Peters. Eventually, his responsibilities shifted to Steffen’s horses.

Eddie Garcia Luna hard at work.

A coming 10-year veteran of the Peterses’ Arroyo Del Mar in San Diego, Eddie moved to the dressage world in June of 2006. His reputation for world-class horsecare has been hard-earned, traveling to the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games, the 2012 Olympic Games, the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France, a dozen CDIs across Europe including the famous Aachen, Germany, and of course adding, “the 2016 Olympics, too, hopefully!”

Eddie begins his day before 6 every morning when he starts feeding Steffen’s string of show horses, including the now-famous Legolas and Rosamunde. “Always, Steffen is on Legolas at 6:30, then Rosie,” Eddie said.

In between tacking up and turning out, Eddie freshens water buckets and removes night wraps. After their ride, Steffen returns his steeds to Eddie’s expert care to have their every detail attended to; that, he says is the most important aspect of a groom’s work.

When asked if he had a favorite grooming trick, Eddie answered there’s no trick, just time. “You have to use the grooming to help them relax. When you have 45 minutes to get them ready, use all of it! I see kids only taking five minutes to groom, and that makes the horse nervous. The grooming is where you get to know them and learn the most about them,” he said.

The Favorites

Eddie knows all of his mounts incredibly well, saying that “every horse is my favorite, but Legolas is special because I have worked for him for five years. He’s like a child and loves to be pampered. He’s friendly with people and even more so when you give cookies!

“I like all of the horses, and even though Legolas is special, they all get the same special treatment,” he continued. His main two charges, Legolas and Rosamunde, both owned by Four Winds Farm LLC, boast impressive and growing resumes.

Legolas 92 took team and individual gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games (Toronto), finished as the reserve champion in the 2015 USEF Grand Prix National Dressage Championship presented by The Dutta Corp (after winning it in 2013 and 2014) and was named 2015 Adequan/USDF Dressage Horse of the Year for the fourth year running. Rosamunde took third at the 2015 National Championship in the Grand Prix after winning the championship in 2014 in the small tour. Eddie is the one behind the scenes making sure they’re both in top form and groomed to a glistening shine before they head down centerline.

That time spent growing a partnership with the horses is the same trust that allows him to lead the horses onto planes bound for major shows across the world. His sense of personal responsibility is evident as he shares stories of pointedly telling foreign lorry drivers to slow down because of their expensive and precious cargo.

When recalling his favorite memories, “Guadalajara for the Pan Ams [in 2011] was fantastic and had really great organization,” Eddie recalled. It’s hard to have a bad day when your boss comes away with medals and breaks records that still stand today.

“When Steffen wins a medal, I have a good day, too!” said Eddie.

Steffen Peters (left) and Eddie Garcia Luna with Peters’ gold medals from the 2011 Pan American Games. 

It’s not all labor and sweat, however. Eddie has had plenty of fun globetrotting with the U.S. dressage team over the years. “I think I have a video of Dr. Rick Mitchell snoring, just fast asleep, somewhere,” he said with a laugh. In his spare time, Eddie is a kitchen connoisseur, touting his grilling abilities and love for a good BBQ.

In The Big Leagues

It’s with that same humility that Eddie took the news this year that he was awarded the 2015 FEI Groom of the Year. “After the Pan Ams, the [U.S. team staff] said I should compete for Groom of the Year, but I see other grooms out there like Valegro’s groom [Alan Davies] and Beezie Madden’s groom [Clark Shipley], and I think to myself, ‘I will never win that.’ ”

When Eddie got the call that he won, he asked “Really? Are you sure?!” at least three times before he accepted his recognition. “That made me really emotional because it’s a really good award. I thank them for recognizing the grooms because it can be really hard work,” he said. Eddie was flown to Puerto Rico in November to accept the award from the FEI.

Eddie Garcia Luna accepting his FEI Groom of the Year award from Bo Derek. Photo from FEI.

As for the future, Eddie is preparing the horses just as Steffen is with Rio in mind. “Maybe when Steffen retires, I’ll retire too, but maybe not,” he said. “I like the grooming, and I’m really happy working for Steffen. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I just love the horses.”