FINALIST PROFILE
2021 EQUESTRIAN VICTORIA
GROOM OF THE YEAR FINALIST
MONIQUE JOHNSTONE
JUMPING
MEET MONIQUE
Monique has been the number one strapper for her dad Russell Johnstone and his team of showjumpers at shows around the country for the past 12 months. Monique has always inadvertently helped out at shows over the years but this year has stepped up to grooming at major events like Sydney Royal.
Her cheerful, organised manner helps get the horses and her dad to the ring with their game faces on. She prides herself on understanding the horses’ idiosyncrasies and how they are feeling, keeping her eyes peeled for any changes, plus keeping them safe and confident.
Monique grooms for showjumpers up to 1.60 level. Recent top events include Sydney Royal with three horses competing in Part 1, 2 and 3 and the Jumping Victoria State Titles with horses in the Senior and Mini Prix sections.
She is “always on” and proactive when grooming, making sure the horses needs are met and that she is organised, especially when there are multiple horses in a class with a jump off. She is aware of the important role she plays in the team’s result, by maintaining a positive environment for the horses to be confident and calm, helping the rider feel assured with a consistent system and routine, and being there to celebrate the highs and jump to action for any lows.
Monique has a strong emphasis on keeping the horses happy and relaxed while away at competitions and strives to learn more to improve their welfare. Monique has developed relationships with feed and supplement companies to tailor to the needs of each horse. She can often be seen zooming along on the bike, racing between the practice and competition arenas and filming every round to send videos to the horses’ owners and everyone at home, then racing off again for the next round.
Monique does it all with a smile and still fits in some rounds on her horse Banjo.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Level of competition in which horses compete
- Training and self development undertaken/acquired
- Demonstrated ability to multi task, work under pressure and show initiative above and beyond job specifications
HOW TO VOTE
Before casting your vote we’d like you to get to know our finalists by reading their profiles below.
You’ll also need your membership number, so have it handy when you’re ready to make your selections. We also ask that you look at the criteria listed for each category and use these points to make your decision – remember, it’s not about just being a nice person!
When you are ready to cast your vote, simply click on the VOTE NOW button.
VOTING ELIGIBILITY
You must have been a financial member at some point during the 2019/2020 membership year to be eligible to cast a vote. You are only able to submit ONE voting form per category. The following will be deemed void and will be removed:
- duplicate votes in a category by the same member
- unfinancial members (as per time period above)
- invalid or incorrect membership numbers
