Callum Jones - Stud Groom

Like countless young people before him, 19-year-old Callum Jones is gaining the ultimate grounding in equine skills as a stud groom at Cambridge Stud.

He is in his fourth year at New Zealand’s most famous nursery where he has worked with a host of valuable stallions, broodmares and potential champions.

“I love it,” says Callum without hesitation. “I’ve learnt so much in the time I’ve been here and I’m looking forward to everything else there is to pick up on.”

Growing up as the son of Allan Jones, a member of the senior management at fellow Cambridge establishment Windsor Park Stud, Callum had a fairly good idea of life in the bloodstock industry well before he decided on pursuing it as a career.

As well as being in a position to observe day-to-day life at Windsor Park, he also helped out nearby horse-breaker and sales preparer Dean Hawthorne when school hours permitted.

“I talked it over with Dad and decided it would be a good experience to work somewhere else, so that’s basically why I ended up at Cambridge Stud,” he says.

Callum has already had the opportunity of overseas experience, having spent time last year during quieter periods at Cambridge working at Australian operations Lindsay Park and Collingrove Stud.

The modern bloodstock world has seen traffic in not only shuttle stallions between hemispheres but also staff travelling in either direction to meet the demand s of busy breeding and sale times. That’s something that Callum envisages partaking in also, but when the time is right.

“I’ve worked with some of the grooms that have come from Europe and other places and I’d love to be able to do the same as they and others from New Zealand have,” he says. “Ireland sounds like it would be a good place to go to for a season.”

Callum recently graduated from the training course overseen by the Waikato branch of the NZTBA with a certificate in equine specialising in thoroughbred breeding.

“I learnt a lot doing the course and it was good to be able to qualify at the same time as working on the job. All that will help me in the future, especially if I get to go overseas.”