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“I believe that the Iron Dames-project has created a certain visibility and awareness; women can excel at the highest level,” Deborah Mayer tells World of Showjumping. “It is the message that we carry, and it's not an opposition between men and women. The beauty of equestrian sport is that men and women can compete on equal terms.”

Iron Dames, a project that Mayer (47) launched in 2018 when starting to support five female drivers in motorsport has expanded to a group of over 30 women. Today, 18 female drivers and 12 female riders – as well as more than 60 women – are active in various roles within the project. For the 2025 Global Champions League-season Iron Dames has signed up with two all-female teams wearing their signature pink colour. “Iron Dames is all about women; those active at all levels in the sport, and those in different capacities and functions – from grooms, veterinarians, engineers, mechanicians and marketing specialists. Our mindset is not limited to athletes. Of course, the athletes are important, but it's not only about them,” Deborah says. 

Deborah, originally from Paris, France, studied finance and management in France and worked in the investment and private bank sector for years before deciding to embark on a different path. “After leaving the banking industry, I created the Iron Dames project in 2018; first in the motorsport environment in endurance racing and then in 2023 in the equestrian world – specifically in jumping.”

I like to follow my dreams

“I'm a very passionate person,” Deborah tells about her decision to expand the Iron Dames project to equestrian sports. “I like to follow my dreams. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to re-join the equestrian world: When I was a child, horses were a passion of mine.”

The idea behind Iron Dames comes from Deborah’s own experience. “For years, I've been working on the training floor as one of the very few women active at that level. I've been very fortunate in my life; I always had mentors, coaches and people who have given me a hand and helped me to perform and thrive, to go to the next level – professionally and business wise. So, when I had the opportunity to give back, I wanted to focus on talented women. However, it took a lot of time and energy to figure out the best possible structure to do this in a sustainable way.”

The project first started in motorsport as it was a familiar environment for Deborah. “I'm very competitive and driving is one of my passions. Together with my husband, I am still very active in motorsport,” she tells.

When I had the opportunity to give back, I wanted to focus on talented women

Deborah sees many similarities between racing and jumping. “The approach is the same,” she says. “Naturally, in equestrian sports you are dealing with horses – living animals – whereas in racing you have cars. However, the approach the athletes have is very similar. Both are long-term projects; you cannot just jump in a car or sit in the saddle, it won't work. You need a long-term view, you have to train and strategize, create a professional set-up. The structure that you have around the athletes is very similar in both sports. The titles just change a bit; in jumping you have the groom, the vet and the coach, while in racing you have the engineer, the mechanician and the team manager. The approach needed in both sports is very professional.”

“The project is based on the long-term view and also on the generational transmission where the most experienced have to help the younger ones,” she continues. “In both motorsport and equestrian, we have athletes with different nationalities, ages and backgrounds. Our group is a combination of different personalities, characters, strengths and weaknesses – which makes it nice and interactive. Women who are part of the project, must fit in with the values that the project carries; excellence, hard work, performance and femininity.”

Femininity is one of the carrying forces for Deborah, who has opted to dress her teams in bright pink. “Sometimes people say that wearing pink is enforcing a stereotype, but we embrace it and we push for it. We like to dress in pink because it shows that you can compete at a high level, be competitive and win, and at the same time, be feminine and carry good, positive values.”

We are there on track but also off track; everyone supports each other

Iron Dames’ vision about team spirit goes beyond sport: “It's probably one of the most important aspects for me; I want to convey a family-like atmosphere,” Deborah explains. “We are all very competitive and doing our best to be perform, but we want to do it in a fair way within a professional structure – and we are all there to help each other. We are there on track but also off track; everyone supports each other, not only during the competition but also before and after.”

Deborah’s first season in the Global Champions League with the Iron Dames team was a rollercoaster of emotions. “It was an amazing experience, I loved every single second of it,” she recalls about the 2024-season, that saw Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames make history as the first-ever all-female team to win the overall GCL-title. “It was fun, and I loved seeing the positive energy of these talented women and their beautiful, magnificent horses. They are so elegant and powerful. 2024 was a very successful season and I hope we can continue in this way. However, ups and downs are part of life. We will do our utmost to succeed. However, this is a long-term project and I am not focused on short-term results.”

In 2024, Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames consisted of Natalie Dean, Katrin Eckermann, Kim Emmen, Sophie Hinners, Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann and Sanne Thijssen. With the exception of Emmen who has been replaced by Anastasia Nielsen, the team has remained the same for the 2025-season and after a strong start they now sit second on the current GCL standings. This year, Deborah has expanded the Iron Dames project even further by introducing a second GCL team – Monaco Comets powered by Iron Dames – with Jeanne Sadran, Edwina Tops-Alexander, Ioli Mytilineou, Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli, Ines Joly and Jörne Sprehe.

I'm happy to see that we now have two teams, but above all, I'm happy to see more and more women competing at the highest level in general

“It was an opportunity to welcome more talented women to the project,” Deborah tells about the ambitious move. “I'm happy to see that we now have two teams, but above all, I'm happy to see more and more women competing at the highest level in general. As an example, all the GCL-teams, with one exception, include at least one woman. We are also starting to see more women within the top 100, with the latest world ranking including 23 women in the top 100. I'm convinced that we'll see more women at the highest level in the future.”

“Especially in jumping, you see that the number of female riders in the younger age categories exceeds that of males. However, at a certain level, the pyramid is inverted, and the percentage of male athletes becomes higher than that of females,” Deborah says about the lack of women at the top of the rankings. "There are probably several reasons for that, one being that to perform at the highest level, you need to have someone supporting you. It is not possible to succeed alone in any sport; you need the advice and the infrastructure, and, most importantly, the horses. There are several aspects that come into play.”

One of the ways Deborah supports her athletes is providing them with the right horse power. Over the past two years, both well-established championship horses – such as Dubai du Cedre and Dialou Blue – as well as talented youngsters – such as Earl of Alice and Cascajall NRW – have been acquired for the Iron Dames’ team riders. Currently, 23 horses competing internationally carry the team’s prefix. 

“We have horses of different age, maturity and experience,” Deborah tells. “We have some well-known Grand Prix horses, but we also have many younger talents that will be produced step by step towards the highest level. We have a blend of different horses.”

The Iron Dames-project – generally and globally speaking – is not limited to the GCL

“They are not limited to the GCL, to the contrary,” Deborah says about the fact that the riders and horses representing the two GCL teams have no limitations on when and where they can compete. “They do a lot of regional and national competitions, and lately our riders have done more and more Nations Cups and World Cups as well. The GCL is a major championship for the Cannes Stars and the Monaco Comets, but the Iron Dames-project – generally and globally speaking – is not limited to the GCL. Our riders are active all around the world in all the championships and all types of competitions, whether it's in Europe, in the Middle East or in North America.”

“I think diversity is always good,” Deborah says about her view on the wide array of international competition that varies from the commercial approach of the GCL and Major League Show Jumping, to the more traditional, stand-alone Nations Cups, the FEI-named series and championships, the EEF Nations Cup-series, as well as the two series supported by Rolex. “It is healthy to have different views. In motorsport, we have different championships at the same time, set up by different promoters. I think it's very important to offer possibilities and opportunities to the athletes. If there is only one championship or one series, you risk limiting the entry only to the top of the top. At the beginning, there is always a start – even the best rider has started somewhere. It's important to have various choices and different pathways. Whatever the sport, the calendars are more and more filled in and it can get overwhelming. However, on the principle of having different championships and series, I think variety is positive.”

“I'm a passionate person and I always try to see things in a positive way,” Deborah says when asked how she sees the future of equestrian sport in general. “I think the equestrian world is evolving and developing, as many other sports are. However, change takes time, and it is important to have a long-term view.”

Everyone can dream, and dreams are feasible

“Since 2023, my first in the GCL, I've seen the sport evolve a lot. I see that the equestrian world is much more aware that there are talented women active in various different fields within the sport. The world can see that there are many beautiful opportunities that this environment can offer. It's the same in motorsport; there are so many career possibilities. That's another message we want to pass to the younger generations and their parents, the future of our world: There are opportunities and possibilities. Everyone can dream, and dreams are feasible.”

13.5.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.