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At only 25, Nina Mallevaey has worked her way up to sit 58th on the Longines Rankings – as the 10th best female rider in the world. Winning the 2025 French Pro Elite Championship in Fontainebleau last week with Nikka vd Bisschop, with strong competition from the best riders in France, Mallevaey demonstrated that she has become a force to be reckoned with. 

Starting up in her family’s backyard with a Shetland pony, Nina developed a deep passion for horses and at 18 she left home to work full-time as a rider. Little did she know that only a few years later, she would be jumping five-star Nations Cups for France. “If anyone would have told the 14-year-old me that all of this would happen, I would never have believed it,” Nina smiles. 

“It all started because of my father, who has always been passionate about horses,” Nina tells. “He had a normal job, but would always have one or two horses at home where he had five small stalls at the end of the garden and a little ring to ride in. When I was little, my parents got me a Shetland pony and from there on I went to the local pony club in Willems, run by Dominique Callens. When I was 12, my father found me a really nice horse – Xilote – to compete with in the children’s classes and I ended up doing the European Championships in 2013 when I was 13 years old. That was my first experience with the sport at a higher level.”

My parents sacrificed a lot for me

 

“I don’t come from an equestrian family, but they were very invested in me and tried to support me in their own capacity,” Nina tells. “My parents sacrificed a lot for me, drove me to the shows nearly every weekend and tried to find good horses that were affordable so I could keep doing the sport.”

“I also got some very good ponies to ride, thanks to François Pelamatti, the Watrin-Brault-family and the Tachet-family. I was not doing ponies at all at that time, as my dad thought it was better to do the horses with the future in mind. However, when the offer came up for me to ride these great Grand Prix ponies it was a unique opportunity to gain experience. It was an amazing time, and I did two European Championships for ponies,” Nina tells.

“My parents were adamant I finish school, but as soon as I was done, I took a job at Ecurie Chev’el with the Sadran-family,” Nina tells. “I was 18 at the time, and I stayed there for three years. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. Before arriving at Ecurie Chev’el, I had never had my own groom or a trainer – I had always taken care of my horses myself and it was my father who trained me. At Chev’el, I got a groom and was trained by Eric Louradour and Julien Epaillard – it was a completely different set-up than I was used to, and it taught me so much.”

“When I was 21, I decided it was time for a change, but I actually didn't know where to go or what to do next,” Nina tells. “At the time, I had a few days off and went to Knokke Hippique with a friend to watch. There I met Stephan Conter who suggested to me to ask for a job at Torrey Pines, Eric Lamaze’s stable. I was terrified by the thought of walking up to Eric and ask him for a job; he did not know me at all and I’m a shy person. At the end of the day, my friend Joy who was there with me literally had to push me to walk over, and it was really a case of counting 1-2-3 and then jump into it,” Nina laughs. “When I look back, I think that was the best decision of my life!”

When I look back, I think that was the best decision of my life

“Eric was very nice with me, and I got a trial set up,” Nina recalls. “I think I rode about ten horses. At the end of the day, he said I could start the job the next morning and that was it!”

“Only a few weeks later, Eric told me to enter the Stephex Brussels Masters. I got to take Nikka vd Bisschop with me – who was eight at the time – and Coco Bongo – who had already jumped at the 2015 Pan Ams with Eric where they won team gold. It felt like a dream!” Nina smiles. “I mean, Coco Bongo had jumped everywhere in the world, and to have that kind of experienced horse was so special. And with Nikka, I could already feel all the scope and the power that has made her the horse she is today. That was also the start of my adventure with the Rein-family, as they owned Nikka already back then.”

“A big challenge for me at the beginning was my lack of English,” Nina smiles. “In the winter of 2022 we went to Wellington, and it was really difficult for me. I could hardly get out a ‘Hello’ when I met Tara and Mark Rein for the first time, so I had to force myself to learn the language.”

Fast forward to 2025, Nina speaks fluent English and is working full-time for the Rein-family who has offered incredible support to the super-talented French rider. Today, Nina is the rider of the Rein-family’s best horses Nikka vd Bisschop – that jumped at the 2024 Olympic Games with Canada’s Erynn Ballard, and at the 2022 World Championships and 2023 Pan Am Games with Canada’s Beth Underhill – Dynastie de Beaufour and My Clementine. “It still feels like a dream,” Nina smiles. “Although I work for them, I feel more like we're just a big family. I don't feel like I'm employed, and that they are my employers – it’s more a feeling of being family and friends so it's an amazing environment to be in.” 

I have a fantastic group of horses

 

“Three years ago, Tara and Mark gave me the opportunity to do the Global Champions Tour – which has helped me to gain experience in the bigger classes and also to climb on the world ranking,” Nina explains. “Competing on the GCT circuit has been invaluable; I have learned so much and it gave me an access to the five-star circuit that I would not have had otherwise. Just being able to watch the best riders in the world working with their horses on the flat, and warming up with them, has taught me so much.”

“Last year, I started to ride My Clementine and Dynastie de Beaufour” Nina tells. “Having horses like that who have everything you need has made a huge difference for me, and it of course makes everything easier. Now, I have Nikka to ride too – so I have a fantastic group of horses!”

“They are all super kind and sweet horses, but different as competitors,” Nina explains. “Dynastie and Nikka are both big, scopey horses, while Clementine has a bit more blood, likes to go fast and is the more spicey one of the three. Nikka has seen everything already, so there is nothing that really impresses her, and Dynastie is kind of the same. Clementine has a big character, is more sensitive than the other two and can be a bit sharper or more spooky when she gets to a new place. All three are very competitive horses though; when I enter the ring, I can feel that they know where they are, and they know it’s time to perform. They feel the atmosphere, and they grow – especially if they jump under the lights or when there are a lot of spectators. It’s as if they know it’s important. I’m so lucky to have the three of them, and now having both Dynastie and Nikka for the big classes gives me the opportunity to ask a bit less of each of them.”

Nikka is such an amazing horse, and it’s a dream to ride her

“If anyone would have told me that I one day would have Nikka to ride again, I would not have believed it,” Nina smiles. “Nikka is such an amazing horse, and it’s a dream to ride her. Already back when I rode her as an 8-year-old, she was my favourite, and we had a special relationship.”

“Even though I have not been riding them for that long, I think I have managed to develop a good relationship with all of them,” Nina tells about the three mares that are now part of her A-squad. “I like to spend a lot of time with my horses in the barn, building a relationship on the ground as well – not just riding them. I believe that helps me getting to know them better. It’s really nice and important to have a team around to help you, but I do think that as a rider you also need to be a proper horseman or horsewoman yourself if you want to be successful. Although I now have grooms and a big team around me, without whom I couldn’t do all this, I still enjoy grooming the horses myself, cleaning the stalls sometimes and just spend time with them. It helps you get to know the horses, and this way you will also understand faster if there is something unusual in their behaviour. I think it’s important to not only be concerned about the riding.”

“I also feel so lucky that I have been able to learn from all these great horse people and trainers that I have met over the last years. From Eric Louradour, who was my first trainer at Ecurie Chev’el, I learned to focus on my own position and how to work the horses properly,” Nina tells. “He installed some very important basics in me.”

“Julien Epaillard, who I also trained with during my time at Ecurie Chev’el, had a huge impact on me – he is very natural and simple in the way he approaches riding, but also so into details when it comes to equipment and tack. His attention to details made me focus on little things that I would not have paid attention to when I was younger, but that are actually very important. Like I said, he’s so natural and simple in his training, asking you to always go with your horses – I really enjoyed working with him. And just like he is in the ring, he would tell me: ‘If you think you're fast, go faster,’” Nina smiles.

Julien Epaillard had a huge impact on me

“As a trainer Eric Lamaze had something that I cannot really explain in words – it was actually crazy,” Nina tells. “He would put me as a rider in a mental space where he made me believe that I could do anything. He would have a certain way of describing to me exactly what I needed to do in the ring, and he had solutions for me if something would happen during the course so I could adapt my plan. I had a feeling that in 15 seconds he would tell me everything I needed to know before going into the ring. Eric just had this ability to make you feel so confident, in a very special way.”

“I also learned a lot from Laura Kraut and Nick Skelton while they were training us over the last couple of years. Just watching Laura flat her horses every day was a lesson. Now, I train with Helena Stormanns and she’s been amazing so far – simple but she gives you a lot of confidence and advice. She will have you properly prepared when you enter the ring. Plus, she’s always in a good mood, so she puts everyone around her in a good mood,” Nina smiles.

“To make it back on the French team as a senior rider has been amazing, and everyone has been so supportive and nice with me,” Nina tells as she looks back at 2024, where she represented France in two five-star Nations Cups. “I did my first senior Nations Cup at Hickstead last year with Dynastie and then another one in Dublin, and it was just incredible – being on the same team with riders I idolized when I was little.”

It’s been a very positive experience that has helped me grow and learn

“At the beginning of the year, I got to jump the Longines League of Nations™ in Ocala,” Nina continues. “Being on the team with experienced riders such as Kevin Staut, Marc Dilasser and Olivier Robert has helped me so much – they offer advice and are there for me in the warm-up to support. I enjoy it so much and I hope I can do more Nations Cups in the future. I’m not a person to get nervous or stressed, but I for sure have more adrenaline when competing in a Nations Cup as it’s different from jumping individually. When you jump for the team and your score counts for the other riders, you of course feel more pressure – you want the whole team to do well.”

“I’ve been lucky riding for the Reins, because I have never felt any pressure from them and that has always helped me to feel good in the ring,” Nina explains. “I feel the same way with the French team; it’s been a very positive experience that has helped me grow and learn, both when I have been clear and when I have made mistakes.”

"Winning in Fontainebleau was really special for me," Nina tells about her recent success at the 2025 French Pro Elite Championship where she claimed the title. "It was my first French Pro Elite Championship and my first championship with Nikka, so that already meant a lot. I spend a lot of time competing abroad, so being back in France, in front of a home crowd, with our team, my friends and my dad there, made it even more emotional."

Over time I hope I will be able to work myself towards an international championship

"Fontainebleau is also a place full of memories for me – from my pony years to juniors and young riders – so coming back after all that time, seeing the federation staff I’ve worked with for so many years, like Olivier Bost, Maryline Millet Lesage, and Sophie Dubourg, and winning the Pro Elite Championship there was just incredible," Nina smiles.

“My goals for the coming season are to have all my horses in good shape and performing well," Nina says. "I hope the good start to this season is going to continue and I have ambitions to do some more Nations Cups for France if all goes well. Over time I hope I will be able to work myself towards an international championship, but for that I still need more experience."

“I do what I do because I love horses. I try to do everything for them to make them feel good and be happy. And I believe the majority of the riders do the same,” Nina says as the conversation turns towards the future of equestrian sports, and the increasing focus on its social license to operate. 

I do what I do because I love horses

“I think if we all choose to be open, it could help” Nina continues. “Most of the horses competing at a high-level have a very good life, and maybe we should show that to the outside world – not only what happens in the ring. The horses are true athletes and get treated as such, with a huge team around them including their own chiropractors, physios, and vets, but they are also horses who enjoy being horses with a lot of paddock time and hacking out in the forest. I mean, look at Julien, he is the perfect example – he is so natural with his horses and he still wins the World Cup Final.”

As Nina takes a moment to reflect on her whirlwind journey to the top of the sport, it’s clear that she feels a huge amount of gratitude. "The last five years have been intense and enriching for me as a rider, but also for me as a person. A kind of roller coaster, requiring a lot of dedication and some sacrifices to live my passion and achieve my goals. I think I've also been very lucky to met incredible people who trusted me and helped me get to where I am today," she says.

I am just so grateful and thankful for what the Rein-family has done for me

“Today I’m surrounded by amazing people and amazing horses, and I can never thank our entire team and the Rein-family enough for everything they do. They are all so nice, supportive and generous,” Nina says.

“I am just so grateful and thankful for what the Rein-family has done for me, and also for everything my own parents made possible for me to be able to do my passion and the sport when I was younger. I believe that to make them all happy and proud, is the best way for me to thank them,” Nina closes off.

30.4.2025 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.