Mallevaey Scores Opening Five-Star Win at World Equestrian Center – Ocala
Competition at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) for the first five-star event of the 2025 season began on Wednesday, February 12, during the Winter Spectacular Show Series. The week culminates with the $300,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala on Saturday evening, February 15. Nina Mallevaey (FRA) and My Clementine, owned by Rein Family LLC and Tara Dow-Rein, sped to victory in the $32,000 1.45m Two Phase Special CSI5*-W.
Mallevaey has been paired with My Clementine, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by O.B.O.S. Quality x Kashmir van Schuttershof, for less than a year, but this is their fourth international win together. Previous victories include a two-star grand prix in Valkenswaard, Holland, a five-star speed class at the 2024 Washington International Horse Show, and an Under 25 Grand Prix last month.
“I came here to WEC in December for the three-star, and it was actually our first three-star grand prix,” she said. “I usually use her a lot in the speed classes because she loves that. She likes to go fast, and she’s so careful. I think she really enjoys it. I also tried to step up a bit in the three-star here, and she did it so well. I think she still has bigger classes in her; we are just taking our time to do those.”
In Wednesday’s class, Mallevaey’s plan was to go for the win instead of using it as a warm-up round.
“I like the format because I could still take my time in the first phase and then ask her to go faster,” she explained. “I tried to have a good rhythm in the first phase to not shock her in the second phase. She did everything so well. I really tried to go as fast as I can. She’s just so competitive. I feel really lucky to have her in these classes. She did everything that I asked. She was great.”
While the 2025 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Switzerland in April is not in Mallevaey’s plan, she will be riding Nikka vd Bisschop in Thursday’s $117,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix Qualifier CSI5*-W with hopes to compete in their first grand prix together on Saturday night. The 25-year-old, who is based in Holland and travels to the United States to compete in the winter, has worked full-time for the Rein family for three years.
She noted, “I am so grateful for everything they allow me to do and all the opportunities that I have with the horses. They trust me with the horses, and I feel really lucky for that.”
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Mallevaey Scores Opening Five-Star Win at World Equestrian Center – Ocala – World Equestrian Center
