In honor of Family Night at Wellington International, we sat down with international show jumping rider and respected trainer Helena Stormanns and her son, Tony Stormanns.
Known for her thoughtful horsemanship and precision, Helena has built a career centered on developing horses and riders for success. As the trainer of world No. 8 Nina Mallevaey, she spoke about her training philosophy and her relationship with Tony—both inside and outside the ring.
Tony is a rising U25 rider and winner of last year’s $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix during WEF 2 aboard Donjon d’Asschaut. A former FEI Junior European Champion, Stormanns is climbing the ranks at WEF once again.
Keep reading to learn more about the Stormanns family dynamic and what’s next:
Helena, take us back to the beginning of your career in the saddle:
I started riding when I was five. To be honest, the minute I sat on a pony, I never wanted to do anything else.
I didn’t come from a “horsey“ family, so I started mucking out and doing barn chores to ride extra ponies. When I was about 12, I started doing small shows. During that time, a lady approached me and offered me three ponies to ride. She had bought them for her children, but they didn’t want to ride. So, I rode and learned on those ponies.
Eventually it progressed and progressed, and I started Pony Club and did all the things you can do in England. As I progressed and got older, probably around ‘77, I rode in the European Pony Championships and won a silver medal.
Later, I started buying and selling horses. My dad was a car dealer, so I always say I have buying and selling in my blood. I started buying thoroughbreds— three and four-year-olds from bloodstock sales in England. I would break them myself,ride them at the shows and sell them.
Finally, I got a bit of money saved up for a horse called Just Malone. I put all my money into that horse, which is probably a bit stupid looking back, but he was a very special horse. He took me into the senior divisions, and we won the Rome 5* Grand Prix.
When Tony began riding, what was it like watching him grow into the sport—not only as a mother, but also as his trainer?
Helena:
I don’t see myself as his trainer. I see myself as his mom.
I try to guide him, although he has to find out on his own and make his own mistakes. He knows I’m there to tell him about them [the mistakes], but most of the time he already knows.
Tony: When she’s silent, I’m worried the most.
Helena: The sport of jumping is such a long road. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to stay very grounded and not get over the top when you’ve won something. I always say you’re only as good as your next class. Forget the last class, because it’s over the minute you’ve won. You have to be pushing ahead and thinking about your next round.
Helena, you’ve trained multiple top riders, including Jessica Springsteen, William Whitaker, and currently Nina Mallevaey, who is No. 8 in the world and No. 1 in the U25 rankings. What are key takeaways you want your students to learn from their time with you?
I want them to have a better knowledge of how a horse operates. It’s the whole package, learning how they behave, their quirks how they need to be handled.
Horsemanship for me is learning their behavior. Be there when the blacksmiths are there, be there when the vets are there, and learn about the physics of the horse. Learn about how they move, how to feed them, and live with them.
That’s why Nina is where she is. World No. 8 is a big achievement at that age (25 years old). She eats, sleeps and breathes horses. She’s always in the stable. We are very fortunate for the Rein family, who own all of Nina’s rides. Without them, she wouldn’t be able to be where she is at today. She’s an ideal student because she’s like a sponge. I don’t have to teach her how to ride, she can ride. I help her with the little details. It’s important to have eyes on the ground at a top level. You don’t need someone giving you a lesson everyday—you need eyes on the ground when you’re at the show and you’re warming up. Discussing what’s the best strategy, etc.
Helena Stormanns with student Genevieve Meyer © Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
Tony, this same week last year you won the National Grand Prix. How do you feel you’ve grown as a rider over the past year?
I think I have grown a lot, especially within the past four months. The past year was a lot of positive pressure on me, competing with riders who are faster than me and jump bigger than me. I’ve definitely gained a lot more patience. I’m not exactly where I want to be yet, but I’ve definitely improved. I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of different trainers this past year. One example being Franke Sloothaak—I worked with him two or three days before jumping at Aachen. That was a great experience.
Tony Stormanns & Donjon D’Asschaut in last year’s $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix © Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
Helena, how do you think Tony has grown as a rider, in and out of the saddle, in the past year?
It’s never black and white in horses. There’s always this grey area that you have to get through. You can be in the good, in the white, then in the grey, then back to black, and you must work through it to get back into the white. I’d rather someone is saying I’m holding them back, versus I put them in too early and it goes wrong. The same applies to the horses. I’d rather we do three smaller classes and the horse jump really well, than push the horse too early and confuse the horse. It’s my job to guide Tony in the right direction and teach him when a mistake happens.
Tony, you’ve been on a lot of new rides this year, such as Twickstar, RMF Cinnamo, RMF Clinton Son. Can you talk about these partnerships?
I have two horses I’m very excited about. The two Rushy Marsh Farm horses: RMF Cinnamo and RMF Clinton Son. With RMF Cinnamon, I jumped the Junior European Championships together three years ago at Gorla Minore and the Youth Nations Cup in Hagen and Zuidwolde. RMF Clinton Son is a very new ride for me. Before coming to the United States in ’25, I was fortunate to receive the ride Twickstar from Alex Crown—an exceptionally talented horse—along with Cassius Clay, who has grown into a very successful partner in my career, and I’m incredibly grateful to have these four new rides under my saddle.
Tony Stormanns & Cassius Clay © Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
Tony, looking ahead, what goals have you set for yourself at WEF and for the remainder of the year?
Tony: Making my mom happy.
Helena: Jumping clear rounds!
Tony: Since I’m not married—I must say: happy mom happy life.
What does being at WEF mean to you both?
Tony: I would say it’s nearly home.
Helena: I’ve spent my whole life traveling—week in, week out—to different places with a suitcase. For me to stay in one place, It’s heaven on earth for me. It’s heaven on earth to not pack a suitcase and be able to get out of the same bed. It’s not work for me, it’s life for me.
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