Beyond The Stables

Austrian showjumper Alessandra Reich has already been part of some special moments for Austrian showjumping. We sat down with her at EQUITA Lyon to look back at one of the biggest milestones of her career: helping Austria win its first-ever team medal at the 2023 Senior European Show Jumping Championships.

In this episode, Alessandra takes us back to that unforgettable experience and shares what it meant to be part of the team. We also talk about her journey in the sport, the important role her family has played along the way, and how she has built her own environment at Big Stride Stables. From finding the right horses to creating a supportive community around her, she gives us an insight into what life looks like both in and out of the competition arena.

We also get into some of the less talked-about sides of professional showjumping: dealing with pressure, navigating difficult moments, learning to accept your weaknesses and finding a way to enjoy the process along the way. Alessandra also shares how she balances her life as an international showjumper with her background in economics, having graduated from Bocconi University.

But perhaps what stayed with us most from this conversation is just how much Alessandra loves her horses and the people around her. Whether she's talking about her partnership with Lloyd, taking her horses out for rides in the woods or the community she has built at her stables, it's clear that there's much more to the sport for her than what happens in the ring.
And, as always on Beyond the Stables, what matters most is getting to know the person behind the rider. Alessandra is incredibly genuine, thoughtful and full of optimism. She speaks openly about the highs and lows of the sport, the importance of family and why, despite all its challenges, she wouldn't want to do anything else.
From making history with Austria to the horses and people who have shaped her journey, this is Alessandra Reich: Making History with Austria, Fueled by Family and Optimism.
We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we enjoyed recording it !

Alysée & Olivia

What started with a pony, an iPod Touch and a few homemade videos has grown into a career that has taken Mathilde Labat far beyond the stables.

For this episode of Beyond the Stables, we sit down with Mathilde Labat, better known to many as Mathilde & Sligo, in Paris to talk about her journey from sharing videos of her pony online to building a career in the equestrian world.

Mathilde got Sligo when she was ten years old and started filming their adventures a few years later, uploading her first YouTube video at just 13. What began as a hobby gradually grew into a large online community of horse lovers and opened the door to books, television, international equestrian events, collaborations and, more recently, her own marketing agency.

In this conversation, Mathilde takes us back to those early days of equestrian content creation and talks about how she turned her passion for horses and storytelling into a career. We discuss growing an audience on social media, creating content around horses, working with brands, and what it takes to turn an online following into a real and sustainable business.

We also talk about the less visible side of being a horse influencer and public figure: reading comments, dealing with criticism, navigating social media, deciding what parts of your life to share, and finding a balance between being authentic online and protecting your private life.

Mathilde also shares her approach to entrepreneurship, creating opportunities, manifesting, making your own luck and enjoying the process while you're still building the dream. From television and publishing to equestrian events and marketing, we talk about how she has continued to evolve her career while keeping horses at the centre of it.

And, as always on Beyond the Stables, this conversation goes beyond the platform to get to know the person behind it. Mathilde talks about her horses, the people and experiences that have shaped her, and what life is really like behind the camera. Funny, honest, ambitious and down-to-earth, she is very much the same person in real life as the one you see online.

So, matcha in hand, join us as we go Beyond the Stables with Mathilde Labat, talking horses, Sligo, social media, business, creativity and everything in between. We hope you enjoy getting to know Mathilde as much as we enjoyed this conversation. 

With love,
Alysée & Olivia

At 24 years old, Swiss showjumper Léon Pieyre has already found himself involved in the sport in more ways than one. And what better place to sit down with him than the CHI de Genève?
A Genevois at heart, Léon grew up coming to this show with friends from his pony club, watching from the stands and dreaming of one day riding in the arena himself. Today, he competes in the U25 classes, while also helping shape the show through his role on the Sport and Entertainment Commission and Centenary Committee.

In this episode, Léon talks about growing up in a horse family, what first drew him to competition, and his journey in international showjumping. He shares the influence of his mentor Jean-Maurice Bonneau, whose voice and lessons still stay with him when he rides, and the values he took away from their time together.

We also talk about the Swiss Equestrian “Relève” programme and the importance of learning about the different sides of the sport beyond riding from horse management to the financial and business side of a career in high-level showjumping. Léon also tells us how he balances his life as a rider with his International Relations studies at the University of Geneva.
For Léon, the horses remain at the centre of it all. His approach to their wellbeing, his competitive nature, and the people around him all play a part in the way he approaches the sport.
And, as always on Beyond the Stables, this conversation goes beyond the results and the competition arena to get to know the person behind the rider: his family, his ambitions, the lessons he's taken with him, and what keeps him motivated.
From childhood memories of the CHI de Genève to competing there today and playing a role in the future of the show, this is Léon Pieyre: a family story, a Geneva dream, and the making of a horseman.
We hope you enjoy getting to know Léon as much as we enjoyed this conversation. 
Let’s go Beyond the Stables with Léon Pieyre !

Welcome back to Beyond the Stables, the podcast shining a light on the next generation of top-level showjumpers, hosted by Alysée and Olivia.
In this episode, recorded in Geneva, we step beyond our usual showjumping world and into the fascinating world of eventing with German eventing rider Calvin Böckmann.
At just 25 years old, Calvin has already competed at the Olympic Games, reached 24th in the world rankings, and was recently crowned Under-25 Eventing World Champion alongside his horse Altair.
So, what does it really take to compete in eventing at the highest level while still under 25?
In this episode, Calvin takes us behind the scenes of his life as a professional eventing rider. He talks about competing at the Olympics while writing his bachelor's thesis, his training programme, his horses, competition pressure, and the unique lifestyle that comes with competing at the highest level of equestrian sport.
We also discover the person behind the athlete. Calvin is thoughtful, incredibly driven and, in his own words, a bit of a “nerd” although we would probably describe him as impressively meticulous and deeply passionate about everything he does.
Whether you already follow eventing, are passionate about showjumping and horses, or are discovering the discipline for the first time, this conversation offers a fascinating look at what it takes to reach the very top of international equestrian sport.
So, let’s take you back to Geneva and introduce you to Calvin Böckmann.
Before we get into today's conversation, we want to introduce you to EQUUSIR, our partner for this episode.
Calvin and Altair have just become the first Under-25 Eventing World Champions, and an achievement like that is about so much more than performance alone. It is also about understanding how your horse is feeling, how they recover, and what they need to keep showing up happy, confident and ready to do their best.
That is why Calvin has chosen EQUUSIR, and why we are so excited to be working with them on this episode.
What we really like about their approach is that it is centred around listening more closely to the horse and supporting them as a whole: their body, their mind and their nervous system. And, as you will hear throughout this episode, this is something Calvin really cares about.
Because for us, and for Calvin, the most special thing is not simply having a high-performance horse. It is having a happy, healthy horse who genuinely wants to do it with you.
If you would like to better understand and support your horse, make sure to take a look at EQUUSIR.
Episode Partner: EQUUSIR

This week on Beyond the Stables, we sit down with Robin Muhr during the FEI Jumping World Cup™ at Equita Lyon.
Robin talks us through his journey in the sport, from growing up in a horse family in the south of France to competing at some of the biggest championships. We look back at his Olympic Games with Galaxy, the moments that have shaped his career so far, and what he's learned along the way.
We also chat about life outside the ring, the people who have influenced him, and the routines that help him perform at the top level. As always, Beyond the Stables is about getting to know the person behind the rider. Robin's laid-back sense of humour made this one a lot of fun to record, with plenty of laughs alongside an honest conversation about life in elite showjumping.
If you enjoy showjumping, equestrian sport, and hearing from riders competing at the highest level, we hope you enjoy this episode !

Bisous,
O & A