March 10, 2025 
Young as she is, Emilie Conter has been knocking at the door for a career-making win for a while now.
The 24-year-old Belgian rider, daughter of Stephex founder Stephan Conter and younger sister of fellow Stephex rider Zoé Conter, certainly has the pedigree—and the resume, too.
As a junior, she was part of the gold medal-winning Belgian squad at the European Championships for Children in 2016, later winning team gold in the Young Riders division in 2021. Since transitioning into the senior ranks, Conter has earned multiple 1* and 2* Grand Prix wins at the 1.45m level and below, according to Jumpr Stats.
While these are no doubt important stepping stones, her accomplishments are still a far cry from the highest echelons of the sport. That is, until they aren’t.
On March 8, Conter officially entered the 5* stratosphere, winning the ‘Saturday Night Lights’ Bainbridge Grand Prix during WEF Week 9 at Wellington International. She did so by besting not only a Paris team gold medalist, but also the top rider in the world on his top mount.
And, in true “boss” style, Conter accomplished it all on International Women’s Day, on a 10-year-old Belgian mare—Portobella van de Fruitkorf—that she helped to produce since her 8-year-old season.
“I’m super surprised I won,” an elated Conter admitted after the class. “But every week, we got better with the mare, so she’s maturing. My team is really great around her, so, I’m really thankful.”
One key member of that team is undoubtedly show jumping’s regular king- and queen-maker, trainer Helena Stormanns. The former international show jumper has helped to bring the likes of Jessica Springsteen (USA), Michael Duffy (IRL), and her son, 17-year-old Tony Stormanns (GER) into the top ranks. In fact, the youngest Stormanns earned his own, debut ‘Saturday Night Lights’ victory this season during WEF Week 2.
On Saturday, Conter was concerned that she added strides early on Course Designer Alan Wade’s (IRL) 1.60m jump-off track, but surmised she made up for it during the second half of the course. “I saw a really long [distance] to the last oxer, and I heard Helena [Stormanns] scream, ‘Go get it!’, so I took it,” she said.
“I didn’t think it was going to be enough to beat these other riders, but I looked up and saw that I was in first.”
Though he settled for second place, Olympic team gold medalist Harry Charles (GBR) was delighted with his finish aboard the 12-year-old Sherlock. “I didn’t plan on jumping Sherlock in too many of the bigger classes under the lights—he’s still quite green at night—but tonight, he jumped better than I could have hoped,” Charles said.
Meanwhile, the World No. 1 for 32 consecutive months, Henrik Von Eckermann, was similarly pleased with the performance of longtime mount King Edward. “He jumped a very good indoor season but in the jump-offs that were full speed, I’m a guy who wants to win, and pushed a little too much and we lost a little confidence,” the Swedish rider reflected.
“He feels good and is jumping better and better with every show. These Saturday nights are fantastic, and I’m looking forward to the [Rolex Finale] WEF 12.”
Whether or not Conter and Portobella van de Fruitkorf also plan to contest the WEF season’s Week 12 crown jewel—the $750,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix—remains to be seen. But according to the numbers, the pair is no mere flash in the pan.
In only a dozen career starts at 1.60m, Conter and Portobella van de Fruitkorf are clear at 42%, but finish in the top 10 60% of the time. At 1.55m, they’re even more impressive, jumping clear at 50% and finishing in the top 10 at 62%.
And Conter, for her part, believes that Portobella improves as the jumps go up.
“When I first started riding her, she was a bit colder, but always had massive scope,” Conter explained. “When she was younger, she was not so impressed with the small jumps, but now the bigger the fences, the better she jumps.
“We took it very slow in the beginning because I always knew she was special,” she said. “There are no words for her.”
