My Clementine Has a Five-Star Heart

A year ago, almost to the week, Nina Mallevaey captured her career first five-star grand prix victory. The Brussels Stephex Masters on Dynastie de Beaufour. It was a Rolex Series event. (Read: hard.) She was 25.

On Saturday, the young Frenchwoman doubled up.

Aboard My Clementine, she won her first Major League GP at MLSJ Traverse City. Third to return for the five-horse jump off and with Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz and Kent Farrington on Greya waiting in the wings, Mallevaey left it all in the ring—and the red flag she kicked off the MLSJ standard in the dirt—to stop the clock in 40.56 seconds.

Sweetnam gave chase, but fell just over four-tenths of a second short in 40.97. Farrington missed the mark by one-tenth of a second in 40.66.

No doubt, Mallevaey was thrilled to best the current world No. 2 and No. 5 on their top horses. But it was her own unlikely five-star horse that was top of mind in the moments after.

“I’m so happy for Clementine,” said Mallevaey, world No. 10. “I think she deserves this win more than anyone. She’s been fighting for me since I’ve had her and I’m so happy to give her this win. She’s such a fighter. She’s not the scopiest horse but she has a huge heart, she always tries her best, she’s the best and she really deserves it.”

Piloted by Mallevaey since 2024, My Clementine is a proven speed threat. The O.B.O.S. Quality-Kashmir van Schuttershof mare has a 63% clear-round average across all heights and finishes on the podium nearly half the time (49%), according to Jumpr Stats. At the 1.55m height that stat jumps to 82%!

What she doesn’t have is much 1.60m experience. Because the fleet-footed chestnut was never intended to be a 1.60m horse.

The Rein family purchased My Clementine as a speed horse. Mallevaey’s trainer Helena Stormanns, is said to have seen the potential for bigger things and last May, they made their 1.60m debut in a CSI4* GP at St Tropez.

The pair has only jumped four rounds at the height to date. But they’ve made each count.

Mallevaey and 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare were second in St Tropez. They won a five-star 1.60m jump off class at the Spruce Meadows Masters last year. Last week, they made their five-star GP debut at MLSJ Toronto and finished seventh and on Saturday, they claimed their first five-star GP title.

“It means a lot,” Mallevaey said of the win. “It’s only the second five-star grand prix for Clementine; she did her first one last week. If you told me at the beginning of the year that she would win a five-star grand prix I would maybe not believe it so I’m so happy and proud.”