The Horse that Started it All for Matt Williams

Matt Williams is an Australian rider and three-time Olympian based in the United States. He and his wife Abby own and operate Williams Equestrian at Finch Ridge Farm based at a summer location in New Jersey and Wellington for the winters. They specialize in developing young horses, training, and sales.

The right horse can turn goals and dreams into reality and set the career trajectory for a rider. Leconte 6 was that horse for Matt. Leconte was his 2008 Beijing Olympics mount, representing Australia, and since then, Matt and his horses have regularly represented his home country at the highest levels, while he also develops other horses to their full potential.

Matt and Leconte at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

“It was really an instant connection,” Matt said. “Most horses take time, this one [Leconte], I knew all the buttons when I got on. To this day, I know that if I got on that horse as he was at the time, I could walk the course and jump clear.”

Matt was born into an equestrian family and was the 2003 Horseland Young Rider of the Year and the 2004 Young Jumping Rider of the Year in Australia. He trained with Duncan Inglis in England, beginning in 2004, and worked with top professionals in Belgium and Switzerland. In 2010, he moved to the United States after competing in the World Equestrian Games.

Leconte

Matt was riding with Henk Noreen Stables, and they went to Italy to look at a horse. “We found him as a fluke, we were buying another horse in Italy, and it failed the vet check. Henk told me to go look at this horse [Leconte]. I hired a car and drove four hours. I wasn’t that impressed, but since I’d gone all that way, figured I would try him out. I got on and jumped three jumps and wanted him.”

At the time, Leconte was an 11-year-old that had already jumped a 3*. The bay Holsteiner gelding by Lasino had a couple other riders, but never clicked with any of them. The connection was instant with Matt.

Yvonne and Alastair Young from Australia bought the horse for Matt with the idea of going to the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Two days after getting Leconte, they competed at a 2* in Belgium. Matt changed his bit after the first day and placed second. The horse loved to compete, and the more Matt did, the better Leconte was; he had a lot of blood and would jump two or three days at a show.

Leconte was injured in January 2008 – eight months before the Olympics. Matt learned a lot about managing soundness leading up to the Games, and the pair were on the seventh-place Australian team, placing 20^th individually.

Continuing the Trend

Urleven Van De Helle was Matt’s mount for the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. He jumped clear in the team final to get them qualified for the London Olympics. Matt notes that the horse didn’t have great technique and wasn’t fast, but he always jumped clear, and that kept him in the top 10.

Matt partnered with Watch Me Vd Mangelaar for the 2012 London Olympics. Next came Valinski S, his mount for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. “Valinski S is all heart and got all the way to the individual final, a lot of people believed he couldn’t do it, I saved him, and set him up for that. One of my career highlights was jumping clear on him at the Olympics.”

The Next Superstars

Matt continues finding talented young horses and building their skills to the highest levels of the sport. Interactive Mortgage Tolero won the 1.45m at Del Mar in August, he is careful, scopey and wants to do the job. DeLong Equestrian Ventures owns the eight-year-old chestnut gelding; Matt is excited for the future with him, and Matt mentioned that he could be an Olympic-level horse if he gets the miles in.

Interactive Mortgage Tolero.

Valdes Z. PC Shawn Mcmillen Photography

He started riding Valdes Z in September and competed in the 5* 1.6m World Cup in Washington and the Kentucky CSIW4*, finishing in the top 20 at both. Fayuri AWR and Matt were seventh at the Washington International Horse Show in the $40,000 Accumulator Class in October. The 10-year-old gelding is consistently performing at various venues and is also ridden by junior Alexa Lignelli, a Williams Equestrian student. Both horses are owned by Skyline Sporthorses and Matt is taking over the training of Alexa and Agatha Lignelli and working with them towards their goals in the sport.

FR Devilish.

FR Devilish is moving into the six-year-old division in January and VDL Jesmond is another young horse that Matt and Abby are excited about. The mare Billy Marionette is also consistently at the top of her class with Matt in the irons.

Billy Marionette

Matt and Abby are producing younger horses for themselves and have a five-year-old and a few four-year-olds they’re currently developing. Williams Equestrian selects foals with the right breeding and make long-term projects. Matt is also looking ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032. Both Tolero and Valdes could be Paris 2024 horses too; the Australian team is qualified for the Games.

Leconte was the first horse in a continuing line of international superstars. Matt’s talent and individualized program for each horse are key too, he understands them as individuals, and can therefore bring out the best in each.

VDL Jesmond

“I look for a horse with heart and the desire to do it,” he said. “I don’t care what way they want to jump if they leave the fences up. You want a horse that will fight for you.”

To learn more about Williams Equestrian click here! 

*All photos courtesy of Matt Williams