When asked what drives her most, Wilma McMahon (formerly Wilma Hellström) doesn't hesitate.

– That magic you feel when you become one with your horse. You can't find it anywhere else.

Wilma is a Swedish elite show jumper who began her jumping career in Billdal, just outside Gothenburg. In 2016, she left Sweden to pursue show jumping full-time. Today, she and her husband, Eoin McMahon, run their own operation on a farm outside Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Over the years, Wilma has represented Sweden at the junior, young rider and senior levels. Some of her biggest career highlights to date came in 2023, when she won team gold at the European Championships and qualified for the World Cup Final in Omaha, USA, later that year. After representing Sweden at the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, Germany, she is now looking ahead. Together with her mare, Cicci BJN, she has her sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

About Wilma McMahon

• Born: April 26, 1993

• Based in: Eindhoven, the Netherlands

• Represents: Sweden 🇸🇪

• Discipline: Show Jumping

• Instagram: @wilma__mcmahon
  
  

Growing up in Billdal, just outside Gothenburg, Wilma was surrounded by horses from an early age. With a family in which equestrian sports had always played a natural role, it perhaps wasn't surprising that she developed an interest in horses, too. But it may have been when her mother traded her saddle for Wilma's first pony that those dreams really began to take shape.

– My mom actually competed at the Swedish Championships a long time ago, and my grandfather was an amateur jockey. I also have aunts who competed at a high level in show jumping. Horses have always been a big part of my family, but for me, my interest probably grew mostly through my mom and my sister. My mom actually traded her saddle for my first pony, haha.

When did you start pursuing show jumping seriously?

– I was very young when I started pursuing show jumping seriously, and I competed at the Pony European Championships when I was 13. I moved up to horses pretty early, too. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd call it pursuing it seriously. I see it more as something we did together, and we gave it our all with the resources we had. I've been incredibly lucky to have such understanding parents, family and siblings! I wouldn't be where I am today without my mom and dad.

In 2016, Wilma left Sweden to fully commit to her career. Over the years, she has lived in Germany and Switzerland and spent some time back in Sweden before eventually settling in the Netherlands. For Wilma, moving abroad was essential to her development as a rider.

“Moving abroad was absolutely necessary for me. It helped me broaden my horizons, experience different systems and understand what I wanted to do myself.”

– Wilma McMahon

– Moving abroad was absolutely necessary for me. It helped me broaden my horizons, experience different systems and understand what I wanted to do myself. I'd say the Netherlands is probably the country most similar to Sweden, though. On top of that, all the national competitions are about 20 minutes from where we're based. You compete at the same shows as five-star riders. The overall standard is incredibly high. You have to push yourself and be really good, plain and simple!

What advice would you give young riders who want to pursue a career in equestrian sports?

– Be open-minded and humble, and be willing to learn everything! There's so much more to it than those two minutes in the ring. It's not just about winning or competing. This sport is so much bigger than that. You need to learn the whole system, including how to keep your horses healthy and in good condition.

“Be open-minded and humble, and be willing to learn everything! There's so much more to it than those two minutes in the ring. It's not just about winning or competing. This sport is so much bigger than that.”

– Wilma McMahon

Outside Eindhoven, Wilma and her husband, Eoin, run their own equestrian business. Their farm is home to horses at every stage, from three-year-olds to Wilma's top horse, Cicci BJN. With a job that involves countless days of travel away from home, Wilma knows how important it is to have a team on the ground she can rely on.

– Eoin and I have found a good balance in how we divide up the work. I think that's really important when you work and live together. We also have an amazing team that keeps everything running. Having that sense of security is so important to us because we're away so much of the time. But that's also one of the amazing things about this job: you get to see so much of the world.

Do you know how many days you spend traveling each year?

– No, actually, I don't. I'm afraid to check, haha. Sometimes it's really nice to know you have a whole week at home when you can ‘just’ be there.

Between training her own students, caring for her horses, traveling, competing, handling administrative work and everything else that comes with running an operation, Wilma has to keep a very tight schedule to fit it all in. If there's one thing you learn in equestrian sports, she says, it's logistics. When asked what keeps her working from morning until night, her answer is clear.

“It's that special feeling you get when you become one with your horse. It's hard to put into words. It's magic. It's incredibly difficult to find that feeling anywhere else.”

– Wilma McMahon

– It's that special feeling you get when you become one with your horse. It's hard to put into words. It's magic. It's incredible to have that kind of connection with an animal. I can think something, and the horse does it. It's like we speak the same language. It's such a beautiful thing, and it's this love for horses that keeps you working from morning until night.

How do you deal with setbacks?

– I can be really hard on myself. But when you're disappointed, whatever the reason, I think you need to give yourself a moment to feel it instead of immediately moving on. You can be upset for a while, and then you have to think, ‘Okay, it is what it is. Now I need to move on.’ I've learned that, or at least I'm trying to learn it, haha.

Together with her top horse, Cicci BJN, a mare born in 2011, Wilma has achieved countless milestones. They have been a team since 2016 and know each other inside and out. And if Cicci had it her way, she'd be the one calling the shots, while Wilma, as she puts it, just gets to “go along for the ride.”

“She's a total diva, and she deserves to be one. That's how our relationship works. She's the diva, and I just go along with it, haha.”

– Wilma McMahon on Cicci BJN

– Cicci means everything to me. I wouldn't be where I am today without her. She's incredibly special and can be super lazy at home, but as soon as we go to a competition, she turns into a completely different horse. She's a total diva, and she deserves to be one. That's how our relationship works. She's the diva, and I just go along with it, haha.

– For example, when we were at a competition recently, I was standing by the tent where Cicci was stabled, talking to my dogs. I could tell she noticed me, and she's always so aware of where I am. She's not really a cuddly horse and can be quite grumpy. But if I call her in the field while holding an apple, she'll come running. We could practically let her roam freely around the farm. This winter, I'll have been riding her for ten years. We've been through a lot together, and we know each other inside and out.

What are your long-term goals in equestrian sports?

– There's an Olympics coming up, so of course I'd love to be there. I also have long-term goals of growing our operation even more and helping young riders along the way. I want to keep the horses healthy and in good condition, and hopefully there will be a few little Cicci babies in the future. I don't base my goals solely on results. I try to look at the bigger picture, because that's important for well-being.

How does it feel to start this new partnership with Maya Delorez?

– It's really exciting! There's so much positive energy, commitment and drive. And a Swedish brand will always have a special place in my heart.