Will Mathew: From Vision to Voice
Above: Will Mathew and KPH Maddison
When we were deciding who should be our very first guest for our new podcast series ‘All Clear’, the choice was obvious. Will Mathew isn’t just a standout rider and coach – he’s the reason Australian Jumping exists.
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“It was kind of a moment,” Will said. “I’d grown up Eventing and we had all these great magazines like ‘The Eventer’ where you could find everything. But in Jumping, there was no single place to get results, news or updates. That’s when I thought, we need something like that for Jumping. I had the idea – you had the skills – and here we are.”
In Episode 1, Will shares how a childhood dream of riding turned into a full-time career, what keeps him motivated, and why the moments in the ring mean so much more when they’ve taken years of work to get there.
“I’ve always just wanted to ride,” he said. “In high school, I spent more time staring out the window than listening to career advice. There was no degree that was going to help me ride better.”
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What drives Will now is far deeper than just chasing big wins.
“I get the most satisfaction from seeing the horses I’ve produced from the start achieve their goals – and seeing my students do the same. It’s the one or two minutes in the ring that reflect years of sweat and effort.”
His perspective on producing horses has evolved too.
“When I was younger, I was chasing big jumps and big classes. Now I’m more focused on finding horses that are competitive at the level that suits them. It’s not just about jumping big, it’s about quality and consistency.”
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Will also talks about his recent trip to Europe, where he spent time at Böckmann stables in Germany, and later in the US.
“One of the biggest takeaways was how methodical they are with young horses,” he said. “In Germany especially, they start them early but bring them on slowly. By six, they might have done half as much as an Aussie six-year-old – but they’re developed properly. It really made me reassess how we do things here.”
From training systems to horse production, Will brought home new tools and a renewed outlook.
Back home, Will is also heavily involved in racing, supporting his wife Sara Ryan in her rapidly growing training business.
“We started helping a farm nearby with flatwork, and next minute Sara’s training all their horses,” he said. “Now she’s going out on her own and it’s amazing to watch her thrive.”
Balancing riding, coaching and racing hasn’t been easy.
“There was a time I was riding trackwork five days a week and then coming home to ride ten jumpers and teach lessons. It was too much,” he admitted. “Now we’ve built a great team and I’ve been able to step back a bit. But I’ll still be the one strapping the difficult horses on race day.”
Despite it all, Will’s love for the sport is unwavering.
“I’ve had moments where I wondered if I should go back to Eventing. But the Jumping community here is so supportive. It’s grown so much since I was a young rider, and I feel like I’ve grown with it. Balance is the key. You can burn out easily, and I’ve come close. But the horses, the people – it keeps me going.”
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One of the most personal moments Will shares in the episode is about losing his mum at just 20 years old.
“It changed everything,” he said. “I was overseas when she got sick and I came home. I didn’t really know what direction I was heading. I could have gone off-track, but the horses gave me focus, and I had amazing people around me. That shaped who I am now.”
Looking ahead, Will is rebuilding his horsepower with a long-term view.
“We bred a lot of horses when Sara was still jumping. I had ten in work at one point – too many. Now, I’m rebuilding, aiming to have a quality team that can be really competitive in a couple of years.”
This conversation is more than a look at Will’s life – it’s a look at how our sport has grown, how passion fuels purpose, and how the people behind the scenes make it all happen.
Listen to Episode 1 of All Clear now:
Subscribe to ‘All Clear’ – and don’t miss the stories that shape Australian showjumping.
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