Léna and Dan are much more than a couple in life: together, they have managed to combine a passion for equestrianism with professional collaboration. He, a professional rider, and she, an influencer and communications expert, create a complementary duo on the showgrounds and in their daily lives. How do they manage to balance their relationship with their career in the demanding world of equestrian sport?

Find out how this couple turns challenges into opportunities, and their advice for those who want to combine love and professional ambitions.

1 Can you tell us about the first time you met and how your romantic relationship evolved into a successful professional/sports partnership?

We're both very passionate, very much in love with horses. We complement each other quite well. As everyone says, we're a bit tick and tock. He's water and I'm fire.

"And when it comes to sports, we share the same values and the same goals. We're able to balance our personal and professional lives with sports. So it's really a pleasure."

2. 3 words to describe your relationship?

Léna : “I’d say love, passion, and sports.”

3 - Dan, how has Léna's communications expertise changed your approach to developing your image and partnerships?

4 - Léna, what have you learned from Dan about managing competitions and training horses?

"Everything I experience with Dan is different: the training sessions, taking care of the horses, the exciting competitions. That's the side of things I've discovered, and I love it—especially with him. He's truly a role model for me in the professional equestrian world."

5 - Dan, how have you seen Léna evolve thanks to your training advice and the opportunities you've given her in competition/riding in general?

“I’ve really seen Léna improve in several areas, especially mentally. Now she enjoys riding much more. Also, it’s true that in four months, she’s gone from jumping 90 cm to jumping 1.10 meters clear, in competition. Moving from ponies to horses, from club level to amateur level—that’s already a huge leap. Gracieuse has been a wonderful opportunity for her. She’s the mare I’ve entrusted to her, and the pair works very well together.

"As for the technical side, she's learning a lot—she picks things up very quickly. With all the advice she gets every day, competing, and seeing professional riders all the time—it helps a lot. She's really improved because of that."

6 What challenges have you faced as a couple in both your personal and professional lives, and how have you tackled them together?

Léna : “The biggest challenge we faced at first was time— balancing our personal lives with the horses. Especially since, before, my pony was on the opposite side of town from where Dan lives. It was really a challenge because he was with his horses all the time. Of course, he made time for me, but his priority was still the horses—which I quickly came to understand.”

Now we’re able to find compromises. Plus, we’re both really passionate about this, so that makes it easier, too. Dan, instead of finishing at 10:00 p.m., would try to finish at 8:00 p.m. so he’d have a little time for me. We go out to small restaurants, and we try to set aside time for activities unrelated to horses at least once a week. And that feels good— that’s why our relationship works today.”

7 How has your relationship influenced your approach to equestrian sport and your joint projects?

"All of this involves collaborative projects in the equestrian world. Just like our goal of having a facility and horses for sale in 10 years. For now , we're taking our time—we're still young."

8 Can you share a particularly memorable moment or important achievement you've experienced together in the course of your work and your passion for this sport?

Dan : “One of my biggest successes was when we placed third in the French championship with Flirt. And Léna was with me, of course. It was the culmination of all the hard work we’d put in, especially since I’d only had her for a very short time.”

"And then, if I can share another great success story, it was actuallyquite moving: Léna’s first races. It’s something very simple, but when she managed to finish in the top ranks for the first time, we were all very moved."

Léna : “Yeah, that was so cute. And at the French Championships, the moment that really stood out to me was when you stepped onto the podium and I got to walk up with you. It was truly a magical moment. We spend all our time with the horses, and when there are achievements like that, we’re happy. I was just like Dan— in my head, I’d also placed third at the championships. And when I was doing my first amateur competitions, he was just as nervous as I was, even though he competes all the time. So we’re really there for each other.”

9 - How have you managed to balance your love and professional lives while pursuing your sporting and personal goals?

Léna : “You should know that I have a very busy schedule. I’m in my first year of a dual-track master’s program and I’m a social media content creator. Balancing my love life while continuing to pursue my athletic goals with Gracieuse and my professional goals with social media is all aboutorganization.”

We very rarely have days where we don’t do anything—it’s never happened to me in the eight months we’ve been together. We usually get up at 6:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m., or even 7:00 a.m. if we’re lucky, and we finish our days around 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. When he’s in class, I try to be there for the horses. I try to get there a little early, clean the stalls, and help him out a bit. And vice versa. It’s really a give-and-take relationship—he helps me, just as I help him.”

Dan : “Yeah, it wasn’t easy at first. I had to come to terms with the fact that, for me, horses were really what I wanted to do, and that, unfortunately, you can’t make too many compromises if you want to succeed. But you figured it out quickly, and we help each other reach our goals.”

10: What advice would you give to couples who want to combine their personal and professional lives, particularly in the field of sport?

Léna : “The advice I’d give to couples is to communicate. Because Dan and I both have very busy schedules, so we’ve had to make compromises. And I think you need love—you need a little passion.”

"What's really, really important is thatyou don't stop doing something —or, conversely, start doing something you wouldn't normally do. You really have to keep doing what you love and be on the same page with your partner. If I were with someone who didn't share my passion for horses at all, it definitely wouldn't work."