Having grown up in an equestrian family, Michael Duffy always knew that he wanted to pursue show jumping. At only 17, he left home to, in his own words, “make a go of it” and now, he regularly competes at the 5* level. His accomplishments include, among many, becoming a European Team silver medalist in 2023 and winning the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Miami in 2024. 

In this interview, we get to know Michael better and hear what has inspired him during his career and what his goals for the future are. 

About Michael Duffy

• Born: October 12, 1994

• Lives in: Germany

• Competes for: Ireland 🇮🇪

• Discipline: Show Jumping

• Instagram: @duffy_michael1
  
  

We begin the interview with what is maybe best described as a slightly existential question:

For someone who doesn’t know you, how would you describe Michael Duffy?

– I suppose I’m quiet, I wouldn’t be the biggest talker in the world. And driven. With the horses and my career, I am very focused on that. How else would I describe myself? Hm. I don’t know – I’m quite boring, I suppose, haha.

How did you get involved with horses?

– My grandfather was a course builder and he built courses all over the world. He built at Spruce Meadows, at the World Championships in Dublin, at London Olympia, and at shows in Australia and Libya. He built everywhere. My father was also a show jumper and rode at a very high level when he was younger, and represented Ireland at Nations Cup level many times. Then I sort of came along with the ponies and that took over then. 

Given his grandfather’s and father’s careers, it’s perhaps no surprise that to Michael, focusing on show jumping was always a given. But he explains that when he was younger, he was also interested in racing. 

– I was also very interested in racing at an early age. I used to ride out with the thoroughbreds when I was younger. I kind of hummed and hawed whether I was good enough for it, but the problem was that when I went riding out, I was also too far gone in show jumping. I was already very successful in ponies and juniors and things, so it would have been a big change to drop that. 

“You have to listen to the horse. It will tell you when it’s ready. Some horses need a bit more time but if you can just bite your lip and wait for them, it will come.”

– Michael Duffy

What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful show jumper?

– One thing Helena Stormanns told me that I still remember is that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And it’s very, very true. I’d say that I was maybe a little bit impatient when I was younger. Not saying that I’m the most patient now but I’m definitely a lot more patient! You have to remember that to build a career, you need to keep horses for a long time. If you keep doing the right things with the horse, it pays off. 

Emphasizing the importance of patience, he adds:

–  I was jumping a four-year-old, a five-year-old, and a six-year-old this morning and they’re all at the exact same stage, all jumping 90 cm. That’s even though one is two years older than the other – she’d bred a foal and she wasn’t ready. Now she is, and she’s very smart actually. But you have to listen to the horse. It will tell you when it’s ready. Some horses need a bit more time but if you can just bite your lip and wait for them, it will come. 

What are your long-term goals as an athlete?

– I think the Olympics is the pinnacle. But in the near future, we have the World Games in Aachen in 2026. Before that, we’re going to Wellington for three months and then it’s the Nations Cups and the European Championships this summer. Of course, there are also a couple of Grand Prix and things you’d like to nick along the way. I’m probably not going to do as many global tours as I did last year but try to focus a bit more on Nations Cups. I’ll target a few of the Rolex ones toward the end of the season like Dublin and Brussels.

“We all want to be world number one in this sport and win the Grand Prix and the Olympic Championships – all those things. But the first person that has to inspire you is yourself, really.” 

– Michael Duffy

Equestrian-related or not, who or what inspires you?

– ​​I suppose, to be honest, there are many ways to look at that question:

• For myself, there’s this hunger I have for the sport. We all want to be world number one in this sport and win the Grand Prix and the Olympic Championships – all those things. But the first person that has to inspire you is yourself, really. You have to want to do it. And it’s very easy to say that you want to do it but to then go out and do it is different. 

  
  

• From a riding point of view, there are so many good riders now. I don’t think you should focus on one particular rider. You look at the delicacy that Marcus Ehning rides with, it’s outstanding. And Harrie Smolders – the accuracy that he can ride with. I remember when I was a kid, Eddie Macken, who is like an Irish hero and was a big rider in the 80s, was the one that we used to love watching old videos of. But there are a lot of people – you can learn from everyone. As I said, I work very closely now with Helena Stormanns, and she did loads in the sport herself, and she’s a great help. 
  
  

• Of course, it’s also the horses. It’s not like a job where we go to the office and ride horses. It’s 24/7. I recently had some downtime at home in Ireland for a few days, and I was pulling my hair out and didn’t know what to do. When I’m around the horses, I’m more relaxed.

If you could tell your younger self something, what would that be? 

– It would definitely be the patience I was talking about earlier. I’d tell myself, “It will happen”. When I left Shane Breen’s when I was 19, I had two horses, and I had no money, no nothing, and I used to borrow lifts to shows off the local guys. I rode my first Nations Cup two years later. So, I’d tell myself to try to let it happen a little more, to not force it as much. 

“I love the thrill of being bucked off a three-year-old and I love competing in the Grand Prix and everything in between.”

– Michael Duffy




What do you enjoy most: competing, training other riders, or producing young horses?

– To be honest, I enjoy it all. For sure everyone loves the minute and a half that you’re in the ring in a 5* cup or a Grand Prix or Championship, that’s obviously fantastic. But I rode two three-year-olds this morning and I also love spending time with them. And I have a lot of riders that have trained with me in the past and I’m very proud of them. I just love horses, I love everything about it. I love the thrill of being bucked off a three-year-old and I love competing in the Grand Prix and everything in between. 

What do you think makes Ireland such a powerhouse in show jumping?

– I suppose there’s a lot of different aspects to it. The big thing with Ireland is that horses are very accessible, there are loads of horses and ponies around. It’s very easy to get your hands on one and go to the riding school and get the opportunity to ride. Whereas you compare it to a lot of other places, like in the States, it’s so expensive to ride. Here, there’s just so many opportunities.

At the same time, Michael adds, there are challenges too.

– It gets to a certain point where it’s quite difficult to make it at the top-level from Ireland just because we’re the most western point of Europe and it takes two days just to get to Calais, you know, so it becomes quite difficult in the long run. But why are there so many good Irish riders? It’s because the competition is so fierce even when you’re young. I remember when I grew up, every weekend – and I mean every weekend – it was Bertram Allen, Eoin McMahon, Michael G Duffy, Kellie Allen, Emily Turkington, myself… And there were so many of us, it was cut-throat at every Pony Grand Prix. The competition for the Pony European Championships was fierce.  

  – It’s also that if you want to make it, you have to leave home. Or maybe you don’t have to – but 90% have. If you’re prepared to leave the comfort of your home and your family, like I did when I was 17, it’s an incredible show of intent – that you actually want this. 

“I was just pulling at the reins to get out and get to better shows and try better horses and just try to make a go of it.” 

– Michael Duffy

What was it like to leave home when you were 17?

– I remember I couldn’t wait. My mom made me finish school and I remember absolutely tearing my hair out the last year. I’d been working for Cian O’Connor at the time and I was also in school full-time. I was bringing my books with me but they weren’t getting an awful lot of attention... At that stage, I’d already ridden once in the 5* in Dublin and I was National Champion and already had quite a lot of local success and I was just pulling at the reins to get out and get to better shows and try better horses and just try to make a go of it. 

What are your favorite MD pieces?

– The jumpers are very, very comfortable and the breeches as well. They’re very hard-lasting. The gloves are also great, sometimes when gloves don’t fit well, I get a false feeling on the reins, but these gloves are very, very good. And I’ve still got a few pieces I’m yet to wear.