SHOW jumping is in Michael Duffy’s blood. He was born into one of the most influential show jumping families in the west of Ireland and is continuing to carry the family name to new heights in the sport.

In February, the 22-year-old made his five-star Nations Cup debut in the United Arab Emirates, returning with a clean sheet in the second round, but the story begins long before that, in Turloughmore, Co Galway. Michael’s father Paul, and his grandfather Paul Snr before him, paved the way for him in the sport.

Having qualified for the Dublin Horse Show every year since he was just 10, it was clear that Michael only had a career in show jumping on his mind. While he did finish out his second level education, completing his Leaving Certificate in 2012, the youngster was selected for a European Championship at every underage level – ponies, children on horses, juniors and young riders.

He picked up three European medals – a children on horses team silver in 2007 in Istanbul with Dusky Clover, a pony team silver in 2009 at Moorsele aboard Sillogue Darkie, and a young rider team bronze medal in 2015 with the brilliantly talented Miss Untouchable (now VDL Groep Miss Untouchable, ridden on the Global Champions Tour by Leopold van Asten), a moment Duffy rates as one of his career highlights.

SETTING RECORDS

It is, however, becoming the youngest ever national champion at the age of 17 on Killard Horizon – the horse who captured the hearts of the Duffy family – that still stands out as Duffy’s most special moment. “Killard Horizon is probably one of my favourite horses of all time, he is the one that got the ball rolling for me,” he said.

Following Michael’s first five-star Nations Cup with Belcanto Z in Al Ain, his dad believes they are the only father and son to have jumped at five-star Nations Cup level for Ireland in recent times. Paul rode on the senior team at St Gallen in 1985 and Hickstead in 1986 with a horse called Paddy’s Son. He was also part of the Aga Khan squad at the Dublin Horse Show in 1985 an 1986.

Although he has moved away from home and is no longer coached by his father, Michael describes the influence he had on his career as “incredible”.

My father was, and still is, a massive influence on my career. He is still one of my best friends, I speak to him twice a day on the phone and he comes to as many shows as he can.

“My father was, and still is, a massive influence on my career. He is still one of my best friends, I speak to him twice a day on the phone and he comes to as many shows as he can.

“For me he was incredible, he had 100 chances to sell (Killard) Horizon down through the years and he kept him for me because he knew we wouldn’t be able to afford one like him when we need him.”

Since those days in Co Galway, Michael’s rise through the ranks has been rapid. He spent time training with Cian O’Connor and an extended period at Shane Breen’s Hickstead yard, before eventually setting up on his own in 2014, at the tender age of 19.

He moved his base to Inglis Stables in Cuckfield, West Sussex, the home of his girlfriend Amy Inglis, and has built a string of promising young horses.

In 2015, Michael made his senior Nations Cup debut at the three-star show in Odense, Denmark, with Cortina 200, and they were part of the team at Lisbon in that same year.

He also won the Under 25 Grand Prix at Saut Hermes on the horse he described as “one of the most talented” he has ridden.

The current star of his show is Belcanto Z (Berlin x Mr Blue), who he hopes will be selected for the first superleague team of 2017 at Lummen next week.

“I got him in the middle of last summer and he won the Grand Prix at our first show together. He has won two two-star Grands Prix, at Arena UK and Keysoe, he was fourth in our first three-star in Canteleu, third in our first four-star in Liverpool and then we did our first five-star in Al Ain and he finished eighth,” he said of the Alan Burnell-owned 11-year-old gelding.

Michael has high hopes for their partnership this year.

“We are heading to Lummen hoping to be part of the team. They told me before Al Ain that if it went well, it would open doors, and it has, so hopefully the same will happen now.”

OPPORTUNITIES

Like every Irish show jumper, Dublin is to the fore of Michael’s mind, as well as getting more opportunities at senior level, under the guidance of the new chef d’equipe Rodrigo Pessoa.

“The Dublin Horse Show is the main goal and I would like to get on more teams, and there are tons of opportunities so I need to keep building on that,” he said.

“I have spoken to Rodrigo a good few times, he seems extremely passionate about the job. It’s great to have a man of his experience, and he is so easy to speak to and so accepting.”

Lady Georgina Forbes is another very good owner for Duffy, with up to six horses at his stable at all times. He is optimistic about the future with a number of talented young horses starting to shine through, and is keen to add more superstars to his string.

“I have two seven-year-olds that I think are really really good. Au Top Des Luthiers is the bee’s knees and Castleforbes Angelina is another I think a lot of.”

Michael is currently training with Henk Noreen near Liege in Belgium, a partnership which came to fruition with the help of the “life changing” Young Riders’ Academy. Founded in 2014 by Eleonora Ottaviana, Michael was among the group that recently graduated from the 2016 programme, along with teammates Jack Dodd and Eoin McMahon.

The non-profit organisation is run under the patronage of the European Equestrian Federation and gives the young riders a chance to train with the world’s leading show jumpers, as well as providing educational seminars and helping them get into the bigger shows.

“The young rider academy was life changing. All the training I received is incredible, I got some sessions off Scott Brash and now Henk Noreen, who has been trainer to the French, Spanish, Dutch – he has done it all.

“The beauty about it is that they don’t just forget about you when it’s over. They are still paying for me to train with Henk and pushing for me to get into shows. I think it’s incredible, you don’t ever leave, you are on their radar forever.”

It was through the Academy that Michael was invited to speak at the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne last week. He sat in on the panel discussing the future of the Nations Cup and the online invite system, in a time where the FEI have put forward many suggestions that threaten to change the face of the sport.

“It was really interesting to be part of the panel in Lausanne, there were great points made and I hope they are taken on board. It was a good chance to get involved in the discussion surrounding the Nations Cup. There are plenty of passionate people who made productive points.”

There is no sign of this productive young man slowing down any time soon.