DENMARK’s Maria Schou burst onto the Irish Grand Prix circuit last month, and just missed out on a win in Cavan last Sunday when she claimed the runner-up spot in the TRM/Showjumpers Club Spring Tour.

Based with the Duffy family in Knockmore, Co Mayo since the beginning of February, Maria is relishing her role as their new rider, and is excited to see what the future holds for her here.

“I grew up on my parents’ yard in Viborg, Denmark. My mother bred horses and ponies and rode, but just for fun,” she told The Irish Field while taking time out of her busy day to talk about the move to Ireland.

“I began riding basically from the time I could walk. My mom would hold me in front of her in the saddle. When I was four years old I began competing with my pony. When I was seven I qualified for the national show in Denmark, and when I was eight I did my first Danish National championships.

“Two years later I won my first National championship title. I was, and still am, the youngest person ever to hold that title. Since then I’ve won the Danish Championships five more times in my division.

“My parents, Michael and Rikke, are really passionate about the sport and are fantastic at supporting me in everything I have done. I did the Junior European Championships in 2019, and the Young Rider equivalent in 2021 and 2022 with my horse Senna.”

Whole heart

The talented rider brought that mare up through the ranks. “We found Senna in Germany when I was 14 years old. At first I didn’t like her at all. She was still with her breeder and had done up to 1.40m. She was mostly a speed horse back then and she was quite small.

“My trainer, Danish international rider Sören Knudsen, absolutely loved her and insisted that she was the one. After a couple of months riding her I could see he was right; I loved that horse with my whole heart. I owe her so much.

“We learned together. I did my 1.45m debut with her and it was her first 1.45m also. The same in 1.50m; we both did our first class at that level together. She was the horse that taught me everything, we grew together. She is now in Sweden with a junior rider and is doing really well.

“Sören (Knudsen) was my trainer for many years. He has trained so many top horses in both dressage and show jumping and was a successful international competitor for Denmark himself.”

The time came when Maria was looking for a change of scenery and an opportunity to bring on her riding, which brought her to Co Mayo. “Last year, the father of a friend of mine from the team heard that I was looking for somewhere to work outside of Denmark. He knew the Duffy family and put me in touch with them.

“He said ‘I know these great people in Ireland and I think that maybe this could be a good place for you’. So then Jean (Gill) called me and I came on a trial for two weeks.

"I really enjoyed it, both the training and Vinnie (Duffy) and Jean are very kind people. All of my coworkers are amazing and I was like, ‘I think I’m moving to Ireland’.”

Packed bags

“I flew home and told my parents. I packed my things and my two horses up in about five days and drove here, that was almost two months ago now.

“I brought an eight-year-old full-sister of Senna with me called Satelittenflieger K (Stolzenberg x Escudo II). I bought her from the same place we bought Senna in Germany. I also brought Chandler 9 for the bigger classes. I am doing a Nations Cup with him in France at the end of April.

“We had a great show last weekend in Cavan. That’s the second time I’ve been there and it’s a great venue. The stables are so close to the rings and everything is run so well. I really enjoy being there.

“I ride everything from the age of four to about 11 years here; I’m very lucky, they are a really nice bunch of horses. I’m learning so much, riding many different horses, about eight to 12 a day. It’s fantastic. The plan going forward is to do the Dublin qualifiers; the small tour for young riders and the big tour for young riders, as well as the young horses and try to qualify.

“I’m trying to do some of the international shows here in Ireland such as Balmoral and Mullingar with my own horses as well as with the Duffys. It’s hard to say yet, but I would love to make it onto the Danish team for the Europeans Championships again, this is my last year as a young rider but we will just have to see how that works out with the Danish selectors but I’m hopeful that we can make it.”