Michael is a true horseman whose passion for the equestrian world shines through every role he takes on. As a proud pony dad, former top show groom and now as the assistant manager of the WEC Ocala show office, he combines exceptional horse knowledge with unwavering attention to detail and a calm, steady presence. Whether he’s preparing a pony for the show ring, supporting competitors behind the scenes or helping manage one of the industry’s premier horse shows, Michael is known for his professionalism, patience and dedication to excellence.
He is the kind of person who keeps both horses and people performing at their very best.
–Matt McHugh
Michael has been a part of my horse life since the very start. I remember Michael from when he was a teenager: unorganized, lost and confused. You could literally find Michael sleeping in a stall or a car or running around at the last minute to find his show boots because he was supposed to show in five minutes.
He’s been part of my life as a competitor and groom, but most importantly a friend. He would literally give you the shirt off his back—and he once did! Well, it was a jacket and it was freezing and he bundled me up saying, “I’m warm, you take it.” Now he’s at WEC making a huge difference for myself and all competitors by being organized, almost too much—it’s September 2nd and he already has me completely organized for WEC 2027! Now you can find Michael in the office handling everything and anything with his dog Rupert by his side and a sassy little smile on his face, organized and ready to take on whatever the day brings.
Then there’s another side to Michael that most people don’t know of and that is that he and his husband, Matt, started a show series called the Gateway Show Series in northern Ontario, which has been a hit for all riders and horses. Michael knows what it’s like living in northern Ontario and the challenges riders face, so by giving back to the community, riders and horses have the opportunity to have fun, compete and develop their skills at a well-run, inexpensive show with great people and prizes.
In the end, I’m very lucky to have known all sides of Michael and to have watched him develop into the amazing adult he is—but more importantly, I’ve still gotten to be a friend of his and be part of his great adventures.
–Katriina Routsalo, Northern Legacy Horse Farm
The first time I met Michael, I was standing with my back to the ring at a Trillium Circuit horse show in Ontario, Canada, when I heard an enormous crash. I turned around to see a horse’s rear end high in the air, a rider’s rear end even higher and both of their heads taking out the jump in front of them. It was Michael. He led his horse out of the ring laughing. This big, tall redhead obviously had a great sense of humor, and as I would soon discover, a pretty high pain tolerance.
Shortly after that horse show, I was looking for staff to come and work in Florida. Michael’s coach at the time thought he would be a good fit. I already liked his sense of humor, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for a boy from the north to come to Florida and work with horses. I also knew how much he loved horses and that he didn’t exactly have a huge budget for buying a good one!
I was already in Florida when Michael arrived partway through the circuit. Within his first few days, he brought one of my hunters to the ring and the bridle was absolutely filthy. Michael still tells this story; I completely embarrassed him by sending him back to the barn to get saddle soap and a sponge. He then had to come back to the ring, where I proceeded to give him a tack-cleaning lesson in front of everybody, just before I showed.
He learned very quickly that the person he worked for was, shall we say, particular. After numerous grooming, bandaging, turnout, show-preparation and life lessons, Michael became extremely efficient and meticulous. But fairly early in that first adventure, he also experienced what we called Sunday Funday. The job was still seven days a week, but Monday was generally a horse-show-free day, which meant feeding and mucking could happen a little later and there was no riding—just turnout. In other words, Monday could sometimes be done in what we affectionately called a “comatose state.”
Michael worked for me for several more years and eventually became the private groom for my Grand Prix horse, Ricky. He took wonderful care of Ricky, and the two of them became very close. One particularly cold morning in Florida, Michael brought Ricky to the ring for a class wearing a wool cooler—with my enormous winter jacket pulled up over his neck and the hood covering his ears. Ricky apparently thought he looked pretty good in my coat. So did Michael. That is just the kind of character Michael is.
From horse shows in Florida and Ontario to Nashville, Tennessee—where we had more than our share of adventures—to Traverse City and back home, Michael became a huge part of our team. He had an amazing sense of humor, was completely reliable—even on those hazy Mondays—and became a wonderful horseman. Eventually, he went on to work at several other top hunter show stables, and his services were always in demand.
He continued to do part-time work for me, too—at the Royal Winter Fair, doing night check, nighttime lunging, and perhaps most importantly, overall cheerleading. He was always pleasant, and our customers loved his ability to make the best of any situation and make them laugh, even after a bad class. To this day, he helps me with my horse-show memberships, entries, booking flights and just about anything else I call him for. We joke that he is my “horse-show son,” because I horse-show raised him.
He has now found his place at the World Equestrian Center in Florida, in the office, as well as working with horses and people where he belongs.
I would never want to take away Michael’s wonderful sense of humor or his ability to find the funny side of almost any situation. It has been special to watch him grow into the man and horseman he is today—grounded, dependable, talented and surrounded by the life he loves.
– Cathy Inch, Foothills Farm
I am so grateful for Michael, not only for being a fantastic member of the WEC horse show office and making all of our lives much easier, but also for being one of the most supportive and fun friends in my life.
– Jad Dana
Michael is an important part of our team at the World Equestrian Center. The show office is at the heart of our operations, and his dedication, professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond make a difference for both our exhibitors and staff. He takes pride in what he does, and that commitment does not go unnoticed. He has been the driving force behind many of the new programs offered to improve the experience for exhibitors, including daily and year-end high-point awards. We are fortunate to have him on our team.
– Tom Hern, Senior Director of Equestrian Operations, World Equestrian Center
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