By Jessica Grutkowski
Portraits by Sophia Donohue
Matthew Boddy has become such a familiar name on the scoreboard at Wellington International that it’s hard to believe the FEI show jumper once felt like a fish out of water walking the very same show grounds.
As a young boy living in Northern England, Matthew remembers the exact moment he fell in love with horses. It was 1988, and 5-year-old Matthew was heading to the Royal International Horse Show to see his mom, Diane, at work. This was her first international show, and Matthew’s father, Howard, thought it would be fun to spectate. “I remember feeling important because I knew she had a big job,” Matthew said.
After watching legendary show jumpers—including John Whitaker and Nick Skelton—Matthew came home with a new appreciation for the sport. “I wanted to take riding lessons,” he said. “My parents both worked full time, so my grandfather drove me to the barn after school.”
In 1990, Diane was hired to design at Hickstead Derby. “It was a huge moment for her career. I remember climbing the banks and realizing the enormity of it all,” Matthew said. “The sheer bravery required by the riders of that era was different from what we see today.”
One Ride Leads to Another
When they returned from Hickstead, Matthew’s grandfather surprised him with an 11.2-hand chestnut pony. “I named it Hopscotch, after John Whitaker’s horse,” Matthew said. “I would come home from school and pretend to be John, attempting to mimic his elaborate flying changes. It was freezing cold and dark, but I didn’t care.”
Matthew soon outgrew Hopscotch and continued on to a series of taller ponies. Much to his mother’s dismay, Matthew had no interest in college. “She knew the industry was hard to break through and sent me to work for a friend in hopes that she would change my mind,” he said. “Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.”
At 15-years-old, Matthew groomed for British show jumper Paul Barker. “Paul taught me about having a winning mentality; I started to understand the psychology and work ethic needed to be successful,” Matthew said.
Matthew felt inspired after his time with Paul. He was excited to pursue his passion, but needed to devise a plan on how to finance it all. In a stoke of serendipity, he was gifted a horse through a close friend and secured a job with Stuart Harvey, who was rebuilding his team of show jumpers. “He gave me a stall, a mobile home and a stipend,” he said. “Stuart greatly influenced my approach with young horses, and we are still good friends today.”
It wasn’t until he began working for international show jumper Andrew Saywell that Matthew began to understand the business side. “I was keen, but not quite ready for the pressure of producing results on sales horses,” he said. “Andrew helped manage that mindset.”
Working for Andrew opened many doors for Matthew. “At Saywell, we shared the ring with Nick Skelton,” he said. “What a gift to observe him in his element.”
One day, while Matthew was showing one of Andrew’s horses, Eamonn Hughes of Drumnacross Farm spotted Matthew in the show ring and offered him a job. “Andrew encouraged me to go to the United States to be a working student for Eamonn.”
After a summer working across the pond, Matthew returned to Europe. The next series of positions—all of which led back to Andrew—helped ignite his career. In Germany, he worked with Ernst and Ans Hofschröer, who taught him to be more detail-oriented and correct. He also returned to Paul, showing horses at home, while he was at Schockemöhle. “It’s imperative to maintain relationships in this industry,” Matthew said. “I’m grateful for everything Andrew and Paul did to help in my formative years, and lucky to still count them as close friends today.”
Risking It All for the Dream
One day, Andrew called Matthew about a woman named Louise Abba, a horse enthusiast who had a breeding program and riding school. “Her horse Hullander, aka Holland, became my first really good horse,” Matthew said. Through Louise, Matthew met Rachel Evison. “Rachel gave me Lacajou, a black Grand Prix horse, by Concord. Lacajou put me on the map in Europe. We won our first Grand Prix together.”
Matthew’s success with Lacajou didn’t go unnoticed. Anne Bedford, a well-known breeder and producer of top show jumpers, hired Matthew to ride and compete on her horses. He took one of her homebreds to the Lanaken Young Horse World Championship. “Anne became a champion for me. She supported my goals up through my final days in the U.K.,” Matthew said.
In 2013, Matthew packed up his bags, ready to embark on a new chapter in the United States. “An American girl I met encouraged me to go to Wellington for the winter circuit. I kept two horses, but liquidated all of my other assets. It was a huge risk,” he said. Matthew wasn’t quite ready for the culture shock. “I was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole,” he said.
After a season of piecing together odd jobs, Matthew secured a position with Debbie Dolan and Brian Sweeney. “I created a niche for myself riding challenging horses. I stayed for five years, and still work for them whenever they need me,” he said.
One morning, Matthew was hacking along the infamous Wellington canals with acquaintance Vasco Flores, who rode for Georgina Bloomberg. “Vasco was starting his own business, and there was an opening at Gotham,” Matthew said. “I managed to get an interview with Jimmy Doyle and Georgina.”
Matthew had always dreamed of showing on the Global Champions Tour (GCT). “Jimmy tested me right from the start,” he said. “At first, I felt under the spotlight. I fell off three times in that first week. In all fairness, they needed someone successful—rock solid.”
It took Matthew time to acclimate. “I struggled to learn their system, but I persisted and succeeded. Jimmy and Georgina gave me the most successful horses of my career,” he said. “They asked me about my goals and made them happen.”
Balotelli, a 2010 gelding by Balou du Rouet, was undoubtedly Matthew’s ultimate partner. However, it was with a horse named Charmeur that Matthew experienced the pinnacle of his career, winning the Champagne Piaff CSI2* Grand Prix on the New York City leg of the GCT 2022. During his victory gallop, Charmeur donned a GCT scrim embroidered with the Manhattan skyline, and the winning pair enjoyed a victory gallop with the iconic Statue of Liberty over their shoulder.
Matthew continued on a winning trajectory. In 2022, he qualified to ride on the Senior Nations Cup Team in Wellington. “I learned what it’s like to be a proven rider in the U.S. and am grateful for my years with Gotham,” he said.
The Missing Piece
After five memorable years with Gotham and the global pandemic behind him, Matthew decided it was time for a change. “I felt like I had something more in me,” he said.
Matthew also had something more in his life—the love of Taylor Harris, a talented equestrian who grew up in Southern California. They met at Brave Horse Ohio in 2021 and married in November 2024 at Pebble Beach. “I wanted to build something with my wife. We made a promise to never compromise,” he said. “Even if it means waiting a bit longer for the right thing.”
Taylor had a successful Junior career training with Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farms, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. At 33, Taylor shows their new imports—City Of Stars and Ohio Dream—in FEI jumper classes. “My goal is to jump Spruce Meadows again,” Taylor said. “With the work Matthew and I are doing, I’ll be well prepared and perfectly mounted for that moment.”
Things are really beginning to take shape for the newlyweds. “Planning a wedding made things challenging, but we’ve had a lot of help and are excited for what’s next,” Taylor said. Half the year, the couple is based in Ridgefield, Connecticut. In 2024 they showed at Lake Placid, HITS Saugerties and Vermont, and Old Salem Farm. Matthew and Taylor finished up their year in Wellington for the season with their string of horses.
When asked about sourcing horses in Europe, Matthew is focused on one thing: talent. “Buy the best you can,” he said.
While working for Gotham, Matthew recalls a sticker that Georgina had on her tack locker. It read, “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” It’s always stuck with him. “You have to have tenacity,” Matthew said. “If you have a young horse, keep going. Keep the faith and you’ll get where you want to be.”
Matthew believes the sport is rapidly evolving, and he urges equestrians to stay relevant, be open-minded and not take things too literally. “What we thought a young horse should be doing has completely changed since the 1990s,” Matthew said. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the goal posts are moving, and the rules and regulations are always the last to catch up. You can’t stifle progression. The next decade is going to be even more challenging, and I hope to adapt to compete.”
Follow Matthew on Instagram @boddymatthew
Photos by Sophia Donohue, sophiadonohuephotography.com, unless noted otherwise
