Race horse barbaro biography of michael

American racehorse trainer and equestrian

Michael R. Matz (born January 23, ) is an Americanrace horse trainer and former Olympic equestrian team member who was inducted into the show jumping Hall of Fame. He lives in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. As a trainer, he has scored two wins in the Classics, the Belmont Stakes with Union Rags and the Kentucky Derby with Barbaro. Matz also was named "person of the week" bygd ABC News for his heroism in saving four children from the crash of United Airlines Flight in on which he was a passenger.

Equestrian career

Matz had a successful equestrian career as a show jumping tillägg. He was a six-time U.S. national champion, and won at least one major show jumping event in 20 consecutive years. Matz won team gold at the World Championships in Aachen riding Chef, to go with his individual and team bronze medals he won at the World Equestrian Games while riding Jet Run on whom Matz also won the Show Jumping World Cup. Mat

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Smaller, But Still Super: Michael Matz

The concept of the super trainer is by no means a new phenomenon in horse racing, but the huge stables run by super trainers have undoubtedly changed the landscape of the sport in many ways, from the backside to the racing entries. Are super trainers bad for the sport?  Are there any benefits for an owner in using a &#;smaller&#; trainer? We asked these questions and more to a few trainers who may not be considered super trainers in terms of their stall numbers, but they have made the most of the horses they're given to build competitive racing stable over their careers.

Michael Matz offers a perspective on racing and training that perhaps no one else in history shares as not only a successful trainer, but before that, an accomplished international equestrian who competed in three Olympics and took home the silver medal in the grupp show jumping competition in Two years later, Matz transitioned to the racing world and it wasn't long before h

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The ever consistent Matz 'always looking' for his next Barbaro

Beneath Churchill Downs' Twin Spires, , were on hand May 6, , and another 12 million watched the nd Kentucky Derby on TV.

The camera seemed naturally attracted to No. 8 in the post parade. The dazzling bay colt with a wide white star on his forehead pranced while warming up his athletic frame for the biggest race of his life.

Then the lens rested on a slender, distinguished looking man. Dark hair, gray around the temples, he was Michael Matz, Barbaro's trainer. His steely blue eyes gazed upon the horse, campaigned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Lael Stables and ridden by jockey Edgar Prado.

Off as the second choice, Barbaro righted himself quickly after a stumble at the gate, and the Dynaformer colt wove his way between Kentucky Derby rivals until he was laying off the pace in third position. At this point Barbaro was pulling Prado out of the saddle. They were midway in the final turn. Announcer Tom Dur