Michael Smith – owner of Olympic hopefuls – is Paris bound no matter what
Michael Smith has no less than an ownership or stake in three potential Olympic-bound show jumpers, with Australia’s Thaisa Erwin and USA’s McLain Ward the riders.
“My wife Wendy and I could personally have zero to two horses depending on how things go between now and the first of August,” he said.
Quimi del Maset, which Michael owns as part of the Sport Four LLC consortium, upped his chances of making a Paris appearance last Sunday after a win with McLain in the $200,000 Empire State Grand Prix at Old Salem. It was a telling moment for the 10-year old CDE gelding that was hailed as an Olympic possibility after winning at Upperville in 2023, before injury put those plans in jeopardy.
“They had a little accident that injured McLain and the horse a little bit at Old Salem last summer,” said Michael. “But they got the horse healthy again part of the way through WEF [the Winter Equestrian Festival] this year and he’s come back strong ever since. Had it not had the accident we’d be in a lot better shape this year but we are just grateful that the horse is back on track and in winning form again.”
Michael and Wendy also have two horses qualified for Paris with Thaisa – Hialita B, a 12-year old Dutch Warmblood mare, and High Star Hero, an 11-year old gelding. “The horses are in good form going forward and we’re hoping she’s selected for Australia,” said Michael. Selectors will be watching this weekend as Thaisa competes with her frontrunner, Hialita B, for Australia in the €220,000 €CSIO Nations Cup in Rome tomorrow.
Michael has his own plans to show in Europe this summer -, no small feat given that he too has come back from a significant injury sustained in the Opening Meet of the Piedmount Foxhounds near his home in Middleburg, Virginia as he went to jump a fence.
“A deer popped up and the horse hit the coop and we both nosedived into the ground,” he said. I broke my nose in two places and cracked C3 and T4. I was off completely for 12 weeks in a brace – luckily healed well.”
Thirteen weeks later, Michael was back in the saddle and six weeks after that he found his form again – having had a very successful first half of 2023 – winning Reserve Champion at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida this year. “I had a great year of show jumping last year. And it was kind of a hard way to end that year, but we’re back,” he said, having gone on to win Champion in the High and Low Amateur Jumpers at the most recent show in Lexington, Virginia.
Whether his horses make it to Paris is out of Michael’s hands and when it comes to Quimi del Maset, he is possibly not the current favorite. “That’s really up to McLain,” he said of the decision-making. “He makes all the plans. I know one of his plans is to have the horse ready for Aachen and some nice events by next year. He’ll continue to compete pretty regularly this summer. He is qualified for Paris but McLain has another horse that he’s leaning towards. Quimi is not totally out of the realm of possibility depending on how the summer goes.”
Regardless of the line up in Versailles, Michael – a member of the USET [United States Equestrian Team board] – will be there to support his fellow countrymen, while keeping one eye potentially on the Australians. Wendy, as co-owner of Thaisa’s horses, will also be there to support the Australian rider if she’s on the team. “We are definitely going to Paris – planes booked, hotel reservations and restaurant reservations made,” Michael said.