Ask Alex Duffy what he remembers most about growing up as the fourth of five children on his family farm, and the answer comes quick. Horses, he says. We were always riding.

With trainers as parents (his father is Vinnie) and all four of his siblings involved in horses, it’s no surprise that 23-year-old Alex has chosen a similar path. From his parents’ Duffy Sport Horses in County Mayo, Ireland, to his more recent base in Germany, Alex is honing his feel for developing quality young horses into future stars.

He’s young, he’s talented, and he talks about working his way up the rankings with the attitude of a person who is looking forward to the hard work required to succeed. With several exciting horses for the future, and a growing client base overseas in the USA, this Irishman is well on his way there.

ProEquest: You were raised on a working farm in Ireland. How do you think that experience has effected your riding career and your understanding of horses?
Alex Duffy: It was funny really, because the family was always around horses, but when I was 10, 11, twelve years old I had no interest in horses whatsoever. But I used to love going to shows, I had loads of friends at the shows so it was great fun for me to go. Then one day my parents decided that I wasn’t allowed to come to the shows anymore unless I took a pony with me. And once I started I never looked back.

Birds eye view of Alex's base in Germany

PE: Horses have been in the Duffy family for generations. Did living on a farm full time and always having them available ever deter you from wanting to ride?
AD: Like I said, early on I had no interest. I remember never wanting to ride horses at a young age. But when it’s around you so much, I think it’s kind of inevitable. We always had so many ponies and horses going through the yard, every type of horses. Every week you had a different project and you learned a lot all the time. It definitely kept it interesting!

PE: You come from a family of 5 children - all who competed at a high level in Europe. Can you tell us how that has effected the Duffy business and your sibling camaraderie?
AD: Everyone has been to the European championships in one form or another; all the way down to my youngest brother Michael, who rode at the Pony European Championships last year. I suppose it’s a big team effort, and we all work together at home. My older brother Martin gave me a lot of help when I was younger. It gives you a bit more drive to do well when your brothers and sisters are doing well.

PE: How did you transition from being a young rider in Ireland to riding Internationally in grand prix classes all over Europe?
AD: I competed at the European championships in Young Riders, but growing up I was always riding from my home base. And once I got a taste for the European circuit I tried to do a bit more. I always saw myself ending up out here.
However I was based in Ireland when I was most successful in Europe. I’ve only been in Germany since last June.

PE: You are currently based with Cameron and Carl Hanley (also from Co. Mayo Ireland) in Osnabrook, Germany. Can you tell us how the business and the shows differ than what you were familiar with in Ireland?
AD: Well, in the first place it was by chance I ended up here at all. I was coming home from a show in France and I called Cameron up for space in the stables to stop over for one night. I’ve been here since! When I got here Cameron was injured, and I said I’d stay and help out for a couple of weeks until he got better. But once we began working together, it worked out so well that we didn’t see a reason to stop.

As far as the difference between the business, really there’s no comparison because there are so many more clients out here. The USA client base seems to travel to this part of Europe all the time, and there’s so much more trade out here. You have people to look at your horses every day of the week if you want to show them. Ireland is fantastic but some people see it as out of the way a little bit.

PE: As a seasoned grand prix rider, you've ridden a great deal of International horses. Is there a particular one that has been your favorite and why?
AD: My favorite one to date is a horse called Courtown. A rider from California, Karrie Rufer, bought him last year. He was the first better horse I had to go and do some bigger championships with him. I did my first senior Nations Cup with him.
Some of my best days were with him, and he was definitely a personal favorite.

Generally, all the horses are for sale – but we like to buy them and produce them for a time. We don’t mind spending two years to produce a horse the right way, finding raw talent and bringing them along. 

PE: Duffy Sporthorse appears to be gaining momentum with clientele in the USA. How do you connect with your clients overseas?
AD: We really just let the horses speak for themselves, and that’s worked very well for us. When we’re on the road we meet people everywhere, and when the horses are ready for someone, people see them. In the meantime, we just work at producing them the best we can.

PE: Do you have any new horses that will get you back at the Nations Cup level anytime soon?
AD: Yes, at the moment I have three that I think will get to that level, they’re all very exciting. One is an 8-year-old Irish bred gelding by Cruising, called Cruco. Already this year he’s jumped in some 1.50m classes and done well. He’s on a break at the moment, and we’ll start building him up again next year for the grand prix classes. Then there’s a 9 year old called Grand Balou that I’m jumping in the grand prix classes at the moment, he’s an exciting one as well. And I have a 7 year old called Living the Dream that is going to the Young Horse World Championships in Belgium.

A star for the future - Alex and Cruco

With Grand Balou

Young prospect Living the Dream

PE: What are your ultimate goals as you look ahead to your future show jumping career?
AD: I’ll try and keep doing this as long as I can. For me the main thing is to have success in the sport, and try to get more to the top level of it, really get as far as I can. Riding in Dublin one day in the Nations Cup at the home show is definitely at the top of the list.