Matt Heinzle represented Canada in eventing at the 2021 North American Young Riders Championships – an incredible accomplishment for any young rider, but a staggering feat given that his mount was also his first horse. Tallboy Tuesday (‘Tommy’) was an off-the-track Thoroughbred he produced himself from a four-year-old up to the FEI level.
He then did something nobody expected and made the decision to pivot from eventing and focus his career on the showjumping ring. For the last four years he has been based in the US, working his way up from groom to flat rider to professional, In March, Heinzle led the victory gallop at The Ridge’s Finale in the 1.30m Rising Star Welcome riding Kinky Boy and also placed third aboard Catch the Dark Z.
Heinzle grew up on a small farm in Glen Robertson, ON, where his family had a business growing and selling hay. He didn’t begin riding until he was 12, but quickly dedicated himself to the sport. After a childhood testing the waters in hockey, soccer, and football, he says that once he discovered a passion for horses his competitive drive had found its outlet in a sport that also offered huge personal fulfillment.
“From the first ride I was hooked, and after a year of lessons my family bought me a four-year-old OTTB. I did everything with that horse, and everything we did together was basically both of our first times doing it. We were both learning together and Tommy knew just about as much as I did, and sometimes neither of us had the answers, but that was what made it so rewarding when we finally got it right.”
At the age of 14, Heinzle dedicated himself completely to advancement in the sport, and moved with Tommy to a competition barn in Ottawa. At Stevens Creek Farm he trained and lived with Teddie Laframboise and family, becoming a working student in exchange for training and board. It was a sacrifice to leave his family and the balancing act of school and training was a challenge, but the sacrifice paid off.
To compete at NAYRC on a horse he had developed off-the-track as a young rider was a pinnacle moment of pride for the young rider. “It was a huge moment for me; to compete on a team and to handle that kind of pressure was something I’ll carry with me throughout the rest of my professional career. I really have to credit Teddie [Laframboise], as she played such a huge role in my development and she was a huge part of the relationship between Tommy and I and why we were a success.”
He decided to make the move to showjumping after NAYRC when, despite his success in the discipline, he found it difficult to imagine a future in eventing. “It was a difficult decision at the time,” he says, “but it is easily the best one I’ve made, and I haven’t looked back.
“The cold truth is that eventing, especially in Canada, is very difficult to pursue professionally as a sole source of income. The infrastructure, prize money, and overall opportunities just aren’t as developed as they are in showjumping, and the quality and accessibility of horses can make is even more challenging.”
He started by making connections with trainers based in Wellington, FL, during the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2022 – which led to a position working for professional trainer and grand prix rider Ali Wolff. He spent the winter grooming and flat riding some of her young horses, and when the team moved north for the summer he was introduced to the head trainer at Spy Coast Farm, Angel Muñoz-Gil, which led to his first professional riding position.
Matt and Catch the Dark Z. (Lindsay Brock photo)
With the Spy Coast operation, he spent two years in Kentucky training and competing young horses, and was later introduced to Diana Patterson, owner of Blue Trim LLC, and where he is currently based as assistant trainer.
Together with head trainer Nicky Galligan, Heinzle manages a barn of 13 horses. “The transition between disciplines was a bit like stepping into a different world,” he says, laughing. “It was my first time in the United States, and then to step straight into a high-performance barn in Wellington was a bit of a shock to the system. But the core values are the same, and we’re always trying to take the best care of the horses to get the best out of them. At the end of the day, no matter the discipline, I think the horsemanship is always the same and we do it for the love of the horses.”
His top horses at the moment are Catch the Dark Z and Kinky Boy Van Het Gildenhof. “Both horses have experience up to the five-star grand prix, but as they’ve gotten older they’ve stepped down from top level competition and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to learn from them,” he says. “They continue to teach me something every time I step into the ring.”
Heinzle competes both horses at the national grand prix level and now, at age 21, has his sights set on FEI 2* grand prix and some U25 classes over the summer. “My main goal is to continue developing as a rider, gain experience in the ring, and learn to run and maintain a business. Of course, my main focus is ultimately being able to compete at the top level of the sport and one day be able to once again represent Team Canada on the international stage.
“I’m proud of how I’ve developed in the sport and I’ve made some sacrifices that have led to some fantastic opportunities. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve always had 100 per cent focus that this is what I want to do – and I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of making it happen!”
(Follow Matt on Instagram here.)
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