THERE was much to catch up on by USA famed equestrian Michael and DD Matz, who were both on the winning American Nations Cup team which captured the Aga Khan Trophy in 1993.

The couple enjoyed a lunch this week at the RDS with Capt Con Power, a member of Ireland’s ‘Dream Team’ Aga Khan winners (1977-1979) and Col Ned Campion, who was on the winning Irish team in 1967.

RDS Librarian Gerard Whelan took them through the history of showjumping at the RDS and the famous Aga Khan Trophy. They spent some time in the RDS Main Arena where they all recalled story after story of those memorable days from Madison Square Garden in New York to Aachen in Germany, and Lucerne in Switzerland to South America.

Michael Matz went on to represent America in three Olympic Games – 1976, 1992 and 1996 – and won a silver team medal. He won the US National Championship six times, and the Showjumping World Cup in 1981, and was inducted into the American Showjumping Hall of Fame in 2006. He rode The General while DD rode Tashiling to clinch the Aga Khan (1993) with team mates Leslie Lenehan (Gem Twist) and Anne Kursinski (Suddenly).

On retirement from show jumping, Matz took out a trainer’s license in 1998 and has been equally successful in racing. Among his top track winners were Arlington Millions winner Kicken Kris in 2005, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro in 2006 and Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags in 2012. He was also named Person of the Week by ABC News in 1989 for his heroic rescue of four children, including a baby, from fire when a plane he was travelling in crashed, tragically killing 111 people.

His wife DD Alexander enjoyed an equally successful career in showjumping. Her mother Helen Groves was a well-known horse breeder, and her grandfather Robert Kleberg owned the famous King Ranch in Texas and Pennsylvania, one of the most extensive cattle breeding farms in the USA.

He bred the 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault and the 1950 Belmont Stakes winner Middleground.

Michael and DD’s children Lucy and Alex are following in their parents’ footsteps as they are among some of the most talented young show jumpers in America today.