Michael Matz
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Michael Matz (born January 23, 1951 in Collegeville, Pennsylvania) is an American equestrian rider and horse trainer. As a trainer, he trained the ill-fated Barbaro to win the 132nd Kentucky Derby horse race in 2006, before the previously undefeated colt suffered a career ending and life threatening injury, shortly after the start of horse racing's second leg of the triple crown, the Preakness Stakes, just two weeks later.
Equestrian career
Matz had a highly successful equestrian career as a show jumping rider. He was a six-time U.S. national champion, and won at least one major show jumping event in 20 consecutive years. Matz also won individual and team bronze medals in the 1978 World Equestrian Championships, won a total of four gold medals and four bronze medals at the Pan American Games, and made Olympic teams in 1976, 1992, and 1996. In 1996, he won a silver medal in the Show Jumping Team equestrian event, along with Peter Leone, Leslie Burr-Howard, and Anne Kursinski. Matz was also chosen to carry the United States flag into Centennial Olympic Stadium at the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Games. He retired from show jumping as the leading money-winning rider in the sport's history, with over $1.7 million.He began to train thoroughbreds in 1998, making training his full-time profession once he failed to make the 2000 Olympic team.Richard Rosenblatt, ["Michael Matz's Amazing Journey to Derby 132"], Associated Press, May 2, 2006 He trains at the Fair Hill Training Center, in Maryland. He trained the 2005 Arlington Million winner Kicken Kris as well as the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
On April 1, 2006, Matz was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.
United Flight 232
Matz was chosen for the honor of carrying the flag at the 1996 Closing Ceremonies not only because of his illustrious career in the show ring, but also for an extraordinary act of heroism seven years before. On July 19, 1989, Matz and his fiancee (now his wife), D.D. Alexander, were traveling home from judging a horse show in Hawaii. They missed their connection from Denver to Philadelphia, and had a choice of two flights 20 minutes apart. They chose United Airlines Flight 232.After a catastrophic engine failure that destroyed all of the plane's hydraulic systems, the plane crashed into a cornfield near Sioux City, Iowa. Although the crash claimed 111 lives, Matz not only survived, but led four young children to safety. He first led three siblings who were traveling alone to safety, and then went into the burning wreckage to save an 11-month-old girl. He was named "Person of the Week" by ABC News for his heroism on Flight 232. Matz has remained in touch with the three siblings, who were at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, and met with him during the run-up to the race.
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