Michael Duffy & RMF Clinton’s Son Supreme in the $75,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix

By Jumper News on 2025-09-09

Saugerties, United States – September 07, 2025 – Closing out an enormous day of competition in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium, Michael Duffy (IRL) captured his first win at the Hits Hudson Valley venue in the $75,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate National Grand Prix. The finale event boasted a starting field of 21 horse-and-rider combinations against Alan Wade’s concluding track of the week, but it was Duffy’s double-clear effort with RMF Clinton’s Son that ultimately stole the show.

Following a fierce first round of competition, Duffy joined eight additional pairings that produced a clear performance to advance on to the jump-off track. While Duffy debuted with two entries, it was his ride aboard the Rushy Marsh Farm’s 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Clinton H x Acorado) that earned him a spot as the second-to-last to vie for the prize.

In the jump-off, the pressure intensified as poles dropped in a variety of places over the entirety of the short course, leaving only four of the challengers to battle the clock. As the penultimate combination, Duffy used his well-established partnership with RMF Clinton’s Son to expertly pilot into the top spot with a time of 33.844 seconds.

“I’ve had him a good few years,” explained Duffy. “He’s super fast and his character is just like a big pony. He’s a pretty easy guy to get the job done with; I didn’t want to rush him to the first couple of fences, but then he was super good with the turn back to the double combination and the rest of the course.”

Sarah Segal (USA) and Horatio Street Ventures’ 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding Tom Hanks (Bisquet Balou C x Helios de la Cour II) jumped into the runner-up position, missing the mark by slightly less than a second with a time of 34.768 seconds.

**Michael Desiderio** (USA) & **Le Muguet**

Tranquillity Farm’s Michael Desiderio (USA) rounded out the top three in a time of 35.474 seconds with Le Muguet, Back Country Farm and Tranquillity Farm’s 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Ugano Sitte x Ohio van de Padenborre D’02).

For Duffy, the venture is his first to the world-class Hits Hudson Valley venue, but the overall experience has made a notable impression.

“This is my first time here and it’s absolutely beautiful,” he said. “The landscape is one of the places I’ve been in the Northeast that most reminds me of Ireland. The main arena is lovely with great fences, there’s loads of space and a big warm up, and the ground is fantastic. I’ve got no complaints from my end. We’ll definitely be back!”

That’s a wrap for the HITS Hudson Valley Summer Series, which delivered weeks of thrilling competition, top performances, and unforgettable moments in the ring. As the summer season comes to a close, riders, trainers, and spectators now turn their focus to the next chapter on the calendar: the Hudson Valley Fall Classic I, set to begin October 1.