If it’s happened in international horse sports, Michael Stone has probably been involved in it, someway, somehow, somewhere.

Born and raised in a horsey family in Dublin, Ireland, Stone began riding at the age of 4. He’s played polo, ridden as an amateur steeplechase jockey and been long listed for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games in eventing and short listed for the 1980 Moscow Olympics in show jumping.

After his competitive career, Stone became team manager and chef d’equipe of the Irish junior and young rider team in the 1990s. “I loved it. It was great to give something back,” he said. He influenced the early careers of Irish show jumping stars such as Darragh Kerins, Cameron Hanley and Shane Breen.

During this time, he managed horse shows, ran the national indoor championships in Ireland and was the Secretary General of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland for 10 years. In 1994, he was team manager for the Irish show jumping team at the World Equestrian Games in The Hague, the Netherlands.

In 1997 Fédération Equestre Internationale officials hired Stone to run the new development department. Starting from scratch, he helped national federations develop sport in a variety of ways, including work to help endurance riding become more prominent within the FEI. In 1998 he became the FEI Assistant Secretary General, a marketing job that sent him to every World Equestrian Games through Aachen, Germany, in 2006.

In 2003 he took over as FEI Sports Director, and in 2006 he was appointed FEI Secretary General. But in 2007 he resigned from the FEI after disagreements about the direction in which the organization was headed.

Within a few months, Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions, contacted him to help WEF establish an international presence. And Stone’s been there ever since. He’s father to two sons and two daughters, ages 16-26, all of whom live in Ireland.

Name: Michael Stone                                        
AGE: 54    
Home Base: Wellington, Fla.

What drew you to organizational side of shows?
I just like organizing. It’s dynamic and interesting.

How has your experience in Europe influenced WEF?
We’ve made a number of changes to make the show more spectator-friendly. We’ve done things like Grand Prix qualifiers so we don’t have 70 or 80 horses going. We’ve established Saturday Nights, which are huge. We’re going to do a battle of the sexes. We’ve worked together to make the show a little bit different. Every week is slightly different, and it’s starting to pay off now. We have more international riders than ever this year.

What changes that you’ve brought to WEF are you most proud of?
Last year was the first series of young rider competitions. This year there will be a European-style under-25 competition. I think long term for the sport that’s going to be really important because it bridges the gap between young riders at 21 and the seniors.

I’ve organized a deal with some European connections to have the leading qualified rider sent to the EY Cup in Leipzig, Germany, which is run in conjunction with the FEI World Cup Finals. We have a sponsor so they will fly the winning horse and pay all the expenses to go to the Finals. We’ve done so much here; it’s really a team effort.

I’ve also tried to make WEF more spectator-friendly. The sport over here is a mystery to the general public. Nobody comes to watch it. Every Saturday night we have Saturday Night Lights where we have a competition under lights. The idea is to introduce people to the sport. We bring entertainers from Key West like jugglers and tightrope walkers, and we have live music and good food. We try to create somewhere people will come for a night out and watch great sport. It’s starting to work, but it’s been a slow process.

How are European and American horse show cultures different?
In Europe, horse sport is more directly connected to the people. It’s on television fairly regularly. In Europe, people are still a little bit more connected to agriculture. Over here, it’s considered more of an elite occupation, and agriculture is so small compared to the overall population.

What changes have you seen in the sport since you became involved?
The sport is becoming increasingly professional. The riders are more professional. There has been a little bit of loss of traditions. In general, it’s been an up-ward trend. The prize money has increased quite a lot, and the FEI has worked to get more countries into the sport. The World Equestrian Games had all sorts of riders from different countries and contin-ents, who 10 years ago wouldn’t have been competing. That’s the biggest difference—the number of different nationalities who are able to compete at the high levels.

Where would you like to see WEF in 10 years?
In the next 10 years we’d like to be hosting FEI championships. I think we are one of the best facilities in the world. Few would compare.

Do you have any hobbies?
I like to play tennis and golf. I watch rugby on television every chance I get. I like cooking and cinema as well.

What is your typical day?
During circuit, I get to work early and deal with a whole host of things. At the moment, we’re building an equine spa, so my day is very busy with that. My day is also busy with the community, representing the horse show. I’m involved with the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. I’ll become president in March. The thing I love about the job is that no two days are ever the same. I can sometimes watch the end of the grand prix classes, and that’s about it! The great thing about this job is that I see horses every day all day long.

When was the last time you rode a horse?
Five years ago, which I’m sad to say. I rode my daughter’s eventer.

Who do you most admire?
My mother.

Describe yourself in three words.
Overweight! One word.

What is your drink of choice?
Woodford Reserve bourbon on the rocks.

What word or phrase do you overuse the most?
Thanks a million.

What three things can be found in your refrigerator at all times?
A bottle of wine, a carton of milk and some cheese.

What was the most important lesson you learned the hard way?
Keep your mouth shut! A lot of people taught me that one.