Michael Jung Has Won the Rolex Grand Slam and All Is Right With the World

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

With three consecutive four-star wins at Burghley, Rolex and Badminton, Michael Jung has officially penned a new chapter in the eventing history books.

“Ze Terminator” cantered into the big turf arena at Badminton today with two rails in hand, but it wasn’t enough to still the electricity in the air.

While Michael and La Biosthetique Sam seemed to have victory on lock going in, with eventing nothing is certain until the finish line has been crossed, and it was impossible not to hold one’s breath each time the horse pushed off into the air during today’s show jumping round.

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Fortunately for all of our blood pressures, Michael and Sam left both rails in their cups, jumping a double-clear round to clinch his double-victory.

As for Michael’s own blood pressure, he said in the press conference, “It’s not easy when you wait the whole day. But then when you sit on the horse, you work with the horse, you do the first jumps, and you feel how good the horse is … one jump after the next — that makes you more happy, more relaxed.”

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

It is only the second time eventing’s equivalent of racing’s Triple Crown has been achieved since instated in 2001, the first being Great Britain’s Pippa Funnell in 2003. Winners receive an extra $350,000 in addition to their winnings from each event.

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Michael doesn’t come off as an athlete who lets success go to his head, and even in the immediate wake of his win he is kept things in perspective.

“I think as a rider, we know that there are always so many ups and downs,” he said. “I really enjoy this moment right now but I know it is not always the same, maybe the next time you have not as good a result.”

There are a dizzying number of variables that factor into a horse’s performance, and here at Badminton it all seemed to come together.

As for 16-year-old Sam’s future, he explained, “I always do a little bit of a joke that his last competition will be Tokyo. He’s in super form at this moment so we are not thinking about the finish, we are thinking about the future.”

Michael was all smiles today, but it is clearly not just in this sport to win trophies. “My job is my hobby,” he said. “I have so much fun working with the horses, bringing the young horses to the bigger levels, to the competitions.”

He went out of his way to thank his team for the hard work they put into his horses’ training and care, and of course he gave plenty of credit where credit is due: “I am very, very happy and very, very proud of my horses.”

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Elsewhere on the scoreboard the top four stayed intact, with Clarke Johnstone and Jock Paget switching places to 5th and 6th.

The two remaining North Americans, the U.S.’s Libby Head with Sir Rockstar and England-based Canadian Kathryn Robinson with Let It Bee, both Badminton rookies, finished in 31st and 37th place respectively.

Kathryn jumped a beautiful, double-clear round on her 15-year-old German-bred Westphalian gelding. Kathryn was born in Canada, as her mother is Canadian and her father is British, but she grew up in England when her father inherited a farm in Northamptonshire.

Kathryn is an elegant rider on a talented horse and it’s great to see the stars align for them this weekend, especially with Olympic team selection heating up.