Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Reigning German Olympic champion Michael Jung knows the winning feeling quite well. He’s not been beaten on U.S. soil much — he lost once to Oliver Townend with a devastating pole down on Sunday back in 2018 with fischerRocana FST, and he also beat himself on La Biosthetique Sam with Rocana in 2015 (finishing third and first, respectively). But generally, when Michael comes to the U.S., he comes to win.
This remained true on a warm and sunny Sunday at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian. Michael came in with a historic margin of padding after jumping clear with 2.4 time penalties on Saturday to go onto a score of 21.0 aboard fischerChipmunk FRH (Contendro I – Havanna, by Heraldik). This gave him a cushion of three rails over second-placed Boyd Martin and Commando 3 (Connor 48 – R-Adelgunde, by Amigo xx), who were on a two-phase score of 32.0 coming into today. This pair has had a smattering of poles down — sometimes, when it counted the most — in their past, but don’t forget that Michael also competes in pure show jumping nearly more than he events these days. Today, he needed one of those three poles in hand but assured himself a record fifth Kentucky victory. fischerChipmunk FRH is the second horse Michael has won Kentucky with. He sadly did not ever manage to take the crown with the legendary La Biosthetique Sam at the actual Kentucky 5*, but he did win individual gold at the 2010 World Equestrian Games that were held at this venue and came third here in 2015.
While Michael didn’t best his record-setting Kentucky finishing score of 22.0 that he achieved in 2022, he nonetheless finishes on a 25.0. At 17 years old, fischerChipmunk FRH certainly isn’t young by traditional standards, but Michael grins when asked if he thinks the Hanoverian gelding will continue to compete at these top levels. “Badminton may be a little too early,” he joked in the press conference.
Photo by Tilly Berendt.
He’s got a few younger horses that are beginning to step up the levels alongside his show jumping string, but Chipmunk would certainly be top on his list as he looks ahead to both the FEI European Eventing Championships later this year, as well as the FEI World Championships coming up in 2026. To hear Michael speak about the horse without context, you could be forgiven for thinking that he was referring to a younger horse:
“He’s looking super strong, getting older, more experienced,” he said. “So at the moment, I have a really great feeling. Hopefully he stays like this, he has fun like this, and the ears [are] in front when they start the cross country. He’s getting so well-balanced. You can feel that the horse is really motivated [to keep doing] what he’s doing. So I don’t know, but hopefully a few more years.”
Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It was a banner weekend for U.S. Olympian Boyd Martin, who delivered three clear rounds, two of which were inside the optimum time, today to finish three horses in the top seven and also take home the prize of USEF National 5* Champion. Yankee Creek Ranch LLC’s Commando 3 was the best finisher of the bunch, retaining his second place on a final score of 32.0 thanks to an all-class clear round inside the time today. Boyd has worked with Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde for the past few seasons, building such a relationship with Peter that he now even helps him on cross country. Peter’s approach to coaching Boyd has seen him dive head-first into eventing (though we’re still waiting for him to go out and actually do an event himself — we’ll let you know the MOMENT that happens), learning everything he can about the sport so that he can better help his riders.
“I was lucky to cross paths with Peter at the end of his jumping career,” Boyd reflected. “He was fascinated with our sport. His show jumping style translates well to the cross country; he’s sort of an American style show jumper that’s a little bit light in the way they ride. The show jumping training crosses over with how we gallop and ride as eventers, and it’s changed my career. He’s passionate. He’ll do anything to make you better.”
Boyd describes Commando 3 as “not the easiest” to ride and produce, but he liked the look of the horse so much when he first saw him on a shopping trip to Europe that he returned later to make the deal happen.
Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“I wasn’t really sure what I was in for this weekend,” Boyd said. “Last year he was sort of my back-up for the Olympics and he didn’t do a long format three-day. I questioned if he had the the guts and the heart to to get through a competition like this, and after going through this, this very much could be a career changing horse.”
Boyd also finishes sixth and seventh with the Annie Goodwin Syndicate’s Fedarman B (40.6) and the Luke 140 Syndicate’s Luke 140 (44.7), marking a strong weekend in the tack on some horses that are among the best group of horses he’s had at once — an exciting kickoff to Boyd’s 5* season, to be sure. We may see him next at Luhmühlen, to which he’s mentioned taking his Tokyo horse, Tsetserleg, though those plans have yet to be confirmed.
Harry Meade and Et Hop du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Harry Meade clawed his way up the standings after starting lower than he would have liked to in the dressage with both Et Hop du Matz (Nouma d’Auzay – Prima du Matz, by Easy Star), owned by Mandy Gray, and Grafennacht (Grafenstolz – Nachtigall, by Narew xx), the former William Fox-Pitt 5* podium finisher and near-winner owned by Amanda Gould. Thanks to being the sole rider to catch the time on cross country yesterday, Harry found himself in competitive stead and jumped a double clear with Et Hop du Matz. He lowered one pole, plus had one second of time, on Grafennacht, but retained his placings after cross country.
“I was thrilled with them,” Harry said of his horses. “I’ve had three rides around here now, so not many, and I’ve been fifth, fourth and third. And the horses here were brilliant. I’m just thrilled with their overall performances, and particularly for the younger horse who finished third. He tried his heart out. It’s the reason why we are all here– for the horses. It’s a wonderful feeling when they go really well, aside from the fact that it’s a great competition in a public eye with a terrific platform. But it’s really about the pride you feel in the horses.”
Harry Meade and Grafennacht. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s a real testament to Harry’s relationship-building, particularly with the newer ride, Grafennacht, who he’s really only had for a few months at this point. He expressed disappointment in his dressage with the mare, and even questioned whether or not he should continue on in the competition — but continue, and learn more about this exciting new ride he was entrusted with, he did. It was also something of a coming of age for the 11-year-old Et Hop du Matz, who made it just a short way around the cross country at Maryland 5 Star last fall before parting ways with Harry. This competitive first 5* completion signals a strong future for this one, adding on to an already bursting string of horses competing at the level with Harry.
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Tom McEwen (GBR) completes the top five with Chloe & John Perry & Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality (OBOS Quality 004 – Bay Coffey Cavalier, by Cavalier Royale), finishing the weekend on a score of 40.6 and remarking at how much the 16-year-old Irish gelding stepped up to the plate in what would have been an even stiffer challenge than his 5* debut at Pau, where he was third last year. “This is definitely something of the next step up,” Tom said after his show jumping, where he lowered one fence to finish on a score of 40.6, equal with Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Funnily enough, the tiebreaker for this didn’t come down to the closest to the optimum time, as the two actually also finished in the same amount of time yesterday, and instead went to the lower of the two dressage scores, which was Tom’s. “I’m just really, really pleased with how this week’s gone,” Tom continued. “He’s feeling well, fit and fresh, and we’ve got a really cool five-star horse to add, so it’s very exciting.”
Below is a look at the full final standings. Our top rookie pair of the weekend was Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic (Cassander C – Khadija des Hayettes, by Banboula du Thot), who delivered a class double clear today to finish in 16th place, climbing up from 27th after dressage. Mary Bess secured one of seven double clear rounds (a 30% double clear rate, and a 39% clear rate) to finish her first 5* on a true high note.
I did also just want to address one incident on cross country yesterday, in which German rider Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom of the Opera experienced a very hairy moment or two on course, particularly at Pete’s Hollow. “Phanty” fell to his knees after standing off the triple bar at the C element of the combination. Calvin and his horse were also held at the jog this morning, but were passed when they came back to jog again. They then went on to jump a double clear round, after which Calvin was clearly emotional in the prize giving. We gave Calvin the opportunity to speak on his round yesterday:
“It was definitely not the most ideal line I chose to go down there,” he said. “That’s a situation I think not one of us would ever want to be in. But once he got up, I didn’t even have to do anything. He just straight away started cantering again. We’ve been together for so many years, and I straight away felt that he was absolutely fine. Otherwise, I would have never, ever kept going. And then the next jumps, I felt like he jumped even better, so knowing that, for me, that was the thing that told me he also wants to keep going.”
Calvin was not stopped by the Ground Jury, which did pull up another pair, Tim Price and Happy Boy, when they thought there may have been blood on the horse. It’s really not for me to say on whether Calvin should have pulled up or been pulled up, but I do believe that the Ground Jury and the posted veterinarians and officials around the course can and will pull up a horse when they know there is an issue. I believe it’s on all of us, including the riders, to ensure we are always putting the horse first and listening to the feedback both they, and trusted people in our community, give.
So with that, another Kentucky is in the books, and what a great weekend it was.
Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Watching Michael Jung feels a bit like watching the Patriots (or, I guess these days, the Chiefs) win Super Bowl after Super Bowl, or the Celtics or the Lakers win championship after championship. It’s an interesting phenomenon, the idea of the winning formula. Michael likes to say luck is on his side more often than not, but I would disagree with that. The idea of culture comes to mind. If you were to pull back the curtain on a successful program, be it a sports team or a professional rider, I suspect you’d find one strong common denominator: the culture behind the scenes. It’s a bit like Ted Lasso, where, as Ted put it, it wasn’t so much about winning or losing, as it was ensuring that the entire team felt empowered to be the best versions of themselves. Maybe I’m waxing a little poetic here, but I truly believe there is something to that, especially when it comes to the manifestation of consistent success.
“I believe it’s luck,” Michael said. “It’s something special. So many things can go wrong. It happened a few times to me, but I really believe in my horse, in this place. I always had a lot of luck here. I’m very, very thankful for everything — for my supporters, for my owners, for my family, for all the people that work in the background. I sit here and enjoy everything, but this is really a big win for everybody in my team, for all the other horses I can ride and train with, and every person — friends and family — that help me to get up here.”
As the press conference wound down and reporters began to file back to their seats to begin writing, Harry Meade took the mic one last time. “Can I just say one more thing?” he began.
“Michi will be remembered as one of the greats. I’ve followed the sport from the 50s, 60s, 70s — before I was even born, and I think Michi is hands down, without a doubt, the greatest event rider there’s ever been. And I don’t think there will ever be anyone better. I think we are living in a moment with an extraordinary thing; I think often when it’s happening at the time, people don’t appreciate it, but I think he will be remembered in fifty years’ time as the best there ever was.”
And a special horse, in addition. We’ve been lucky enough to witness some incredible moments of sport and more importantly, some incredible horses in the sport of eventing, and fischerChipmunk will also go down as one of the greatest of all times. Enjoy it, savor it, and don’t forget it.
Go Eventing.
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