Classic Eventing Nation

This week, in lieu of hanging out in a field in Gloucestershire ourselves, we’re going to be sharing some of our favourite Badminton content of years gone by, as well as some new pieces to keep the nostalgia train going strong. This time, we’re looking at Michael Jung’s trajectory from “that pretty good German guy” to “oh $h*t, he’s just won the Grand Slam”, first published back in 2016.

Winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing is no easy feat, as proven by the fact that it has only successfully been done once, by Pippa Funnell in 2003. The Grand Slam was created in 2001, with the prize money being increased to $350,000 in 2008.

Not to say that some haven’t come close. Andrew Nicholson is the most recent to come tantalizingly close, winning Burghley in 2012 and Kentucky in 2013 but then coming third at Badminton.

Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt also gave it a fair shot, winning Burghley in 2011 and Kentucky in 2012 but then finished fifth at Badminton in 2013 (the 2012 running of Badminton was cancelled).

We’ve staked our hopes high on Oliver Townend, who won Badminton and Burghley in 2009 aboard Flint Curtis and and Carousel Quest, respectively. The dream came to a harrowing end in Kentucky in 2010, however, when Oliver had hard fall from Ashdale Cruise Master.

Andrew Hoy is the other to come close winning Kentucky and Badminton in 2006 but losing Burghley that year.

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam. Photo by Nico Morgan Photography.

And so it comes down to a quiet German, one so modest and soft spoken that the label of “The Terminator” hardly seems applicable. The Terminator conjures imagery of a flint-eyed, hard spun individual whose chilly persona matches their accomplishments under pressure. The nickname is reminiscent of “The Iceman,” a name bestowed upon race rider George Woolf, who rode Seabiscuit with ice in his veins.

Yet to meet Michael Jung in passing brings up none of these images. Instead, you hear him speak of his love for his horses, and of how he does his best not to exude pressure upon them for fear of dampening their performances. You hear him speak of how he lets his horses dictate his plans, and how he treats every event — even one as monumental as this weekend — as “practice.”

But time and time again, he enters the arena with crushing pressure on his shoulders, only to deliver a near flawless performance every time. The accolades adorning his CV are overflowing: individual Olympic gold, individual World Equestrian Games gold, and now a Rolex Grand Slam trophy to add to the collection.

Here we go again! #foreverjung
Photo by Julia Rau

When I first put Michael Jung on my map, he had just won gold at the World Equestrian Games in 2010. Being relatively new to the sport, I thought, “Huh, this German guy is pretty good.” But left my thoughts at that.

And he kept winning. He made the London Olympics look like a schooling round in all three phases.

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Then, his name popped up on the entry list for Kentucky in 2015, and we all but knew it would be a showdown between fischerRocana FST and La Biosthetique Sam. As history has it, Sam lowered two rails to eventually give Rocana the win, but we hadn’t seen the last of Michael’s self-proclaimed favorite.

It was hard not to hate him, if we’re being honest. We all strive for greatness within our niches in the sport. It’s hard to look at someone with as much success as Michael has and not feel envious. And if he were any less of a horseman, perhaps we’d be justified.

But to hear him speak for just a few minutes on his horses and on his training (the bits he does let on about, at least) will sway you if you were on the fence. His efforts and hard work behind the scenes have gotten him to this point. He is a true example of a horseman who makes his own way, which is perhaps the most admirable facet of this fairy tale.

When Michael and Sam won Burghley, the Grand Slam question began circulating throughout the eventing community. Could he pull it off?

Pull it off he did, with a handy win in Kentucky from start to finish aboard fischerRocana. A talented mare in her own right, it was scary to think that Sam was waiting in the wings for Badminton as his arguable top horse.

Victory gallop! Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

When cross country began and we saw the carnage that was happening on course, the nerves set in. Would he go the direct route at the Vicarage Vee? Undoubtedly so. Would he make it through that direct route? In fact he did. Would he stop the clock in time to hold his lead?

Even after missing Sam’s final gallop due to a flight mishap on the return from Kentucky, the horse came home absolutely full of run and several seconds under the optimum time.

The man and horse to beat today. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

And even today, the pressure was on. Michael had two rails in hand, and he had lost the win with two rails down in Kentucky last year. Historically, show jumping is Sam’s “weak” phase, if you could call if that. A rail scattered here and there, but those that did fall were expensive, as illustrated by this mural at Badminton.

Michael Jung and Sam had Badminton 2013 in the bag until a rail cost him the win. Today he’ll be looking for revenge, tenfold! The final show jumping session is just beginning… tune in! #MMBHT

A photo posted by Eventing Nation (@goeventing) on May 8, 2016 at 6:55am PDT

The crowd held its collective breath with every leap that Sam made. With every canter stride, we all rode alongside Michael. We held our breaths over the treble and over several single fences that had taken hits throughout the day. Yet they all stayed up. Two fences from home, Michael had it in the bag. But we still held our breath, knowing that anything was possible.

He crossed the finish, and the Badminton stadium erupted. Never mind that a hometown British rider hadn’t ridden to the victory. Never mind that we’re essentially accustomed to seeing Michael win time and time again. Never mind. Today, we all rode with Michael Jung and his storybook horse, Sam.

This week, in lieu of hanging out in a field in Gloucestershire ourselves, we’re going to be sharing some of our favourite Badminton content of years gone by, as well as some new pieces to keep the nostalgia train going strong. Today, we remember Libby Head and Sir Rockstar’s Badminton journey, originally published on May 8, 2016.

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar have now fully completed the story arc of their forthcoming Lifetime Original Movie.

The plot: shy, teenage girl meets small, rogue, down-on-its-luck off-track Thoroughbred that nobody else wants to ride for several very legitimate reasons. There’s a montage of the girl getting bucked off, repeatedly, and close-up shots of a horrified dressage judge’s face when the pair comes jigging up the centerline sideways.

But over fences the horse is a natural talent, and the girl is undeterred by his antics. With the help of her trainer, a crusty, washed-up eventing version of The Black Stallion‘s Henry Dailey, she gradually earns the horse’s respect. Suggested soundtrack: the Rocky theme song.

To the astonishment of cranky old dressage judges everywhere they begin successfully advancing up the levels. Eight years into their hard-earned relationship, the girl and her horse are faced with the biggest challenge of their life: the legendary Badminton Horse Trials, where they’ll go toe-to-toe with the best eventers in the world.

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Because it wouldn’t be as powerful a story if they just waltzed overseas and blew Badminton off the map — the climax has to have a bit of suspense — they find themselves near the bottom of the scoreboard after dressage, like the good old days. (Read more.)

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

The cross country course is a monster, and the girl’s terror grows as she watches it swallow up competitor after competitor. But with her trusty coach at her side, she turns her attention away from the carnage: she knows what she has to do.

They leave the start box and never look back. It’s the ride of their lives, and they come home clear, a big grin on her face as they clear the final jump. Thanks to their gutsy performance they make a huge jump up the leaderboard, from 73rd to 33rd place heading into show jumping. (Read more.)

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

On the final day of the competition, all eyes are them as the girl and her horse trot onto the world stage. Cue dramatic music as the camera pans the crowd, hovering for a moment on an American journalist in the stands who is nervously biting her nails.

The girl gazes out upon the sea of colorful jumps as the horse picks up a canter, his dark chocolate coat glistening beneath the bright sun. They begin leaping the fences, the 18-year-old horse looking spryer than ever.

No. 1, no. 2… then a gasp from the crowd as they lose a bit of rhythm, taking down the front rail of the no. 3 oxer.

Undeterred, the pair doubles down on their effort. The horse is now jumping his heart out; the girl’s determination is written all over her face.

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

There’s a tense split second when they have a rub, but the pole stays in its cups, and jump by jump they make their way around the course. As they cross the finish flags a huge cheer goes up from the crowd, almost as big as the smile on the girl’s face.

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Just before the credits roll there’s a teaser for the sequel. Working title: “Burghley 2016.”

Pretty great plot for a movie, right? By the way, it’s based on a true story.

We talk to Libby Head, who has just completed Badminton with her phenomenal partner Sir Rockstar, about her weekend and her plans for the future:

Libby’s crusty, washed-up trainer took a moment to recap the weekend with us well. (Just kidding! Kyle Carter is a well-groomed person who just ran a four-star himself last week at Rolex. We’re currently in negotiations with Robert Pattinson to play his role in the movie.)

Here’s Kyle after Libby’s ride:

Best of luck to Libby and Rocky as they embark upon the next chapter in their already epic story, which includes staying in Europe for the next six months and aiming for Burghley! See you guys in September.

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar, Badminton Horse Trial graduates, class of 2016. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

End-of-the-day update: Libby and Rocky’s final score of 89.4 was good for 31st place overall. They also won a saddle from Worshipful Company of Saddlers for being the top placed 25 and under rider.

Go Libby. Go Rocky. Go Eventing.

This week, in lieu of hanging out in a field in Gloucestershire ourselves, we’re going to be sharing some of our favourite Badminton content of years gone by, as well as some new pieces to keep the nostalgia train going strong. In this flashback, we revisit last year’s competition, at which Oliver Townend broke the record for the best-ever dressage test. Here’s an excerpt from our reports that day, plus a video of the history-making test…

When the entry list for Badminton came out so many moons ago, there was a surprise on it: Oliver Townend had put forward four of his horses, and one of them was the rogue contender Cillnabradden Evo. Gary, as he’s known at home, is a horse whose career peaks and troughs, if diagrammed, would probably closely resemble his rider’s heart rate when he runs him across the country. On his day, Sally-Anne Egginton’s thirteen-year-old gelding (S. Creevagh Ferro x Willow Garden) is just about unbeatable. He’s earned himself a remarkable record in CCI4*-S (formerly CIC3*) competitions, partly because he’s so capable of delivering an eye-wateringly good dressage test. Then, he can back it up – usually – across the country, and he’s an out-and-out showjumper at short format. But in long format competitions, or at the five-star level? He’s a bit of an unknown quantity. His first long-format competition since 2016 came last season, when he made his five-star debut at Pau – after taking an easy lead in the first phase, he stormed around three quarters of the course before leaving a leg and, ultimately, leaving Oliver on the ground.

Oliver Townend celebrates with the crowd after setting a new standard at Badminton with Cillnabradden Evo. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

So was it a surprise that Oliver brought him here? Sure – no one, after all, would have questioned Oliver’s judgment if he’d decided to keep the horse as a CCI4*-S specialist. But just as Cillnabradden Evo is an all-or-nothing horse, Oliver Townend is an all-or-nothing rider. He doesn’t come to play – he comes to win. This week, he’s willing to take his chances and rely on both his undeniable experience and the valuable information he picked up at Pau to make it happen.

What happens next is much less of a surprise. In this sport, we often talk about Thursday morning as being a bit of a tough slot – yes, it’s a bit quieter in the ring, which can be a bonus for an inexperienced or tense horse, but many consider the scoring in the first session to be a bit stuffier and a bit less generous than in the prime-time Friday afternoon slot. To lead here, you have to fire on all cylinders. And that’s just what Oliver Townend and Cillnabradden Evo did.

Cillnabradden Evo: forever inching his way towards a sub-10 dressage. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Their score of 19.7 isn’t just a five-star personal best for the horse. It isn’t just a five-star personal best for the rider. It is, in fact, the best dressage score ever recorded at Badminton, nearly a full mark ahead of the 20.5 delivered by Andrew Hoy and Darien Powers in 2000.

“We’ve had him a while, and so I know him inside-out,” said a typically stoic Oliver after the remarkable test. “Everyone has a lot to say about him, but so far, so good! I went to bed thinking 19 last night; it’s a lot of shit and hard work to get there, but now we just hope that he stays on his feet in the next bit.”

Despite having been out of the country for a week to win a certain competition in Kentucky, Oliver has quiet confidence in the way the horse has been managed and prepared for the biggest competition of his life. Ironically, he tells us with a laugh, “there’s been no prep at all – we’ve just been to the gallops a few times. He does it all himself.”

Time and time again, we’ve seen Oliver display his knack for creating champions out of the most unlikely of horses – in Gary he has, perhaps, the most stark duality between freakish ability and sporadic heartbreak. But if Badminton comes down to trying to win each moment, then he’s off to a flying start.

Oliver Townend and Cillnabradden Evo make history at Badminton. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

But it’s not all records and glamour: “Normally I’m struggling away with a set of mirrors and the floodlights on, but that’s just what we do,” he explained. “I don’t actually have a dressage trainer, embarrassingly – I have the set of mirrors, and I have some DVDs, so you could say I’m pretty close with Carl Hester. That’s not me coming out, by the way!”

Oliver also relies on the help of his friend, manager, and business partner Karyn Schuter: “I trust her implicitly – you can see her speaking to me down a microphone, but you wouldn’t always want to hear what she’s saying! She’s my best mate and she always lets me know how the other riders are looking and whether we’re looking good.”

Although overnight leader Cillnabradden Evo is a bit of a riskier proposition across the country, Oliver is quick to acknowledge and own this fact. And, despite the horse failing to complete his debut five-star at Pau last year, Oliver considers the trip to France a positive one – it was, as he termed it, a ‘fact-finding mission’, and until the late wobble that ended their day, those discoveries certainly looked positive.

“The aim will be to get him home. I’ve been quite hungry for quite a long time to have him here, so it’d be nice if he put his best foot forward,” said Oliver. “[Ballaghmor Class] has been here, he’s been to Burghley twice, and so he’s battle-hardened, and he’s a lot stronger both physically, but especially mentally. We’d had no spring season last year [when he finished fifth], and we did a lot on the gallops at home, but nothing does it for them like a good event. This spring, he’s had a good run at Burnham Market, where he ran away with me up the hill [and won the CCI4*-S], and he’s feeling great. We’d have more hope for him this weekend.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class keep the good times rolling. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The next day, Oliver would make history again – his dressage score of 21.1 with Ballaghmor Class would see him hold the top two positions going into cross-country, an unprecedented and enviable position to be in. 

“The night before last, I said to myself ’19, 19, 19′, and I just kept going over my test and drilling it. I didn’t think about it as much last night – maybe I should have,” he laughed. “I made one cock-up, which was a bit of a situation that he threw at me coming into the flying change, but we’re always happy to dream, and so far the dream’s coming true. If I went back in now, I could knock another three marks off, and he has the ability to come back and knock five off [in the future], but it’s all about keeping him relaxed so I can do a bit more and then a bit more. The thing about Badminton is that you have to do three clear rounds in three phases, but the more you push, the bigger the risk.”

“It’s a very good start, and I’m over the moon with both the horses – I have to keep myself under wraps because I get a quite emotional, and it’s not good for my image,” quipped Oliver. “People expect so much [from Ballaghmor Class], but they forget that he won Burghley [in 2017] as a novice. He’s beautiful to ride, and his work ethic fits into our system very well. There are plenty who don’t give you what these two have. Some people think of us as an eventing factory, but we know these horses inside out, more than anyone in the world – and the horses don’t lie.”

Cillnabradden Eva ultimately finished sixth after adding 12.4 time penalties across the country and dropping a pole on Sunday, while Ballaghmor Class finished in an achingly close second place after Oliver added a stride in the showjumping, costing him a fraction of a second and handing the victory to Piggy March, neé French, and Vanir Kamira.