Michael Jung

The most successful event rider of all time, Michael Jung, was born on July 31, 1982. In the same year, his parents Brigitte and Joachim Jung moved with him and his older brother Philip to the riding facility in Horb am Neckar, where the riding part of the family is still at home today. In addition to the Jung parents and their son Michael, the family also includes his wife Faye Füllgräbe-Jung, an animal physiotherapist who is also active in eventing, as well as their children Lio (born in 2021) and Mara (born in 2023).

Four Olympic gold medals were forged at the Jung Riding School. The name of the stable says it all. Master of equine management Joachim Jung once started a classical riding school here. He himself was an all-round talent, rode eventing and was successful up to advanced (S) level in dressage and show jumping. His sons Michael and Philip, who is two years older, grew up with horses. Or rather with ponies, namely Sally and Moritz, who Michael Jung says today helped shape his assertiveness and discipline in dealing with horses. In any case, he enjoyed thorough fall training back then, as Moritz gave him many a flying lesson, especially in the field, as Jung reports. This did not stop him from pursuing a unique career here.

The path to top-class sport

It became clear early on what an exceptional talent Michael Jung is in the saddle. He completed the classic career of a young German rider – Golden Sash, German Young Rider Championships, German Youth Championships and finally European Championships in the Junior and Young Rider camps. He was already a medal winner here. 2003 was his last U21 year. He won European Championship gold. In the same year, he was awarded the Golden Riding Badge for his success in the dressage and jumping saddle.

Jung’s first victory in a four-star test (at that time still 3*) came in 2005 in Schenefeld. In the same year, he presented a five-year-old youngster with the interesting name Sam the Schwäbisch Man at the Bundeschampionat in Warendorf, but with a rather unspectacular appearance. The pair came fifth, the dressage was not good enough for a medal. This wiry, only 1.62 tall half-breed by Stan the Man xx was to become the horse that William Fox-Pitt said he would love to buy in order to put him out to pasture and finally be rid of this annoying competition. Because Sam and Michael Jung were almost unbeatable.

Young and Sam

In 2009, they competed in their first senior championships for Germany, the European Championships in Fontainebleau. The German team was unlucky. No one was able to finish the cross-country. Except Sam and Michael Jung. In the end, they took bronze. It was to remain the only time that this pair was beaten at a championship. In 2010 they became individual world champions in Kentucky. Michael Jung competed at the 2011 European Championships with his second horse Halunke and also won double gold with him. Sam’s big moment came again in 2012, at the Olympic Games in London. On his rider’s birthday, he sealed gold for the team and for Michael Jung with two clear rounds around the course. In Rio 2016, they achieved the almost unthinkable: another Olympic gold in the individual classification. In the same year, thanks to Sam and the mare Rocana, with whom he had won World Championship gold and silver in 2014, Michael Jung became the second bush rider in history after Pippa Funnell in 2003 to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing for consecutive victories in the CCI5*-L competitions in Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley.

Chipmunk, a new era young

When Sam retired, the Hanoverian Contendro son Chipmunk, trained to championship level by Julia Krajewski, became Michael Jung’s most important partner. They won European Championship gold and silver in Luhmühlen back in 2019. They were on course for the title in Tokyo 2021 when a tripped MIM in the cross-country (eleven penalty points) put paid to their dream of a third consecutive Olympic victory. “Chip’s” trainer Julia Krajewski was able to make up for this. With the French mare Amande de B’Neville, she became the first woman in history to win the individual eventing Olympic gold medal.

Michael Jung and Chipmunk were once again a safe bet for the German team at the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro. After dressage and cross-country, they looked like sure winners and even had one jumping fault “good” when they were the last pair to enter the course. A pole fell, no problem. After all, they were only one jump away from the individual title. But it was not to be. Chip grazed the pole and Jung’s second world championship title fell into the dust with her. What remained was team gold. That was also a huge success.

One year later, the European Championships were held in Haras du Pin, France. As always, Jung and Chipmunk delivered an outstanding dressage performance. But in the cross-country, Chipmunk stumbled when entering the water, giving Jung no chance to stay in the saddle. The disappointment was great.

Around a year later, July 30, 2024 – the day of the decision at the Olympic Games in Paris in the show jumping stadium in Versailles. Two courses had to be completed, first for the team competition and then a final round for the individual competition. After dressage and cross-country, Michael Jung and Chipmunk were in the lead. But their long-term rivals Laura Collett and London were breathing down their necks. Jung and Chipmunk collected a knockdown in the team jumping. But so did Collett and London. They opened the door for Jung again at the last obstacle. Just one round to go. Twelve 1.30 meter high jumps separated him and Chipmunk from triumph. Should they remain clear here, Michael Jung would finally be the greatest of all time. Three-time individual Olympic champion in eventing – no rider had ever achieved this before, no Mark Todd, no Andrew Hoy, none of the many top riders from Great Britain. It was just under a minute. Michael Jung didn’t get two distances right. But it’s a team sport. And Chipmunk seemed to know on this day that this time it was up to him to help his rider. He stayed clear. That was victory and Jung’s fourth Olympic gold medal, his third in the individual competition. Unbelievable.

Goal: World Equestrian Games 2026

When it’s at its best, you should stop, they say. But why stop when a horse has not yet reached its zenith? Jung says that Chipmunk is still improving year on year. The now 17-year-old Hanoverian won the CCI5*-L in Kentucky in the spring of 2025 and took team gold and individual silver at the European Championships in Blenheim. The end of his career? Not yet in sight. And not for Michael Jung anyway. Jung is still relying on his star in the stable for the 2026 World Equestrian Games in Aachen.