Michael Jung's three-time Olympic champion Sam is dead

Michael Jung himself shared the news of Sam’s passing. The Württemberger Stan the Man xx son was 26 years old. He spent almost his entire life at Michael Jung ‘s side. The two of them grew up together. No, not great, they became the greatest together – the greatest the sport of eventing has ever seen. There are hardly enough superlatives for this little bay gelding, who was a unique machine in the field, misjudged at first, but who proved all doubters wrong with his fighter’s heart.

You don’t have to be liked by everyone – just the right people

Sam’s dam already had a promising name: Halla, a Heraldik xx daughter, who breeder Günter Seitter bred to the then very popular Irish thoroughbred Stan the Man xx from the Marbach State Stud. The result was a cheeky bay colt with a small star and striking light brown eyes. He grew up in the Swabian Alb, a nice horse, but nothing remarkable – at least that was the opinion of the licensing committee, who did not exactly see him as the future top sire from the Ländle. But breeder Günter Seitter believed in his Sam.

He wanted “Sam the Swabian Man”, as he called him, to join another Württemberg talent: Michael Jung. And so it came about. The two were a team from the very first class A cross-country test. One like no other. In 2005, Jung and Sam competed at the Bundeschampionat and came fifth, and sixth the following year. At the time, nobody was really impressed by Jung’s hopeful. The dressage was not good enough for a top three placing. But they worked on it. And that became clear very quickly.

Medal and title collector

Jung rode his youngster to silver at the World Championships for Young Event Horses as both a six- and seven-year-old. They had their big breakthrough in 2009, when they first won the CCI4* (now CCI5*-L) in Luhmühlen and were then the only German pair to finish the difficult cross-country at the European Championships in Fontainebleau, where they won the bronze medal.

From then on, things went steeply uphill. Every championship they competed in ended with a title – 2010 World Champion in Kentucky, 2011 double European Champion in Luhmühlen, 2012 double gold at the London Olympics, 2016 individual gold and team silver at the Rio Olympics, plus victory in the Grand Slam of Eventing for winning the three flagship eventing events, Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley, in succession – with Sam having support here from his pasture companion Rocana.

Sam’s crossed front legs over the obstacles were his trademark, his “game face” in the field was legendary. Other horses were not his thing, he preferred to go out into the paddock alone. Introverted in everyday life, a machine in the cross-country, this Stan the Man xx son became the best eventing horse of his time – and took his rider along for the ride. They helped each other to world fame.

Kidnapping drama about Sam

William Fox-Pitt once joked that he would like to buy Sam, not for himself to ride – that would have been difficult, as Sam is only 1.62 meters tall, while Fox-Pitt is 1.96 meters – but to put him out to pasture and thus eliminate the invincible competition.

The Brit almost had the opportunity to do so, because after Sam and Michael Jung became world champions in 2010, the gelding’s owner at the time wanted to sell him and took him out of the stable without the Jung family’s knowledge. After some back and forth, Sam was then secured for Michael Jung.

What a stroke of luck for equestrian sport! There are only a few rider-horse pairs that are automatically mentioned in the same breath, even if the riders have many other successful horses. Winkler/Halla, Whitaker/Milton, Klimke/Ahlerich, Todd/Charisma are examples. And Jung/Sam are also among them.

The quiet farewell

In 2018, Sam was retired from the sport at the Stuttgart German Masters. Everyone was there. Only Sam was conspicuous by his absence. His rider had planned this from the start, because Sam hated award ceremonies and fuss. Instead, a movie flickered across the screen, in which his career became tangible once again and Michael Jung thanked him. So this unique career ended as it had begun: quietly and peacefully on the pastures of the Swabian Alb – just the way Sam liked it best. And that’s where he died. “Tonight I lost my best friend,” wrote Michael Jung on his Instagram page. Rest in peace, little big Sam. You made this world a little richer. Thank you for everything!