‘Greatest event rider ever’ takes his fifth Kentucky title

Michael Jung topped the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event results this afternoon, winning his second title here with FischerChipmunk FRH and his fifth in all.

The Olympic champions clipped fence three in today’s showjumping, but they had entered the arena with two rails in hand and nothing else fell, so they won with a comfortable 7.8-penalty margin.

“So many things can go wrong – it’s happened a few times to me, but I believe in my horse and I’ve always had luck here – without luck you win nothing,” said Michael.

“I’m very thankful for everything, for such a good horse, for my owners, for my family, all the people who work in the background. I’m sitting here, but it’s a big win for everybody in my team, all the other horses I ride and train and all my friends and family who help me get here.”

FischerChipmunk – who belongs to Michael’s father Joachim, the German Olympic committee for equestrian sport and Klaus and Sabine Fischer – is 17 years old now. He also won here in 2022, while Michael won the Kentucky title with FischerRocana FST in 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as taking individual gold at the 2010 World Equestrian Games here on La Biosthetique-Sam FBW.

US rider Boyd Martin jumped clear to finish second in the Kentucky Three-Day Event results and land the national championship title on Commando 3.

He said: “Michael is an inspiration to me – I often watch videos and try to copy him. I’ve never seen a rider so good in all three phases and he’ll be remembered as one of greatest event riders ever.

“I was thinking this morning I had two chances of winning – maybe Michael went to the strip club last night and had too much bourbon or maybe he goes off course, otherwise I’m grateful for second place.”

Harry Meade added that Michael is “the greatest event rider there has ever been”.

“I don’t think there will be anyone better ever – when you are living in the moment you don’t appreciate it, but I think he’ll be remembered in 50 years time as the best there ever was,” he said.

Of the 12-year-old Commando 3 – who is known as “Connor” and owned by Yanke Creek Ranch, LLC – Boyd said: “Last year I had him as a back-up for the Olympics. I didn’t even do a long format with him so he’s very untested coming into this. So I didn’t know what I was in for and he pulled it off.

“I think he could be a career changing horse for me.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event results: top five overnight unchanged

The showjumping did not change the order of the top five overnight in the Kentucky Three-Day Event results, with Harry Meade holding third and fourth and Tom McEwen fifth.

Boyd also kept the sixth place he occupied at the start of the phase when he finished one second over the time on Fedarman B.

The US rider and his third mount Luke 140 swapped places with New Zealand’s Monica Spencer, Luke’s jumping clear earning him seventh and Monica finishing eighth with two fences down and three seconds over the time on Artist.

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