Michael Jung (equestrian)

Michael Jung (born 31 July 1982) is a German equestrian who competes in eventing and show jumping.^[3] A four-time Olympic gold medallist, he won individual and team gold at the 2012 London Olympics, followed by individual gold and team silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the individual gold for the third time at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was inducted into the Eventing Rider Association Hall of Fame in 2013,^[4] and in 2016 he became only the second rider in history to win the Grand Slam of Eventing.

Michael Jung

Jung in 2014
Personal information
Born	31 July 1982 (1982-07-31) (age 43) Bad Soden am Taunus, West Germany[1]
Height	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)[2]
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
Sport	Horse riding
Event	Eventing
Medal record Equestrian Representing  Germany Olympic Games 2012 London Individual eventing 2012 London Team eventing 2016 Rio de Janeiro Individual eventing 2024 Paris Individual eventing 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team eventing World Championships 2010 Kentucky Individual eventing 2014 Normandy Team eventing 2022 Pratoni Team eventing 2014 Normandy Individual eventing European Championships 2011 Luhmühlen Team eventing 2011 Luhmühlen Individual eventing 2013 Malmö Team eventing 2013 Malmö Individual eventing 2015 Blair Castle Team eventing 2015 Blair Castle Individual eventing 2019 Luhmühlen Team eventing 2017 Strzegom Individual eventing 2019 Luhmühlen Individual eventing 2021 Avenches Team eventing 2009 Fontainebleau Individual eventing

Career

He was born to Joachim Jung, a former dressage and show jumping competitor and took up horse riding aged 6.^[4] He won individual bronze at the 2009 European Championships. At the 2012 Olympic Games, he won gold medals in the individual and team events. In winning the individual event (on his 30th birthday), he made eventing history by becoming the first rider to ever hold the Olympic, World and European championship titles at the same time, having previously won the 2010 World title and 2011 European title.^[4] He won all three titles on the horse La Biosthetique Sam.

Since then, Jung has won individual and team gold medals at the 2013 Europeans, individual silver and team gold at the 2014 World Equestrian Games and individual and team gold at the 2015 European Championships.^[5] His individual victory at the 2015 Europeans made him only the second rider in history, after Virginia Leng, to win three consecutive European individual titles on three different horses. His wins were on La Biosthetique Sam (2011), Halunke FBW (2013) and FischerTakinou (2015). He won individual and team silver at the 2017 European Championships on Fischerrocanna. Michael Jung's individual silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games & his individual silver at the 2017 Europeans were won on Fischerocona FST.

Jung's win at Badminton in 2016 sealed the Rolex Grand Slam, becoming only the second person in history to win it. His top horse La Biothesque Sam has also finished second at the Badminton horse trials in 2013 and 2017, and third at both Rolex Kentucky (2015) and Luhmuhlen (2015).^[6]

CCI 5* results

Results
Event	Kentucky	Badminton	Luhmühlen	Burghley	Pau	Adelaide
2009			(Sam)
2010	did not participate
2011			RET (Leopin FST)
2012			(Leopin FST)		(Leopin FST)
2013		(Sam) 47th (Leopin FST)
2014		(FischerRocana)
2015	(FischerRocana) (Sam)		(Sam) RET (FischerRocana)	(Sam) EL (FischerRocana)	(FischerRocana) WD (Halunke FBW)
2016	(FischerRocana)	(Sam)			(FischerTakinou) (FischerRocana)
2017	(FischerRocana)	(Sam)		RET (Sam)	WD (Sam)
2018	(FischerRocana)	10th (Sam)
2019	did not participate
2020	did not participate
2021		Cancelled due to COVID-19	5th (FischerWild Wave)	Cancelled due to COVID-19
2022	(FischerChipmunk FRH)
2023
2024
2025	(FischerChipmunk FRH)
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

International Championship results

Results
Year	Event	Horse	Placing	Notes
1999	European Junior Championships	Maricos		Team
			9th	Individual
2003	European Young Rider Championships	Marco 522		Team
				Individual
2006	World Young Horse Championships	Sam		CCI*
2007	World Young Horse Championships	Desperado S	13th	CCI*
		Sam		CCI**
2008	World Young Horse Championships	River of Joy 4	7th	CCI**
2008	Eventing World Cup Final	Sam	4th
2009	Eventing World Cup Final	Sam
2009	European Championships	Sam	8th	Team
				Individual
2010	World Equestrian Games	Sam	5th	Team
				Individual
2011	World Young Horse Championships	FischerRocana		CCI*
		Halunke FBW	32nd	CCI**
2011	European Championships	Sam		Team
				Individual
2012	Olympic Games	Sam		Team
				Individual
2013	World Young Horse Championships	Ricona FST	WD	CCI*
2013	European Championships	Halunke FBW		Team
				Individual
2014	World Young Horse Championships	Star Connection		CCI*
		FischerTakinou	4th	CCI**
		Ricona FST	25th	CCI**
2014	World Equestrian Games	FischerRocana		Team
				Individual
2015	World Young Horse Championships	FischerIncantas		CCI*
		Lennox 364	8th	CCI**
2015	European Championships	FischerTakinou		Team
				Individual
2016	Olympic Games	Sam		Team
				Individual
2017	European Championships	FischerRocana	10th	Team
				Individual
2019	European Championships	FischerChipmunk FRH		Team
				Individual
2021	Olympic Games	FischerChipmunk FRH	4th	Team
			8th	Individual
	European Championships	FischerWild Wave		Team
			4th	Individual
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

Notable horses

• Marco 522 - 1995 Bay Holsteiner Gelding (Mytens XX x Montanus)
  • 2003 European Young Rider Championships - team silver medal, individual gold medal
• La Biosthetique Sam FBW - 2000 Bay Baden-Wurttemberger Gelding (Stan The Man XX x Heraldik XX)
  • 2007 FEI Eventing Young Horse World Championships - second place
  • 2008 FEI Eventing World Cup Final - fourth place
  • 2009 FEI Eventing World Cup Final - gold medal
  • 2009 Luhmühlen CCI**** winner
  • 2009 European Championships - individual bronze medal
  • 2010 World Equestrian Games - team fifth place, individual gold medal
  • 2011 European Championships - team gold medal, individual gold medal
  • 2012 London Olympic Games - team gold medal, individual gold medal
  • 2015 Burghley CCI**** winner
  • 2016 Badminton CCI**** winner
  • 2016 Rio Olympic Games - team silver medal, individual gold medal
• Desperado S - 2001 Bay Wurttemberger Gelding (Divino de L x Grand Ferdinand II)
  • 2007 FEI Eventing Young Horse World Championships - 13th place
• River of Joy 4 - 2001 Dark Bay Wurttemberger Gelding (Rubicell x Pageno xx)
  • 2008 FEI Eventing Young Horse World Championships - seventh place
• Leopin FST - 1999 Bay German Riding Horse Gelding (Legal Legend XX x Pius)
  • 2012 Luhmühlen CCI**** winner
• FischerRocana FST - 2005 Dark Bay German Sport Horse Mare (Ituango XX x Carismo)
  • 2014 World Equestrian Games - team gold medal, individual silver medal
  • 2015 Kentucky CCI**** winner
  • 2016 Kentucky CCI**** winner
  • 2017 Kentucky CCI**** winner
  • 2017 European Championships - individual silver medal
• FischerTakinou - 2007 Red Roan Anglo Arabian Gelding (Jaguar Mail x Sardana Pierre)
  • 2015 European Championships - team gold medal, individual gold medal
• FischerChipmunk FRH - 2008 Bay Hanoverian Gelding (Contendro I x Heraldik XX)
  • 2019 European Championships - team gold medal, individual silver medal
  • 2022 Kentucky CCI5* winner
  • 2024 Paris Olympic Games - individual gold medal
  • 2025 Kentucky CCI5* winner