Germany’s Michael Jung is at the top of the individual medal standings following the Paris Olympic cross-country.
Michael and his established partner 16-year-old Chipmunk FRH tackled Pierre Le Goupil’s track with precision and bravery to finish clear inside the time, keeping them on their 17.8 dressage score. As Britain’s Laura Collett and London 52 added 0.8 of a time-penalty to their record-breaking 17.5 dressage, they have slipped to silver, with Michael and Chipmunk FRH now in overnight gold position.
“Every jump was easy, he was listening and connected to me, and he was so powerful galloping,” said Michael. “I checked the time and said, ‘Ok we have more time on the next fence, slow down, slow down’. It was an unbelievable feeling.
“I’m so thankful to have such good horses and to be at my fourth Olympic Games is a dream, it’s always a special feeling.”
While the combination fences on the Olympics eventing cross-country course offered multiple options, some riders opted to change tact as the day played out, but Michael said he stuck to his plan.
“I know my horse very well and he was listening, it was a little bit of an easy feeling today,” he said. “He’s a bigger horse, and I started a bit later in the season with him as the focus was absolutely the Olympics Games.
“He’s a horse with so much talent in the dressage and the jumping, and he’s so brave in the cross-country.”
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Looking ahead to tomorrow Michael said he’ll take it “step by step” with Chipmunk FRH, who is owned by the German Olympic committee for equestrian sport, Klaus and Sabine Fischer, and Michael’s father Joachim.
“If you are in front it’s fantastic for sure, but at the moment it’s time to enjoy it. It’s a dream today, and tomorrow it’s a new day,” he said.
“I will try to focus and not think too much about the prize giving or anything after, I will just concentrate on the vet check, the first jumping round, the second round, and go step by step. He’s super fit and he wasn’t tired today, he was looking like he could go again – so this is very good for tomorrow.”
End of day update: following the conclusion of the Olympic cross-country Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH are in gold, Laura Collett and London 52 hold the silver position, and Chris Burton and Shadow Man are in bronze. Great Britain holds team gold, France silver, and Japan is in the bronze medal position.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
