CCI5*-L Lexington: start-finish victory for Michael Jung
Lexington/USA (fn-press). What a start to the season! In Lexington, Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH finished the first five-star event of the year with a start-to-finish victory. With a brilliant performance in dressage, cross-country and jumping, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion once again proved that the course in Kentucky, USA, is tailor-made for him.
It was Jung's fifth victory in Lexington: By winning the world championship title at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in the saddle of Sam, he started a unique series of victories in eventing, became European champion just one year later and then won gold at the Olympic Games. Three more victories in CCI5*-L with fischerRocana FST in Lexington followed in 2015, 2016 and 2017, one year the couple came second. This year, Jung continued the series of successes with the Hanoverian fischerChipmunk FRH. Already in dressage, the pair took the lead by far. The gelding galloped off-road and then jumped to the finish without losing any time, so that the pair could have afforded two downs in the course. However, that didn't happen. Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH also remained clear in jumping and finished the test with only 20.1 minus points in first place.
“All three partial tests were really world class. I think it's the best result ever in a five-star competition. You can tell that the two have now become a perfect team. It just takes time, but now they know each other inside and out. This was also shown in the course, which actually had five stars and asked a lot about condition. The dressage was impeccable and not a bar wobbled in jumping. That was something special," said national coach Peter Thomsen, who was more than satisfied with this performance.
American Boyd Martin may not be completely satisfied with the outcome of the test. He was second after dressage and cross-country with his Trakehner Tsetserleg TSF, a son of Windfall, who used to be ridden by Ingrid Klimke. However, two knockdowns cost the pair a place on the podium. They finished fourth with 38.5 minus points. Instead, Brit Yasmin Ingham came second with Banzai du Loir (31.7) ahead of Doug Paine (USA) with Quantum Leap (38.4).
