Michael Jung’s legendary horse La Biosthetique Sam has died aged 26 at Michael’s family home in Germany.
“This evening I lost my best friend, Sam” says Michael on his social media “We reached every milestone side by side, and for years I found daily happiness in seeing you grazing in the field. Thank you for 20 years together. You will be deeply missed by all of us. Rest in Peace my friend”.
The partnership between Michael and Sam was the cornerstone of an incredible decade of eventing achievement for Michael and his horses.
Michael and Sam took back-to-back Olympic gold medals, first at London 2012, a feat that made them the first to hold Olympic, European and World titles at the same time, having taken individual gold at the Kentucky World Equestrian Games 2010 and the 2011 European Championships in Luhmuhlen.
The second Olympic gold came at Rio 2016, where they once again finished on their dressage score.
Sam’s Championship wins were accompanied by wins at the highest level of the sport, winning his first CCI5* (then 4*) on home ground at Luhmuhlen in 2009. They went on to impress at the two big British events, winning Burghley Horse Trials in 2015 followed by Badminton in 2016. The consecutive wins secured the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing for Michael, having also won the CCI5* on board fischerRoccana at Kentucky 2016.
Ironically, despite being one of the biggest prize winners of all times, Sam’s dislike of the actual prize giving presentations was one of one his quirks. At Badminton 2016, Michael initially entered the presentations riding Sam but then exited the arena as the line-up was being arranged, changed horses and returned on another bay horse with the winner’s rug. Surprisingly few people noticed that it actually wasn’t Sam but Sam, on the other hand, was delighted not to do the victory gallop!
Sam retired from top international competition after Badminton 2018, where he finished 10th, enjoying his well-earned retirement at home with Michael.
We’ll miss you Sam – thanks for the amazing memories and letting us ride along.
