Local hero Michael Jung had to settle for third place in the Prize of WALTER Solar Eventing Indoor Derby at the 2024 Stuttgart German Masters when Irish riders claimed the two top spots.
Ireland’s Jennifer Kuehnle riding the 15-year-old Sammy Davis Junior went clear in 35.63 seconds at the end of the second round, overtaking her countryman Cathal Daniels who had led for much of the competition. Cathal, who previously rode Sammy Davis Junior but has handed the ride to 22-year-old Jennifer, crossed the finishing line on his long-term equine partner, the 17-year-old mare Rioghan Rua in 37.06 seconds.
Michael Jung just missed out winning the Indoor Derby for the tenth time. Incurring a three-second penalty on board his nine-year-old gelding Ignatz H, he finished with a total time of 37.09 seconds, leaving him in third place, just 0.3 seconds behind Cathal.
But the four-time eventing Olympic champion Michael, who is based just down the road in Horb-Altheim, had already been a winner. At the start of the event, Andreas Kroll, CEO of the Stuttgart Veranstaltungsgesellschaft, presented Michael and Isabelle Werth with a special golden award for all their efforts.
“It’s a fantastic recognition of the position as ambassador,” said the delighted Isabell Werth, Germany’s most successful Olympic athlete. “It really was a wonderful surprise. I certainly wasn’t expecting it.”
“The German Masters is right here in our home region, and it means lots of friends come to visit. The crowd is magnificent, and the horses feel at ease in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle and in the extremely good conditions that prevail here,” said a happy “Michi” Jung.
