Michael Jung and fischerRocana likely to have another crack at winning Kentucky in 2018
Leading into the coming Championship year, the German eventing Team Trainer Hans Melzer is convinced that the German eventers are well prepared for this year’s challenges including their home CCI4* and German Championships at Luhmuhlen in June
“All horses benefitted from the mild temperatures during the winter. Whilst in Warendorf earlier this year, we noticed how fit the horses were after being worked outside throughout the past months.”
The focus is definitely on the World Equestrian Games in Tryon. Depending on their qualifications, there are a number of different classes to get the horses and their riders well on their way to the Games. However, most of the members of Germany’s so called Olympic squad will compete their horses in Luhmühlen’s CIC***
“We are expecting most riders to compete in the CIC*** Meßmer Trophy. Only Michael Jung is considering taking La Biosthetique Sam to Badminton and fischerRocana to Kentucky instead. Outside of the Olympic squad we have a number of promising horse-rider combinations who stand a chance to compete at the WEG. They will compete in Luhmühlen’s CCI****, as this could provide them with the necessary qualifications for Tryon”
“Felix Etzel, Marina Köhncke, Jörg Kurbel, Anna Siemer and Falk-Filip-Finn Westerich are candidates to take this route. It’s certainly possible that one or more of these riders could be selected, as Sandra Auffarth, Bettina Hoy, Michael Jung, Ingrid Klimke, Andreas Ostholt, Kai Rüder and Josefa Sommer only have one horse each on this level. At the moment, Andreas Dibowski is the only one who has got three horses which could be contenders for the games. Irrespective of their individual goals for this season, I think one of Luhmühlen’s great attractions this year is that Mike Etherington-Smith will also design the Europeans next year.”
Due to his current success in show-jumping, there have been some slightly anxious rumours that Michael Jung might have some aspirations to focus more on his show-jumping career. Luckily, this doesn’t seem to be the case
“fischerTakinou and Lennox are back on form and Michael has got six very promising eventing prospects he’s planning to compete at Le Lion d’Angers. He enjoys eventing way too much to give it up,” assures Melzer.
