Now that eventing in the Olympics is run at the three-star level, you go to a four-star event to see the best cross-country riders in the world—and on the North American continent, that means the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Each year, Rolex provides a unique chance to watch the best of the best in action. This year, Germany’s Michael Jung (aka “The Terminator”) left no doubt as to who is the best of the best as he became the second rider in Rolex history to win Rolex in successive years on the same horse. Michael and fischerRocana FST (Roxie) join Kim Severson and Winsome Adante (Dan) in a very exclusive club. Not content with winning, Michael and Roxie won this year by one of the largest margins I have ever seen at a four-star. By the time they turned toward the last four stadium fences, he and Roxie could have knocked down all four and still won.
U.S. riders occupied the next five places in the final results, but it was obvious that they were not able to match Michael and Roxie’s efforts. Rising U.S. star Lauren Kieffer must have mixed emotions about her second-place finish. She and Veronica (Troll) were second to Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt two years ago, but the margin between first and second grew larger this year, not smaller.
Any time a rider wins a four-star, it is a serious achievement. But when the event is held under appalling conditions, it becomes even more noteworthy. Torrential rains fell on the Kentucky Horse Park all weekend, and the footing on the cross-country course was definitely a factor. It speaks volumes about Derek di Grazia’s skill as a cross-country course designer that 54 horses out of 64 starters finished the event. The global eventing community has certainly noticed his designs as he has been selected to design both the 2018 World Championships and the 2020 Olympic Games.
There is no doubt that Michael Jung will be the favorite at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next month to become only the third person in history to win back-to-back gold medals. It is easier to find major events that he hasn’t won over that past few years than it is to list his growing titles. Winning Rolex 2016 gave him a second leg on the Rolex Grand Slam (where the same rider wins successive four-stars at Rolex, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and Land Rover Burghley in any order). One week later, he won at Badminton with his 2012 Olympic gold-medal partner, La Biosthetique-Sam FBW. This, the third leg on the grand slam for Michael, was worth an additional $350,000 in prize money. (In fact, it is the fourth major event he has won in the past year, but he had to win Badminton to clinch the title.) Michael took care of that little detail in his typical fashion: In each leg of the Rolex Grand Slam, he won the dressage and never looked back, adding a grand total of four seconds over the three optimum cross-country times and having one rail down overall in the three final phases. The Terminator doesn’t just beat the best of the best—he embarrasses them.
1. It takes a brave horse and rider to gallop up to something that the horse can’t see over. Maya Black and Dawn Dofelmier’s Doesn’t Play Fair (Cody), on their way to third place, are shown here in the final approach to the Curving Brushes at the Mounds, Fences 14AB. When the 15.3-hand, 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding is reincarnated, he will come back as a Jack Russell terrier. I have watched him for several years while he and Maya worked their way up the ranks, and he makes me laugh. He shows up at every event with a little-guy chip on his shoulder. He might be the smallest horse there, but he is going to make up for it with attitude, and Maya is going to match his efforts with talent and a work ethic to die for.
3. Now you’re talking! Maya has done a good job with her reins: She has slipped them just enough but is staying in touch with Cody. She has set her sights on the next element while he makes nothing of the landing on the backside of 14A.
4. Cody’s aggressive nature is about to get him in trouble, so Maya is reminding him that she was the one who walked the course. His second stride has carried him all the way across the flat, which is going to make his third stride a little too close to 14B.
5. Riders must work to stay with their horses when galloping up a slope. Maya has driven her heel back and increased her hip angle to stay with Cody’s powerful uphill step.
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