Jung has already won this event three times with his mare Fischerrocana, but this time he returned with his Tokyo Olympic partner Fischerchipmunk. They duly delivered a masterclass in each of the three phases, leading from the very start and eventually winning by an enormous margin. Jung could have chosen to compete at the five star Badminton Horse Trials in England which starts this week, or the five star Luhmuhlen in his native Germany in June, but instead he flew his horse over to Kentucky
"It feels very great to be back here in Kentucky. It's a wonderful place, horse country. I feel very welcome here."Michael Jung
Jung went into the final show-jumping phase in the packed Rolex Arena with two rails in hand over his closest rival but Fischerchipmunk didn’t touch a single fence, and Jung’s 4th Lexington Three Day victory was assured.
24 year old Yasmin Ingham from Great Britain rode brilliantly all weekend to finish 2nd on Banzai Du Loi, and Doug Payne finished the best of the Americans to become the new National USEF 5* Champion on his less experienced horse, Quantum Leap. It was an emotional weekend for Payne who announced the retirement of his long-standing partner and Tokyo Olympic ride Vandiver after completing the cross country phase, and he bowed out to thunderous applause and a standing ovation in the Rolex arena on Sunday afternoon.
"It's hard to put into words, because these horses are all great. They give their heart and soul for it. Clearly they love it, but there are some that are extra special. And he's probably never been the most talented horse out there, but his heart is just absolutely massive," Payne said.
The Horse Park boasted beautiful weather and almost perfect conditions, and attendance numbers were strong each day.
