The USA’s climb to team bronze was the only medal surprise as eventing wrapped up Sunday in Aachen at the FEI World Championships, with Britain and Germany taking gold and silver in that category as expected.
The British gold medal team of Tom McEwan, Laura Collett, Ros Canter and Gemma Stevens. (FEI Photo)
Individually, the favorites showed why they deserved their status, as Germany’s Michael Jung thrilled the home crowd by earning his fifth gold (team and individual) at a world’s or Olympic competition on his dressage score of 23 penalties with 18-year-old fischcrChipmunk FRH. He was a mere 0.4 penalties ahead of Britain’s three-time Badminton 5-star Ros Canter on Lordship’s Graffalo for silver.
Bronze went to Ros’s teammate, Laura Collett (London 52). Except for time penalties cross-country and in show jumping, where she also had a rail, Laura could have had gold — since her dressage score was 22.8. But that’s the game, isn’t it?
The leader individually for the U.S., Will Coleman, nearly made the podium individually as he jumped clear on the grass field, finishing fourth with Diabolo on his dressage score of 30 penalties, only two behind Laura.
The U.S. moved up from sixth after dressage to fifth following Saturday’s cross-country. The concluding stadium jumping phase was decisive, with Boyd Martin on Cooley Nutcracker also putting in a clear to finish thirteenth individually. Phillip Dutton had 1.2 time penalties with Denim to wind up twenty-seventh individually, but contributed to the team total of 93.2. That was 20.4 penalties back of Germany but just 0.1 ahead of Ireland in a real squeaker. It simply doesn’t get any closer than that.
“The fact that we came up and got the bronze medal, obviously it made the day,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law.
“We were quietly confident we could pull it off today. Such good show jumping — all three boys, they rode to the standard we know they could ride. They are phenomenal riders in the show jumping.”
After his round, Will declared, “Dab is just a star,” referring to his 14-year-old Holsteiner by his barn name.
Will Coleman was both delighted and excited
“He was incredible,” Will continued.
Despite winning last spring Kentucky 5-star, “He never jumped in an atmosphere quite like that. He was quite on his toes when he went in there. I knew he was going to do everything in his power to leave the rails up and he did.
“I can’t say enough about him. He’s got a nice big stride, he doesn’t waste too much time in the air,” Will pointed out.
The 91-second time allowed on the route laid out by Aachen’s home designer, Frank Rothenberger, was tight, and having three doubles along the way meant riders had to balance speed with carefulness.
Will does a lot of show jumping, noting “for me, it’s a passion,” and that paid off for him and for his squad.
Asked about the significance of gaining the bronze, he commented, “I think it says a lot about this group, our management, and I thinnk everybody kept a cool head this week. i had a lot of fun. I can’t remember laughing so much at an event. It felt loose, the way it’s supposed to feel.
“We were all rooting for each other. We didn’t really care who came out on top, we just wanted the team to succeed. That’s really what carried us.”
The fourth U.S. team member, Caroline Pamukcu, did not show jump because she was eliminated on cross-country with HSH Blake after he caught a leg in a fence and she tumbled off.
The other U.S. rider, Tamie Smith, competed as an individual and not on the team. She was eighteenth after cross-country with Lillet 3, but the mare had grabbed herself with “a badly placed overreach, and we’ve made the decision to save her for another day,” Tamie stated.
Withdrawing before the final horse inspection was “gutting, to say the least,” Tamie acknowledged, “but our horses must always come first. Above the results, the championships, and everything we work so hard for — their well-being is what matters most.
“I’m so incredibly proud and honored to have had the round I had on her yesterday.”
Michi Jung seemed as delighted with his gold medal as if it were his first. Earlier in this century, he became the only rider ever to hold the Olympic, European and world championships individual gold at the same time.
“I’m speechless. fischerChipmunk is unbelievable,” he said of his horse.
“He’s doing dressage, he’s running in the cross-country, he’s jumping forward, he’s doing show jumping like a show jumper. It’s just a dream to ride him.”
Considering the horse’s age, one would guess there won’t be many more moments as significant as this one in Chipmunk’s career. He made up for a knockdown af the final fence that lost Michi the gold at the last championships in 2022. This time, he tapped two poles and one rolled along the cups, but stayed in to secure the title.
“Aachen is always very special,” Michi continued.
“The Games was always our dream. It’s a very big thing in the home country to have all the nations together. To have all the disciplines together makes it much more special. With all the people around here, the stadium is such a cool atmosphere. It’s a special place and I feel so lucky that I can enjoy this…world games at home.”
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