Champion eventer La Biosthetique Sam FBW has passed away in Germany at the age of 25, with rider Michael Jung paying tribute to his gold medal-winning Olympic partner.
“This evening I lost my best friend, Sam,” Jung shared via Instagram on Tuesday. “We reached every milestone side by side, and for years I found daily happiness in seeing you grazing in the field. Thank you for 20 years together. You will be deeply missed by all of us. Rest in peace my friend.”
La Biosthetique Sam FBW was bred by Günter Seitter in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was by the Irish Thoroughbred stallion Stan the Man xx out of Halla, a daughter of the influential Czech-bred Thoroughbred Heraldik xx — who also sired Sam Griffiths’ prolific five-star partner Happy Times. Halla’s dam was the Hanoverian mare Grey Girl (by Godehard), from the renowned Hanoverian G line.
As a two-and-a-half-year-old colt at the Baden-Württemberg licensing, Sam was described as “an uninteresting horse with a big head” and was not approved. At just 16 hands, he was not a particularly impressive young horse.
Put up for auction, he was purchased by Sabine Kreuter for approximately AUD $13,000. She started him under saddle and had him gelded. By the age of five he was showing promise, and Kreuter hoped to have him trained by Jung. It was breeder Seitter — who had continued to follow Sam’s journey — who ultimately convinced Jung to take on the young horse.
This collaboration quickly led to success. The pair finished second at both the 2006 and 2007 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Championships for Young Horses at Mondial du Lion-d’Angers.
In 2009 they claimed the FEI Eventing World Cup Final in Strzegom and secured individual bronze at the FEI Eventing European Championships in Fontainebleau. The following year, they won individual gold at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, before taking both individual and team gold at the 2011 European Championships in Luhmühlen.
In these earlier stages of his career, Sam was jointly owned by Kreuter and the Jung family. When Kreuter later wished to sell her share, British rider Mary King expressed interest and Sam was briefly moved from Jung’s stable. However, the arrangement did not proceed and, in 2011, the German National Federation announced that the German Olympic Equestrian Committee would take a 47% stake in the gelding. Family friend Erich Single acquired 13%, while the Jung family retained 40%.
Reunited, Sam and Jung went on to achieve the greatest successes of their career — including Olympic glory.
At the 2012 London Olympic Games, they won both individual and team gold. In 2015 they claimed their first five-star victory at Burghley, followed by Badminton in 2016. That same year, they secured a second individual Olympic gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games, alongside team silver.
Across an extraordinary career, Sam and Jung recorded 24 wins and 23 additional podium finishes from 63 FEI starts.
Sam retired in 2018 following a tenth-place finish at Badminton and went on to enjoy a long and happy retirement with Jung in southern Germany.
Equestrian Life’s thoughts are with the Jung family and all those connected with this special horse.
