German footballer Thomas Müller's horse wins Olympic gold

"Simply golden — mia san Olympiasieger (Olympic champion)". That is how Thomas Müller celebrated the success of showjumper Christian Kukuk at the Paris Olympics on Instagram. "Gold at the Olympics with Checker, that was breathtaking." 

Checker, the horse which Kukuk rode to victory in the Palace Park of Versailles, was also the reason why the 34-year-old Bayern Munich star took to social media.

Müller, who is married to dressage rider Lisa Müller, is the co-owner of the gray gelding that carried Kukuk over the obstacles twice without any faults. "Dear Christian, you deserve it. What you have achieved with Checker, hats off, I am absolutely thrilled. Now let it rip, let's celebrate," wrote Müller.

Kukuk: 'I'm incredibly grateful'

Kukuk did not forget that he also owes his success to the former German international. "Very few people are allowed to win an Olympic gold medal — and I'm one of them," he said in an interview with German television after his victory.

"We mustn't forget: Madeleine Winter-Schulze and Thomas Müller played a very big part, because they are the two owners of Checker. They have given me the opportunity to continue riding the horse. I am incredibly grateful for that and for the fact that I was able to repay their trust today."

While Müller is also known to many people outside the world of sport, Winter-Schulze is particularly well-known in equestrian circles. The 83-year-old businesswoman used to be a dressage rider herself and has supported the likes of showjumper Ludger Beerbaum and dressage rider Isabell Werth for decades. She buys outstanding or particularly promising horses and makes them available to riders.

In the equestrian world, even the best riders are often in a situation where they have little influence on how long they are allowed to ride a horse. They may be in the saddle, but the owners of the sometimes multimillion-euro animals are not. If the owner has the intention and opportunity to sell the horse for profit, it can happen that pairs are broken up irrespective of their success.

Career setback after losing the top horse

German showjumper Laura Klaphake, who formed a successful duo with the mare Catch Me If You Can, suffered that fate a few years ago. The pair rode for Germany in international competition, won team bronze for Germany at the 2018 World Championships and could have had a great future ahead of them.

However, the horse belonged to Paul Schockemöhle, who is not only a former top showjumper but also one of the largest and most successful horse breeders and dealers.

When Czech multibillionaire Petr Kellner made an offer in the double-digit millions to buy the mare for his showjumping daughter, Schockemöhle agreed. He had previously rejected a lower offer from tech billionaire Bill Gates, whose daughter Jennifer is also a showjumper. The sale took place at the end of 2018, and Klaphake's once promising career took a steep downward turn.

Breeding stable with mares and semen shipment

Given the countless examples, it's not hard to understand how grateful Kukuk is for Checker's owners, who have provided a certain degree of security. Riders sit in the saddle on several horses daily, train them in various riding disciplines and are responsible for the care and training of the animals.

However, Kukuk also has access to other good horses, as he works as a rider at Ludger Beerbaum's stables. Beerbaum, four-time Olympic showjumping champion, runs a large breeding stable in Riesenbeck in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. One of Kukuk's rider colleagues there is Philipp Weishaupt, another member of the German showjumping team in Paris.

The Gut Wettlkam facility, a few kilometers south of Munich in Bavaria, is considerably smaller than Beerbaum's, but runs on similar principles. It's there that Thomas Müller and his wife Lisa breed horses together. They keep several broodmares and five stallions, allowing other mare owners to order semen from the Müllers.

The cooperation between the Müllers and Kukuk as well as the co-ownership of Checker also came about through Beerbaum. "He [Thomas Müller] said he needed something he could cheer about in his hotel room after football matches," explained Kukuk in the equestrian magazine St. Georg before the Olympic Games.

And Müller did just that during Kukuk's decisive gold-medal winning ride. "Not only did I have goosebumps, but I was also damn nervous," he admitted.

Perhaps Müller has acquired a taste for it. He has earned millions during his footballing career. And who knows: perhaps in a few years' time, Müller's collection will include 12 Bundesliga winners medals, six from the German Cup, two courtesy of the Champions League, the 2014 World Cup and several Olympic medals from the world of equestrian.

This article was originally published in German.