Carsten Sostmeier freaks out at Reiter Jung’s Olympic victory

At the end, the voice breaks, falters, squeaks. It sounds like a mixture of the animated series South Park and Donald Duck. In between, it seems to break down briefly: “Friends, this is unbelievable, this is unbelievable…” Apparently, ARD equestrian commentator Carsten Sostmeier knocked the microphone away in his euphoria and silenced himself for a tiny moment before continuing to cheer euphorically. “Friends! Chapeau, Chapeau, Chapeau! Wow, what a tour d’honneur of emotions that literally gallops into our hearts.” Sostmeier can’t contain himself when eventing rider Michael Jung’s gold coup is confirmed.

It was a short but big TV moment that viewers saw and heard on Monday afternoon during the live Olympic broadcast on ARD. The words thrown out by Sostmeier were the kind that people still talk about years later. Even those who aren’t much into equestrian sports became fans in those seconds, and could practically smell the smell of fresh hay from the stables.

Jung won the gold medal in the individual competition for the third time in a row after a flawless obstacle course. No event rider has ever achieved this before. The last ride was particularly exciting because Jung had received four penalty points on his horse Chipmunk in the first course the day before. His lead over the Australian Christopher Burton shrank and the gold medal was no longer quite so certain. Jung had to remain flawless in the last course to defend his lead.

A masterpiece of emotional sports commentary

But Jung, who is currently considered the best event rider in the world, kept his nerve. After 60 seconds of nerve-wracking excitement on the course against the backdrop of the Palace of Versailles, the big moment arrived – and Sostmeier delivered the highlight of an emotional sports commentary. If eventing were as popular as football, Sostmeier’s performance would now be mentioned in the same breath as Herbert Zimmermann’s legendary commentary on the 1954 World Cup.

“Oh friends, now the pulse needs a day to calm down for some of us – for me maybe even two days,” said an emotional Sostmeier, who has been commentating on equestrian sports since the early 1990s. For many, the 64-year-old was already a cult commentator. He has always been celebrated as a “horse whisperer” by professional TV critics and on social media.

Carsten Sostmeier turns everyone into equestrian experts

But one would be better off speaking of an “equestrian sport whisperer”. Sostmeier’s expertise is legendary. He has always been one of those commentators that people simply enjoy listening to because they convey a sport and what makes it so special with dedication and the highest level of competence. If you listen to Sostmeier, you feel like an expert yourself, even if you have never sat on a horse in your life. Show jumping and dressage suddenly become very close. That is the great art.

In his enthusiasm, Sostmeier called gold medalist Jung the “King of the Equestrianism of Versailles” and added: “You are writing Olympic equestrian history. Congratulations, I bow to this horse. It is so fascinating. Yes, I take my hat off or my headphones to this achievement.” The compliment also applies to Sostmeier, who delivered a great Olympic moment in Versailles.

Sources: DPA, “”