Thomas Müller has a "very large" stake in sensation gold
Thomas Müller is one of the greatest German footballers of all time. But he shines off the pitch as well. In his spare time, the Bayern pro has dedicated himself to equestrian sports. At the Olympics, he will also contribute to a sensational German gold medal.
The first Olympic individual gold for Germany's show jumpers in 28 years also had a football World Cup winner's share - and this one was "quite significant". Thomas Müller is one of the two owners of the chestnut gelding Checker, who sensationally carried Christian Kukuk to Olympic victory. "We must not forget that," said Kukuk on ARD, looking at Müller and co-owner Madeleine Winter-Schulze.
"They gave me the opportunity to continue riding the horse," said Kukuk, "that Checker wouldn't be sold one day. I am incredibly grateful that they had the trust in me and that I could repay it now." Checker, 14 years old, is "a kind of late bloomer. But what he has already achieved this whole past year - he is in his own league, he has proven that impressively here. I am simply incredibly happy and proud to be able to ride this horse."
Equestrian sports are more than just a hobby for Müller
Kukuk and Checker's success came as a big surprise. In the individual event, it was the first Olympic medal since Marco Kutscher's bronze in 2004 in Athens and the first gold since Ulrich Kirchhoff and Jus de Pommes' Olympic victory in 1996 in Atlanta. For long-time football national player Thomas Müller, World Cup winner in 2014, equestrian sports have become more than just a hobby. The 34-year-old from FC Bayern runs the Gut Wettlkam estate near Munich with his wife Lisa, who competes in dressage. "She infected me with the horse virus," Müller recently told the magazine Cavallo.
Horses, Müller said, are "very friendly creatures, they are partners and companions, they radiate calm - and at the same time strength and elegance". As a professional footballer, Müller cannot ride regularly. He is supported in his side business by a stud farm in Lower Bavaria's Rottenburg-Pattendorf.
Horses are not just a pastime for Thomas Müller in his spare time, as he also owns a share in the chestnut gelding Checker that helped secure an Olympic gold medal in horse racing. Equestrian sports have played a significant role in Müller's life, becoming more than just a hobby for the World Cup-winning footballer.
