Michael Schumacher’s daughter Gina has opened up for the first time about the Formula One legend’s tragic ski crash – describing how she used horse riding to cope.
The 29-year-old, now one of the world’s leading Western riders, has spoken candidly about Michael’s 2013 accident in Meribel, which left him with a traumatic brain injury and led to his withdrawal from public life.
In the upcoming documentary “Horsepower – The World of Gina Schumacher”, produced by ZDF, she says: “After Dad’s accident, I really threw myself into [riding] because I had to do something.
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“The horses have always been important. But since then they’ve really been… I mean, I couldn’t do without horses.
“They helped me get through everything.”
As reported by The Sun, the documentary, which is available online from April 17 and broadcast on May 17, follows Gina and her mother Corinna Schumacher, 57, across their ranches in the United States and Switzerland.
It also charts Gina’s rise in reining, a discipline of Western riding in which she is a multiple world champion, including double gold in individual and team events in 2025.
Corinna reveals in the film that her husband predicted their daughter’s success early on, saying: “Michael once said to me, when Gina was ten: ‘Gina will be much better than you.’
“‘Because she’s more selfish. If you’re an athlete, you have to be selfish in a certain way. And that’s great. Otherwise, you won’t amount to anything.’
“Today I think: He was so right.”
Reflecting on her career, Gina adds: “I’m grateful that I can do this. Because it’s not something to take for granted.
“My parents made it possible. That’s why it’s always been important to me to work hard so I can do it as well as I possibly can.”
Gina lifts the lid on how her mum, who is now one of the most successful Quarter Horse breeders, got drawn back into the sport.
“She used to have a horse, and when we were younger, she wanted to start again. But she wanted a safe horse.
“Then she was in Dubai with Dad, and they rode Arabians. Dad fell off one.
“There was a Quarter Horse next to it, and he was there to calm the others down. And then Mum said she wanted a horse like that.”
The family has been tight-lipped about Michael’s condition in the 13 years since his accident, preferring to maintain their privacy in the age of social media and its prying eyes.
A Netflix documentary about the great was released in 2021, but focused on a titanic career without giving a genuine update on his health.
In it, Corinna shared that Michael is “different, but he’s here”.
Schumacher is a name that transcends the motorsport bubble.
Considered the greatest driver to ever grace the grid by many, seven-time world champion Michael broke numerous F1 records and was named Laureus Sportsman of the Year in 2002 and 2004.
The Keep Fighting Foundation was founded to honour Michael in 2016, and continues to carry out charitable work in the name of the F1 great.
— This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission
