Gina Schumacher is one of the world’s elite western riders – her path there was shaped by her father Michael Schumacher’s serious skiing accident. In a new documentary, she provides deep insights into this difficult time.
In the new ZDF documentary “Pferdestärke”, Gina Schumacher talks about western riding, in which she herself is one of the world’s top riders. The 29-year-old also provides personal insights into her life as the daughter of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher. The documentary will be officially released on April 17.
The German newspaper “Bild” was able to see the production in advance and quotes Gina Schumacher with moving words about the time after her father’s accident: “After dad’s accident, I really got stuck in because I had to do something. The horses have always been important. But since then they’ve really … well, I couldn’t do without horses. They helped me get through it all.”
Michael Schumacher was seriously injured in a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013 and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion was subsequently placed in an induced coma. Since then, there has been little public information about his state of health.
Gina is also a multiple world champion
In the new ZDF documentary, Gina Schumacher also talks about her ranches in the USA and Switzerland. The Schumacher family runs their own facility in Givrins near Nyon – where Gina won two World Championship titles in the summer of 2025.
Corinna Schumacher also has her say in the documentary. Now an internationally successful breeder herself, she recalls a statement made by her husband over 25 years ago: “Michael once said to me – when Gina was ten years old: Gina will be much better than you. Because she is more selfish. If you’re an athlete, you have to be selfish to a certain extent. And that’s good. Otherwise you won’t amount to anything. Today I think: he was so right.”
Gina herself takes a down-to-earth approach to her success: “I’m grateful that I can do this – because it’s not a given. My parents made it possible for me. That’s why it was always important to me to work hard for it and make the best of it.”