German Championships: Von Bredow-Werndl’s reward: Next title and Olympics in sight

First there were slaps of praise for the golden mare Dalera, then top dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl even shed a few tears of joy. She had a feeling that she had once again managed to perform the best freestyle on Sunday.

The 38-year-old was rewarded with 89.600 percent and another German championship title. In addition, unlike the other squad riders, she is already firmly scheduled for the Olympic Games.

“I’ve never felt like this before”

For the second time in a row and for the third time overall, she secured both gold medals in Balve – just seven weeks before the start of the annual highlight in the French capital, the form and path of Germany’s greatest medal hope in dressage are right.

“I’ve never had such a feeling. Tears came to my eyes as soon as I was finished,” said the rider from Aubenhausen, her voice faltering. The day before, she had already won the Spécial. “It felt so easy, so natural and so powerful – I could have ridden the freestyle four more times like that and Dalera would have run exactly the same.”

In Balve, where the national championships will take place until 2030, not everything went perfectly, especially on Thursday in the first qualifying test, despite the success. There were also small blemishes on Saturday. “But that’s completely fine. That’s the only way I can get an honest reflection of what the right measure is,” said the team and two-time individual Olympic champion from Tokyo, who improved in the freestyle and withstood the pressure of second-placed Frederic Wandres on Duke of Britain (83.450 percent).

National coach Monica Theodorescu was satisfied. She recognized that her team’s players “still need to improve” ahead of the next scouting tournament in Aachen, after which the rest of the Paris squad will be announced.

Race against time with Wendy de Fontaine

This is particularly true for Isabell Werth. The seven-time Olympic champion originally wanted to compete in the Sauerland with Quantaz and Wendy de Fontaine. However, the mare suffered a bruise just before the national showdown. “I hope there is a way for Wendy,” said Theodorescu. “The horse has to be 100 percent fit. Health and fitness are the top priority.”

Since there are no discarded results for the rankings in the games, according to the national coach, there is “no room for games or health uncertainties at all.” With Quantaz, Werth took fifth place in both championship rankings. “Today I messed up because I rode the changes too loosely and strangely,” said the 54-year-old.

Unlike Werth, von Bredow-Werndl does not currently have to worry about her top mare’s health problems. “Dalera has never felt fitter and fresher than she does now. She didn’t have wet hair – despite the sun and the heat. That was exactly my goal. We’ll stay calm and continue working in peace,” she said on Saturday.

Choreography adapted to Tokyo

The Bavarian, who will take a break in Aachen, is still making small adjustments to her program. “It’s my hobby. I really like experimenting,” said von Bredow-Werndl. In Balve, there was already a taste of what’s to come during the freestyle. “I didn’t change anything musically, but I did change things choreographically,” she said. “I think it’s also important that I always stay in this development mode. That’s why I had the feeling in the freestyle that there were better lines for us. Maybe it was the optimal line that we had in Tokyo.”

The end is known: In Japan, von Bredow-Werndl was rewarded with three gold medals for her creativity and tinkering. She really wants to repeat this achievement. Theodorescu also sees her as being “on a very good path”.