Jessica von Bredow-Werndl - The Success Story

"The happiness of the earth, lies on the back of horses".

Everyone knows this saying. Horse lovers nod their heads inwardly. But perhaps there is no other person who carries this 'truth in ten words' out into the world with such conviction as Jessica von Bredow-Werndl: the double Olympic champion, mother of two, successful entrepreneur and book author who embodies pure harmony on and with her horses. The portrait of an extraordinary equestrian athlete.

Jessica's success story

Jessica was already drawn to horses at the age of four. Once a week, she went to the local riding stable for vaulting and her first playful contact with horses. At that time, an aunt of Jessica's bred Lewitzer ponies in Aubenhausen. So it happened that Jessica was given a Lewitzer foal as a present when she was six years old: Little Girl. When Little Girl was ready, riding instructor Paul Elzenbaumer helped break in the pony mare and gave Jessica lessons. In 1993, Jessica and Little Girl won the lead rein class in Munich-Riem. To this day, she continues to attract attention with her correct and supple seat. At Jessica's first riding competition, instructor Stefan Münch approached the Werndl family. "Because I was the only one who had her pony through the neck in the competition," laughs Jessica.
The collaboration was quickly sealed: For the next twelve years, siblings Jessica and Benjamin Werndl trained with Stefan Münch. In her pony days, Jessica made it to the national squad with Dacapo, whom she had 'inherited' from her brother, and at the age of 14 she already switched to large horses. "Nokturn was incredibly correct. With him I also got my first 10, for holding. He didn't wiggle his ear!" Parallel to Nokturn, the family bought Bonito at the young age of four. Even then, it was true for the Werndls: buy young and train yourself. To this day, that has remained their motto.

2002 - Jessica's First European Championship Appearance Was on the Agenda

Actually with Nokturn, Bonito had qualified as a reserve horse. One week before the European Championships, Nokturn was nailed and dropped out. Bonito was only seven, but stepped in for Nokturn and - the pair came home with double gold! The next year, Jessica was already competing in the Young Riders class, even though she was still a junior. Duchess was her partner at the 2003 European Championships, team gold and individual silver! "That was incredible and it went on like that for four years," Jessica still seems to be amazed years later.
The break came after her time as a young rider. The family bought young horses for Jessica and Benjamin. The goal was an ambitious one: to find their way into Grand Prix sport with self-trained horses. From 2007 to 2011, the siblings regularly went to Isabell Werth for training. "I simply asked Isabell and she said yes," says Jessica happily to this day

2011 Was Not an Easy Year for Jessica. A Year of upheaval!

"In the summer of 2011, I had reached a low point. I had fought for so many years to get back on track and it didn't work out that way." She had experienced smaller highlights time and again, such as the final of the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, the final of the Nuremberg Burg Cup and the Louisdor Prize, but ... "I put so much energy into the horses, put so much effort into them, but in comparison I lacked the success that could have inspired me. I knew from before what it felt like to be at the top. And then I started to have self-doubts about whether I just wasn't good enough."

What's more, Jessica was working two jobs during this time. She rode in the mornings and from 2 p.m. to around 9 p.m. she worked as the manager of the family gym, while also training as a nutrition coach.

"I really enjoyed working in the studio. I like dealing with people and I love sport. But I wanted to do both perfectly - riding and the studio. That didn't work out."

She met cross-country skiers Evi Sachenbacher and Tobias Angerer at a fitness studio event. The two convinced Jessica and sent her to a mental coach: Holger Fischer.

"The two days with Holger Fischer were really 'rad'," says Jessica. "He simply asked exactly the right questions. After that, I knew exactly what I wanted: riding! Since then, I've been even more intense, even more passionate about working with horses."

Since the end of 2011, she has taken over the management of the family dressage stable in Aubenhausen together with her brother Benjamin, riding six to seven horses a day and training her team of riders in the afternoons. In total, there are around 40 horses in Aubenhausen - a good half are her own, then there are a few customer horses for training and a few oldies romp around the Aubenhausen pastures, such as Duchess. "We want to buy and train young horses." By 'we' we mean Jessica and her brother Benjamin. 'Benni' was also very successful as a young rider and was part of the German gold team at the European Championships three times.

"We are very different 'riding types'," says Jessica, "but when it comes to choosing and training horses, we are totally on the same page."

Since 2011 , Jessica has also been coached by Jonny Hilberath. In contrast to Isabell Werth, the national coach also has the opportunity to accompany her to tournaments, as he no longer actively competes in the saddle himself.

The Gribaldi son Unée Joined Her Stable at the Beginning of 2012.

"I had already decided to go into riding before Unée, but it has opened many doors once again." And the Werndl siblings are slowly beginning to reap the rewards of their years of training. "Now we know that we have 'invested' well, but you don't know that for years. You hope and hope, but you can't project too much into a horse. I had to learn that first."

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl achieved another major goal in 2015: she was part of the German team at the European Championships in Aachen! She had been working towards this for a long time. Unfortunately, in the end she only took bronze with the team, but von Bredow-Werndl and Unée had delivered a clear calling card for elegant and harmonious riding!

The Star 'Dalera' Rose in 2018:

Jessica and Dalera flew with the German team to the World Equestrian Games in Tryon and won team gold, followed by the next highlight a year later. The pair were not only part of the German team again, this time at the European Championships in Rotterdam, they not only won team gold again, they also won the bronze medal in the freestyle. The first individual medal for Jessica von Bredow-Werndl in the senior camp. And after the pandemic break in 2020, the 'fairytale year' 2021 was on the program for the pair. "It feels like a fairytale, simply incredible!" And she herself was the fairy tale fairy: in radiant harmony with her mare Dalera, she conjured up moments of consummate ease and perfection in the arena and enchanted the spectators.

2022 - World Cup Victory in Leipzig

In 2022, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl won the FEI World Cup™ Final of the 2021-2022 season with Dalera BB. The pair danced through the arena in Leipzig with ease and won not only the title but also the hearts of the spectators. In the summer, von bredow-Werndl then went on maternity leave.

2023- On Course for Gold

In April 2023, Jessica successfully defended her World Cup Final title in Omaha, but the run of success for 2023 was only just beginning. At the German Championships in Balve at Schloss Wocklum, also known as the Balve Optimum, Jessica placed at the top with TSF Dalera BB and was able to secure her 2021 title as German Dressage Champion once again. Jessica and Dalera's next stop was the CHIO Aachenwhere the pair once again danced through the arena and claimed four victories. The pair won the Grand Prix, the Nations Cup, the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle. A weekend that will not be forgotten in a hurry. As Aachen is often an important stop in the run-up to the European Championships, it was hardly surprising that the dream team will also be competing for Germany at the European Championships in Riesenbeck. Double gold for Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the runner-up title with the team. But she was not only successful with Dalera in 2023, she also won a number of competitions with her other horses this year. For example with Got it BB and Forsazza de Malleret.

The Olympic Games in Paris:

After holding the team gold medal in her hands the day before, Jessica was back on the podium on Sunday, August 4, 2024. With 90.093%, she successfully defended her Olympic gold medal.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl's triumph at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was an emotional highlight that touched the hearts of many. With her freestyle to "Non, je ne regrette rien" by Edith Piaf, she not only delivered a technically brilliant performance, but also created a deep connection to the host city of Paris. This musical tribute to the French icon Piaf gave her performance an additional emotional depth and a special meaning.

The harmony and trust between Jessica and her horse TSF Dalera BB was clear to see during her freestyle. Every movement was perfectly coordinated and it was obvious that years of intensive preparation and hard work had culminated in this moment. Her face beamed with joy and pride as she completed the final pirouette and the crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause.

This victory is not only a testament to Jessica's exceptional talent and tireless dedication to the sport of dressage, but also a symbol of her passion and perseverance. The choice of Piaf's song lyrics, which translate to "No, I have no regrets", perhaps also reflects Jessica's personal journey - a journey full of challenges, dedication and ultimately triumphant fulfillment.

The gold medal in Paris is the pinnacle of her career to date and will undoubtedly be remembered as a shining chapter in the history of dressage. Jessica's performance has not only set sporting standards, but has also inspired and touched audiences around the world. Her victory in Paris is an unforgettable moment that will resonate for a long time - a moment that shows how much passion and love for the sport makes for true greatness.

The Tokyo Olympics:

91.732 percent points in the freestyle - an Olympic mark. It was the new best result for Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera. Never before had the pair cracked the 90 percent internationally. Olympia was the right moment. For the music and its interpretation the seven judges gave seven times the 10 - more is not possible! Five times the 10 for the harmony, four times the 10 for the choreography and once the 10 and five times the 9.9 for the degree of difficulty. This freestyle was wonderful, faultless, with absolute highlights in the piaffes, passages and transitions, but also in the absolute harmony and the actually almost invisible aiding, the 'blind' understanding between rider and horse. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl's first words after her Olympic freestyle just gushed out of her: "It was my goal to crack the 90 percent. At the beginning I was a bit tactical, at the end I rode more and more on risk. Sometimes I had the feeling that I was riding a bit of a fire dance, on a knife edge: How far can I go, how much risk can I take? It all worked out, there were no major blunders, but a lot of highlights, I felt that."

Jessica's Olympic Quote Box

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl - her feelings after winning the gold medal in Tokyo, the magical words of son Moritz and the sticking point Rotterdam...

- After it was clear that she won gold:

"I don't like to call it pressure, but when I was crying here, I realized that I wanted it so much after all. When everything comes off and there's such a stark relief all of a sudden, you don't realize how much you want it all. I actually didn't feel that much pressure yesterday because I didn't have to perform much to win gold in the team. And the day before yesterday it wasn't really about anything. Then today at noon I already noticed that every place now makes a huge difference."

- With the gold medal in his hands:

"Pure joy, relief and insane gratitude. Gratitude that I can experience this, that I'm standing here with the second gold medal hanging around my neck, that I have such a wonderful horse and such an incredible team behind me - and my family, of course. I'm running a time-lapse of my 20 years of riding life right now - no, it's already more, it's already 30 years (laughs). I think I could write a book about that day."

- Magical words from son Moritz before the Olympic free skate:

"That meant so much to me, that he said he loved me. He says that now every time we talk. And that he's happy that he'll see me again tomorrow or the day after at the latest. This 'I love you so much, Mommy' was so reassuring, because no matter how it would have turned out today, he would love me just as much if I came home without a medal. He doesn't care if I bring a medal home or not. That's what's so important in life and gives me so much support."

- To the Olympics:

"I'm grateful that they took place at all. This year postponing the Olympics because of the pandemic probably helped me personally. We are more experienced, we are more mature and stronger. Everything has become even easier. I am just insanely grateful and I think it was sensationally well organized here. I'll come back home with a full heart of joy and gratitude and have fond memories of Tokyo."

Parallel to the excitement in Tokyo, the Olympic atmosphere was bubbling in the small, tranquil town of Aubenhausen. At home with Jessica in Aubenhausen, the fan club had settled in and kept their fingers crossed - first and foremost the family with brother Benjamin, rider Raphael Netz and sisters Flora Keller and Beatrice Bürchler. The two are horse ladies through and through, both support the dressage sport and both are convinced of the 'Team Aubi' around the Werndl siblings. Flora Keller owns some horses that 'Benni' Werndl trains and rides, and from Beatrice Bürchler-Keller comes the 'BB', which adds for example the names of Unée, Dalera and Ferdinand. The former international dressage judge has been working together with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl since 2009. On horses owned by 'BB', Jessica has celebrated her greatest successes to date. "What began in 2009 out of sporting and promising considerations has developed into a deep friendship and an intimate relationship of trust," emphasizes the Swiss rider.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, the double Olympic champion and triple European champion of 2021. A few weeks after their total Olympic success, 'Jessi and Dalera' also impressively proved their class at the European Championships in Hagen: Gold with the team, in the individual classification and in the freestyle. Five gold medals within seven weeks - that has never happened before and it never could: Never before had the Olympic Games and the European Championships been held within one year. And never before had Jessica von Bredow-Werndl won individual gold at a championship - three times in the summer of 2021, with two team golds on top. At the age of 35, Jessica has reached the Olympus.

She is still working on 'another construction site': "I don't allow myself enough time off. I can't just lie on the couch and do nothing. I can't switch off." Since the summer of 2013, someone has been helping her with this: her husband Max von Bredow, himself active in eventing. On New Year's Eve 2012, he had proposed to Jessica on the beach in Kenya; six months later, the two got married in Italy. Why Italy? "I wanted it that way," Jessica smiles. "Otherwise, I probably would have still been on the horse the day I got married." Jessica and Max not only share an enthusiasm for horses, they both love sports as well. "We often spur each other on and go running together. In general, we like to do sports together and learn new sports." On their honeymoon, for example, they had signed up for kitesurfing together.

Personal development - that is Jessica von Bredow-Werndl's hobbyhorse. She has been working intensively on this for years, from a human perspective, but also from a rider's perspective. There was a trigger for this early on in her equestrian career: in 2001 she was allowed to take part in a selection for the European Championships for the first time. At the time, Jessica was a junior and had surprisingly attracted attention on Nokturn with a second place in the Prize of the Best. "I was so nervous at the European Championships sighting that I broke my leg twice. I would have loved to sink into the ground." The experience left its mark on her, but she put it to good use, later writing her thesis on 'Mental Training' and learning a lot. "Looking back, it was very healthy that it didn't work out the first time," she is convinced. In 2010, Jessica had another experience that confirmed her to work quite a bit on her personal development. "On 10/10/2010, we were in Sardinia and I got pulled out by the current while swimming. I really didn't make it back on my own. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, Max brought me ashore with the last of his strength. That was really close. Since then, a lot of my personality has changed again, a lot of things have come into perspective." And even if horses and riding are passion for Jessica... "they are not my center of life. I wouldn't go that far."

Since August 2017, the focus of the exceptional athlete has been on someone completely different: son Moritz. The birth of her first child was naturally a drastic experience for Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her husband Max. "With a child, priorities shift," the new mother quickly put it in a nutshell.

During her pregnancy, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was still a keen rider: "In the first three months, I was always a bit nauseous, but never while riding," she explains. She took part in competitions up until the fifth month, but from the sixth month onwards she would occasionally pull and walk and canter were her favorite gaits during this time. "From the seventh month onwards, sitting out at the trot became more and more uncomfortable. But I didn't really stop riding until four weeks before the birth - I only rode a bit at a walk in the countryside." When Moritz was four, Tokio arrived. Mother Jessica was never away from her first-born for as long as she was during the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which the family did not travel to due to the pandemic. "Two weeks is a very long time," Jessica emphasized at the time. "Fortunately, we have Facetime." Since August 2022, Moritz has shared being the center of attention with his sister. While Benjamin Werndl competed in his first championship at the World Championships in Herning, his sister Jessica was in the delivery room watching the World Championship freestyle on ClipMyHorse. Little Ella Marie waited for the World Championship ride of Benjamin and Famoso but then she was in quite a hurry, says the mother of two. Benni, by the way, rode a 'great round' in Denmark and Ella was the absolute top wonder.

Two children and top-class sport - how do you reconcile that? The power woman's answer is as simple as it is obvious: "I have a brilliant environment!" This includes first and foremost her parents Micaela and Klaus Werndl, who often travel with her to the tournaments and are then fully in her element as baby and child sitters. But 'Uncle Benni' also likes to help out when he is competing at the same tournament. "It's also a challenge," Jessica admits and laughs.

Full-blooded athlete, mother of two and her own training stable - you would actually think that a single person would already be completely occupied with all this, but the energy of the world number one (as of December 2022) seems inexhaustible. Practically 'on the side', she launched her first book in October 2020. The title: "The happiness of the earth - What I learn every day from my wonderful horses". In this book, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl takes her readers on her 'journey' with the horses. She allows a glimpse into her philosophy in dealing and training with horses, explains how horses have shaped her and how she has developed through working with horses. But she also writes candidly of low points when she doubted and sometimes almost despaired.

With the Aubenhausen Academy, the Werndl siblings have also discovered another way to pass on their experience, their ideas when training with horses. With very concrete tips, direct proximity to the horses and sketches, graphics, exercise sheets and self-reflection sheets, the brother and sister team has developed various modules for different lessons and topics. In their DressurFit program, they also offer functional training for riders. A twelve-week program specifically designed for rider fitness. They've almost been waiting for it: After her second pregnancy, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl also put together a special postnatal program for riders, DressurFit Mommy, in collaboration with pelvic floor expert Luisa Kienle and sports scientist Marcel Andrä, with whom the siblings have worked for many years. In addition, 'Jessi and Benni' regularly invite guests directly to their "Home of Dressage Horses" in Aubenhausen. At the Aubenhausen live events, visitors get the chance to observe the siblings on site, view their 'Home' and watch them at work. And of course, Jessica and her brother will be on hand to answer lots of questions. Not to forget the Aubenhausen Club Shop. The store range is constantly expanding: from the knitted hat, which is presented on the website by Jessi herself with her famous beaming smile on her face, to gift articles, riding gear, bridles and insect protection. Also in the store program is the first book for young people that the multi-talent has written in collaboration with Antje Szillat: "Gut Aubenhausen - Emilia und das Glück der Pferde" (Gut Aubenhausen - Emilia and the Happiness of Horses), instructive horse stories for young horse lovers aged ten and up.

And because Jessica's days seem to have 36 hours instead of 24, she also keeps her fans super up-to-date and professionally informed on all social media channels about everything that's going on in Aubenhausen and in her life.

Describe Jessica von Bredow-Werndl in one sentence? Impossible! There are very few people who go through life so energetic, full of ideas, determined and yet always grounded.

Jessica's championship successes:

• 2024: Team gold at the Olympic Games in Paris with TSF Dalera
• 2023 World Cup final victory - TSF Dalera BB, German Champion - TSF Dalera, European Champion - TSF Dalera BB & Vice European Team Champion
• 2022 Victory in the World Cup Final - TSF Dalera BB
• 2021 Triple European Champion and double Olympic Champion, German Champion Grand Prix Special and Freestyle - TSF Dalera BB
• 2020 German Champion Grand Prix Special - TSF Dalera BB
• 2019 European Team Champion and European Championship bronze in the Freestyle, DM bronze in the Grand Prix Special - TSF Dalera BB
• 2018 Team World Champion - TSF Dalera BB, bronze at the World Cup Final - Unée BB
• 2016 bronze at the World Cup final - Unée BB
• 2015 team bronze at the European Championships, bronze at the World Cup final - Unée BB
• 2002-2005 six gold medals at European Championships, three gold medals at German Junior and Young Riders Championships - Bonito and Duchess

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl's current show horses

• TSF Dalera BB (Trakehner, mare, born 2007), by Easy Game x Handryk owned by Beatrice Bürchler-Keller; breeder: Silke Druckenmüller
• Ferdinand BB (Hanoverian, gelding, born 2009), by Florencio I x Lanciano owned by Beatrice Bürchler-Keller; breeder: Bernhard Sieverding
• Got It BB (Danish warmblood, stallion, born 2015), by Grand Galaxy Win x Don Schufro owned by Beatrice Bürchler-Keller; breeder: Dressage Arué v/Morten Thomsen
• Forsazza de Malleret (Oldenburg, mare, born 2013), by For Romance x Sarkozy owned by Aubenhausen GbR; breeder: Gestüt Lewitz
• Great Gatsby PS (Oldenburg, stallion, born 2014), by Grey Flanell x Sir Donnerhall I owned by Aubenhausen GbR; breeder: Gestüt Lewitz
• Tamino (Oldenburg, gelding, born 2014), by Tomahawk x Florencio I owned and bred by Helmut Osterkamp
• Fosbury OLD (Oldenburg, gelding, born 2017), by For Romance I x Depardieu owned by Aubenhausen GbR; breeder: Werner Meyer
• Simba 217 (Hanoverian, stallion, born 2016), by Blue Hors St. Schufro x Hofrat owned by Flora Keller; breeder: Friederike Peters