The dressage Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was slowed down by the world association FEI after her baby break. Now the ban has expired. The 36-year-old is hoping for a rule change and is now going “from zero to one hundred” in the World Cup.
It was a nice temporary farewell to the World Cup stage. In April of this year, the duo Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her horse Dalera showed once again why they went into the World Cup finals in Leipzig as favorites. Over 90 percent in the Grand Prix Freestyle. First place – as before at the Kurz Grand Prix. Already there at that time: daughter Ella – but still in the belly of the athlete.
It was the last competition before Bredow-Werndl went on maternity leave. The Olympic champion gave birth to her second child in August and quickly felt ready to get back in the saddle. “That’s why I wanted to get started right away”, so Bredow-Werndl. She had already signed up for a first tournament six weeks after birth of her daughter Registered.
Maternity leave regulation “another obstacle” for mothers
But the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) did not give her permission to start. The reason: Bredow-Werndl had applied for six months of maternity leave. This is actually intended as a support for athletes who have a child. 50 percent of World Cup points will be frozen during the requested time – a maximum of 12 months – so riders will not fall too far down the world rankings if they do not compete during this time. But to the surprise of Bredow-Werndl, a return before the requested time has elapsed is not allowed.
“When I didn’t get permission to start, it really annoyed me because it was like a professional ban for me.” Maternity leave should “actually be a support for us mums and don’t put any more obstacles in our way”said the 36-year-old.
Supporting feedback for Bredow-Werndl
Bredow-Werndl went public and criticized the interpretation of the “Maternity Leave Rule” by the FEI. The feedback was “immense and, above all, supportive,” explained the Olympic champion. But not only in the social networks, also from the association side: “The German Federation is behind me and wants to propose a rule change to the FEI”.
FN General Secretary Soenke Lauterbach explains what this should look like: “For pregnant women, our suggestion is that they are free to choose whether they take one month or up to twelve months. So: no minimum break of six months. Because some women recover faster than others after childbirth and are faster again ‘fit to compete’.“
Hoping for the FEI to implement the rule change
And Lauterbach would also have liked to change the point system: “Our suggestion is that women on maternity leave not keep 50 percent of the world ranking points from the previous year, but 100 percent. So comprehensive protection for the pregnant woman.”
With that, she hopes that she “could make a contribution, at least for my successors”. The Upper Bavarian is counting on that “The FEI will adjust the regulations for 2023, at the latest for 2024. Because I think everyone has now noticed that the regulations are very incomplete and don’t really help us mommies.”
Start “from zero to one hundred”
But the gaze is now directed forward again. The ban expired on October 18th and the dressage rider can start again. Due to the denied participation in the tournament, the woman from Aubenhausen has no way of finding her way into the competition mode. Her first start will be a World Cup “from zero to one hundred”, as she says. “Now it’s all in with Dalera, but I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait for it to start again.”
In return, she wishes “that we continue exactly where we left off”. She would like to tie in with the last big performance before the baby break. To the achievements in World Cup final in Leipzig. She can count on the support of her family for this. Her whole family will accompany her and then also take care of little Ella.
Source: BR24 Sports
10/21/2022 – 3:54 p.m
