Dressage icon Isabell Werth will compete for the first time this year with her Olympic success horse Wendy at the German Championships in Balve.
The 55-year-old granted her top meadow a little relaxation at the beginning of the season, and she had to postpone the planned introduction to Wendy in Mannheim in early May. “The trailer was already packed at the time. But she had got a thick leg shortly before,” said Werth.
Now, however, “the inflammation is out, we have trained in peace. It is fresh and robust. We want to tackle it sensibly and in peace in Balve.” She therefore does not have special expectations of Wendy for the national title fights scheduled from 12 to June 15th. “Let’s be surprised,” said Werth. Most recently, she rode in Stockholm at a tournament at Wendy at the end of November 2024.
Werth satisfied with previous season
Previously, the most successful rider in the story had brought in team gold and individual silver in Paris on her diverse starter. In Balve she also wanted to ride her previous second representative Quantaz or Special Blend, the two are “still in the duel”.
With the previous season, Werth was just as satisfied as national coach Monica Theodorescu. “The start was very well done,” said Theodorescu: “We had a few tournaments in the shortest possible time in the green season, it is going in close. We are very well positioned for the German championships.”
The four-time Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was “surprisingly safe and successful” after Dalera’s only ten-year-old Dalera career ended, Theodorescu said. In general, she continues to see “good potential” in German dressage.
The season highlight of the dressage rider this year are the European Championships in Crozet, French (August 26th to 31st), previously the CHIO in Aachen (June 27th to July 6th) is still on the program.