As of: 08/09/2021 2:48 PM
German dressage riders have won the team title for the 25th time since 1965 at the European Championships at home in Hagen am Teutoburger Wald.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with Dalera, Isabell Werth with Weihegold, Dorothee Schneider with Faustus and Helen Langehanenberg with Annabelle Great Britain and Denmark landed in their places. On the way to the third consecutive European Championship, the German team suffered an unexpected deficit – and one of the contestants was really angry.
Wirth walked off the field angrily on Wednesday and scolded: “That’s ridiculous. I’m in a boil now!” Nearly four hours into the Wednesday after Jessica von Bredow-Werndl’s final round, the team’s gold medal was certain – and the mood of the world’s most successful rider was in much better shape once again. “Of course I’m happy now,” she said.
Wirth does not agree with the evaluation
While double Olympic champion von Bredow-Werndl was the only one to top the 80th percentile at the gold finish point with 84.099, Wirth didn’t agree with the 79.860 percent ever. “The horse has never fallen below 80 percent in a test like this, I don’t understand,” the 52-year-old complained. “77 percent to the judge, I say that very clearly, that’s incomprehensible – period!” She was “very, very satisfied” with the trip itself, but not with the rating. “Obviously few are happy when things go differently,” said the woman from Rheinberg. “That door has remained open.” Obviously, “you might want to have a different team up front than just the German national team”.
Equipe boss Klaus Rosser called the French judge’s assessment “really rude” (77,717). National team coach Monica Theodorescu suggested milder tones, but also found the result “incorrect. I already thought it would be more than 80 percent.”
“That’s me: Once it’s out, it’s good, too.”
Isabel Wirth
Surprisingly in second place the day before
The day before, the host’s favorite quartet surprisingly came in second after riding from Langhanenberg and Schneider. In the end, Germany also benefited from competition failures – and the strong profile of Bredow-Werndl. The 35-year-old from Thunenhausen gracefully rode her Olympic horse Dallera and said, “That’s huge, I’m totally happy. Dallera’s right there, she’s here and now, I can hardly believe it.”
Von Bredow-Werndl is also an individual’s favourite
For six days, equestrian sport is at the highest level at Hof Kasselmann in the Osnabrück region. Werth won the singles Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle two years ago in Rotterdam. The 52-year-old now has 24 European Championship medals. The preferred candidate is von Bredow-Werndl. “It would be a lie if I said I don’t plan to win the European Championship now,” she said.
“He always asks me if I’m going to put more pressure on myself. I’ve already done the worst at the Olympics. Everything that comes after that is a comeback.”
Jessica von Prideaux Werndel
Hagen Riders Tour with European Champion Thieme
A highlight of Hagen is the appearance of the newly crowned European Showjumping Champion André Thieme. As part of the European Dressage Championships, there will also be a three-star competition on Sunday, which is part of the Riders Tour. “We are very happy with him winning the title and we are very happy that we can now celebrate it here in Hagen,” said tournament organizer Ullrich Kasselmann.
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