Daring to dream
IN 2019, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl won her first individual medal – European bronze – and the idea that she and her beloved mare TSF Dalera could become Olympic champions in Tokyo began to form.
Even a pandemic couldn’t blight their form, with the extra year playing to their advantage. They arrived in Japan with the weight of expectation on their shoulders, as the combination with the best chance of beating reigning world and European champion Isabell Werth.
“I’ve thought about this pressure, but I came to the conclusion I can’t do anything else but give my best, and I’m always giving my best,” said Jessica.
She and Dalera topped both the grand prix and the special with plus-84%, and won team gold, but the freestyle was the pinnacle. All three German riders who shared the podium in 2019 – Isabell, Jessica and Dorothee Schneider – had opted to keep the same music and floorplans for their Tokyo bids, as Jessica
