Von Bredow-Werndl & Dalera secure another win in Neumünster...

It was Germany’s Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl at the top of the podium again this weekend, as FEI Dressage World Cup™ competition resumed with Leg 5 at Neumünster, Germany.
Von Bredow-Werndl won the top honours in both the Grand Prix Freestyle and Short Grand Prix aboard TSF Dalera BB, with scores of 90.615 and 84.395 percent, respectively.

The Danish riders gave the Individual Olympic and European champion a good run for her money, though. Cathrine Dufour finished in second place with Vamos Amigos, after earning 86.725 percent from the five judges.
Nanna Skodborg Merrald took third place, partnered with Atterupgaards Orthilia. Their score of 84.480 percent was a personal best that pushed the defending World Cup champion, Isabell Werth of Germany, off the podium and into fifth place on Sunday.
The weekend’s event at Neumünster was a welcome return to Dressage competition after cancelled shows at the end of 2021 and the start of the new year.
Seventeen horse and rider combos in the Western European League presented for the Grand Prix Short on Saturday, with Werth and DSP Quantaz finishing second to Von Bredow-Werndl on 78.553 percent. Merrald finished third on 77.921 percent, chased by teammate Carina Cassøe Krüth with marks of 77.632 percent.
Each of the top four scores were personal bests, setting the tone for Sunday’s Freestyle, which would help determine which athletes would qualify to go to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals in Leipzig, to be held from the 6th through the 10th of April.
Fifteen pairs were scheduled to ride on Sunday, reduced to 13 with the withdrawal of Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Benjamin Werndl, brother of Jessica. The competition was stiff from the get-go, however, with incredible performances from some of the world’s best in the first half of the afternoon.
At the interim, Australia’s Kristy Oatley topped the leaderboard, along with Du Soleil, on a score of 79.840 percent. Lena Waldman of Germany was in  second place with Fiderdance on 76.930 percent, a personal best, and Charlotte Heering of Denmark was holding in third with Bufranco on 76.795%.
The second half of the competition slated a who’s who of champions that ratcheted up the action to another level and showed how amazing Leipzig will be this spring. Sweden’s Patrik Kittel, always an incredible showman, and Blue Hors Zepter immediately took over the lead with a score of 81.325 percent.

Kittel’s compatriot and student, Antonia Ramel gave a lovely performance with Curiosity that earned 77.065 percent, before yielding the arena to the Queen of Dressage, Isabell Werth.
The 2019 champion, who will automatically advance to Leipzig to defend her title, turned in a fabulous ride with Quantaz to Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” mixed with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” With high artistic marks, the two earned a score of 82.640 percent, but would it be enough to place, given the talent coming up?
Carina Cassøe Krüth meant business when she rode next with Heiline’s Danciera to music from “Dirty Dancing,” “Fame,” and “Footloose.” A crowd-pleasing programme that was perfectly suited to the exuberance of the horse, it showcased the Danish Warmblood’s excellent hind activity and garnered extra points for one tempi on a curve and a one-handed passage to the halt.
With a score of 83.670, Cassøe Krüth moved into the lead, laying down the gauntlet for her teammate up next, Cathrine Dufour. No stranger to championship pressure, Dufour won an Individual bronze at Tokyo and both Individual silver and Team bronze at the 2021 FEI European Championships, and she once again gave a stellar performance.
Dufour’s freestyle to tunes from “Les Miserables” gave everyone in attendance a glimpse of how willing and energetic Vamos Amigos is. At just 10 years old, he was the youngest horse in the field this weekend, and it’s remarkable to realize he only competed in his first Grand Prix in 2020. The duo were awarded 86.725 percent for their efforts, taking the lead by a huge margin and guaranteeing Denmark at least one spot at the awards ceremony.
Nanna Skodborg Merrald wanted to make it a Danish 1-2-3 on the podium. Her quieter programme with Atterupgaards Orthilia had a few errors that momentarily dropped her score, but she regained ground with her joker line and ended on 84.480 percent, a personal best that propelled her into second place for the moment, with only one rider left to go.
That one rider was Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl, however, having a magnificent year with multiple gold medals to add to her trophy case. Her jazzy programme highlighted Dalera’s elegant manner of moving and natural technical proficiency. But would a spook and a mistake in the one tempi keep them out of the medals?
Fortunately, the rest of the programme was so exceptional that the judges gave the pair 90.615 percent, which put them on top for the day and gave Von Bredow-Werndl a repeat of her Neumünster victory in 2020.
The German champion totally owned the error in the changes, saying it was her fault not Dalera’s. “I can’t complain,” she said. “She was amazing!”
“It was tricky to ride in the arena,” she added, referring to the tight quarters and lack of buffer space between the seating and the ring. “She felt it. She wanted to buck.”

Nonetheless, Von Bredow-Werndl was able to bring the mare back and finish with a one-handed passage to the final salute. “This is what is so special about our connection,” she enthused, proud of the fact that she can ride Dalera with only minimal aids.
Regarding the competition from the Danish ladies, Von Bredow-Werndl takes an attitude that has served her athletic career well. “I always try to beat myself,” she said. “I just try to focus on myself and my performance. It’s the only thing I can influence.”
Von Bredow-Werndl is now sixth in the overall league standings on 40 points, with only one leg remaining in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, March 10-12. Her countryman Frederic Wandres leads the rankings on 65 qualifying points, followed by Dufour on 52 and Merrald on 47. Carina Cassøe Krüth has moved into 10th place on 30 points, behind Patrik Kittel with 32.
Leipzig is sure to be an event for the record books. Will Isabell Werth hang onto her title, or will a new champion be ushered in? Catch all the exciting action on FEI TV.
Words by Patricia Salem
Images by Stefan Lafrentz