Reigning Olympic and European champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl is unlikely to attempt to add a first world title to her collection in 2022, as the German rider has announced she is pregnant with her second child.
Competing at the 2022 dressage World Championships, which are to be held in Herning, Denmark from 5 to 14 August, will be “difficult, as the estimated date of birth is in August,” the world number one told H&H.
However, the 36-year-old rider did confirm to H&H that she is still aiming to compete with her top mare TSF Dalera BB at the 2022 World Cup dressage final on home soil in Leipzig, Germany. Jessica will be five months pregnant when the final takes place, on 6-10 April.
Jessica and her husband, Max von Bredow, already have a four-year-old son, Moritz.
“So infinitely grateful for the second miracle that may be created within me,” said Jessica.
The 2022 World Cup final will be Jessica’s fifth, and her first with Dalera – she has finished third at the final on three occasions with her former team horse Unee BB, in 2015, 2016 and 2018. She is currently in joint fifth place on the Western European World Cup leaderboard, which is led by Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour. As defending champion, Germany’s Isabell Werth – who has won the title at the last three finals with Weihegold OLD – will also have a guaranteed slot at the World Cup final.
Jessica swept the board in 2021, claiming both team and individual gold at the Tokyo Olympics – her first Games – in July, going on to win triple gold at the European Championships in September with the 15-year-old Trakehner mare Dalera, a daughter of Easy Game x Handryk.
Since the Europeans, Jessica has competed Dalera on the international and World Cup circuit, remaining unbeaten with plus-90% victories at Stockholm CDI5* in November, and Neumünster CDIW in February. The pair are currently in action at the World Cup qualifier at s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, alongside Britain’s Lottie Fry (Dark Legend) and Richard Davison (Bubblingh).
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