It was an obvious decision — after winning her second Olympic individual gold medal this month and earning a host of other global titles over the years, German dressage queen TSF Dalera BB will be retired from competition, rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl announced Wednesday on Instagram.
The 17-year-old mare will, however, be making some “joyful appearances” for exhibitions in Neumunster, Germany, this year and Basel, Switzerland, next year.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera have a special bond.
The Trakehner, the number one-ranked dressage horse in the world, “loves her stage so much,” explained Jessica, “and that is why it is important to me that she gets to do this a few more times. This journey has been so special for me and fortunately it is not over yet.”
Jessica added, “Apart from that, Dalera gets the best life that she deserves.” As the rider put it, “she deserves only one thing, and that is the very best.”
“I am slowly starting to realize what has happened over the last few weeks,” said Jessica about earning her second double gold in Paris. She previously said she would do a few more shows before Dalera’s retirement, but Jessica has now realized there was nothing more the mare could do or prove in competition.
Dalera and her rider would move lightly as one through their performances, perfectly balanced, scaling the heights of their sport seemingly without effort.
Her record includes not only two Olympic team gold medals, in addition to her individual golds, but also six European championships, seven German national championships and two FEI Dressage World Cup Finals, the last of which was in Omaha in 2023. Needless to say, Dalera also has won at Aachen.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera on their way to winning the 2023 FEI World Cup title. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Dalera, Jessica explained, “has been so much more to me than just my sport partner over the last few years. I’ve never experienced anything before like connecting with a horse on such a soul level that we didn’t need words, we understood each other and I always knew what she needed.”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her individual gold medal with Isabell Werth (silver) and Lottie Fry (bronze) at the Paris Olympics.
Over the years, Jessica’s social media has been full of photos of her interacting with Dalera outside of competition, whether taking a trail ride or cuddling with the mare in her stall. The two have been together since the elegant daughter of Easy Game was eight years old.
Dalera will, of course, have a home and love for the rest of her life.
Jessica said it all when she observed, “It has been an incredibly beautiful journey with her.”
