H&H Olympic reporter’s blog: ‘We were standing with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl when she found out she’d won gold’

Have you ever stood next to someone when they realised they’d just won an Olympic individual gold medal?

I have, now.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was in the mixed zone after her test when Isabell Werth – her greatest competitor for the individual gold – rode her test. Finished with the German press, she moved along to her English interview, but understandably, she was somewhat distracted by watching her compatriot on the television beside us.

We stopped trying to interview her. It was only fair.

Nonetheless, my phone was on the little plastic tray in front of her recording… so I now have a live recording of what happens when someone finds out they are almost certainly the Olympic champion.

The first part is coherent – “it’s very exhausting to watch… now I’m really nervous, not when I entered the arena”. Then Isabell’s test finishes. Jessica goes silent. She wanders away for a moment. She’s back.

Isabell’s score comes up on screen. You can hear Jessica’s gasp. Then her whole face dissolves into tears. She’s not the only one.

We all sort of laugh, the release of tension.

The awful part was that none of us could touch her, comfort her, celebrate with her. I felt terrible she wasn’t with her team, with someone she was bubbled with, to hit that incredible high with the people who had worked for it alongside her for decades.

“I wish I could give you a hug,” said deputy venue media manager Amy Powell. We all did.

Jessica was swept away to join her team and moments later, we knew that Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin was the bronze medallist. Somehow, my H&H colleague Polly and I managed not to fall into each other’s arms.

This Games… it’s a celebration of hope, of joy, of the power of sport. There are moments you forget it’s not a normal Olympics… and then you get told off for standing too close to someone or you look up and see the empty stands – or you stand with someone on the cusp of greatness and can’t reach out to give them the most basic human reassurance. It is wonderful… and heartbreaking at the same time.

You might also be interested in:

Bronze for Charlotte Dujardin as new Olympic dressage champion is crowned

H&H Olympic reporter’s blog: how a plastic tray is changing my life

H&H Olympic reporter’s blog: ‘The venue is breathtaking – let the Games begin’

‘She’s a real dancer’: Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and ‘amazing’ mare ensure Germany’s Olympic dressage gold

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now