Isabell Werth, German dressage rider
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Isabell Werth, born on 21 July 1969, is one of the world’s most prolific dressage riders.
The eight-times German national champion has an impressive eight Olympic, seven World Championship and 14 European championship medals to her name.
She grew up on her parents’ farm at Rheinberg, where from a young age she was surrounded by ponies.
Her first ribbons were won on a pony called “Illa”, and later on “Funny”.
Initially, Isabell directed her passion towards jumping and eventing. But when renowned dressage expert, Dr Schulten-Baumer, asked her to ride some of his horses, she was quick to accept.
This was the beginning of a formidable partnership between trainer and rider, which was to last for 14 years.
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During this time, Isabell enjoyed considerable success riding Dr Schulten-Baumer’s horses, most notably Gigolo, with whom she won six of her eight Olympic medals.
Despite daily dressage training sessions and often travelling miles to shows, Isabell continued with her studies.
After leaving school in 1989, she began studying law – something she completed in 2000.
Isabell spent a year working for the Oexmann law firm at Hamm, and from late 2001 through to 2004 she worked in the marketing department of Karstadt.
During these latter years, Isabell was also carving new paths in her riding career. In 2001, she ended her partnership with Dr Schulten-Baumer and moved to the Winter-Schulze family’s yard at Mellendorf.
She remained here for two years before going solo in 2004.
It was at this time that she turned riding into her profession and set up her own yard and training facilities in her hometown of Rheinberg.
Although Isabell had been successful with a number of horses, none has come close to the partnership that she had enjoyed with Gigolo – her Olympic partner in 1992, 1996 and 2000.
However, the acquisition of Satchmo and Warum Nicht FRH helped her work her way back into the spotlight, starting with a double World Equestrian Games title at Aachen, Germany, in 2006.
Since then, Isabell’s dressage career has gone from strength to strength and she remains at the top of her game.
Isabell Werth video
Major achievements:
Olympic medals
• Team gold – 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008
• Individual gold – 1996
• Individual silver – 1992, 2000, 2008
World Equestrian Games
• Team gold – 1994, 1998, 2006
• Individual gold – 1994, 1998, 2006
• Individual bronze – 2006
European championships
• Team gold – 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003
• Individual gold – 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2007
• Team silver – 2007
• Individual silver – 2007
German championships
• Gold – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008
• Silver – 1993, 2001, 2003, 2006
• Bronze – 1990, 2000, 2002
• Rank 4 – 2004
Pictures of Isabell Werth
