Germany are the defending champions, having won team gold at the World Equestrian Games in 2018. A German team has also won gold at every major championship since, but the line-up for this year’s team looks rather different to recent years, with two team rookies among the riders, alongside a German team stalwart and an eventing multi-Olympian making her dressage championship debut.
The following combinations have been selected for the German team at the dressage World Championships:
Ingrid Klimke with 14-year-old stallion Franziskus 15
Owner: Wilhelm Holkenbrink
Breeder: Elisabeth Albers (GER)
Breeding: by Fidertanz, out of Antara, by Alabaster
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Owner: Hof Kasselmann
Breeder: Sarah and Tony Pidgley (GBR)
Breeding: by Dimaggio, out of Real Gold, by Rubinstein
Frederic Wandres with 12-year-old gelding Bluetooth OLDOwner: Hof KasselmannBreeder: Gestüt Lewitz (GER)Breeding: by Bordeaux, out of Lorena, by Riccione
Benjamin Werndl with 13-year-old gelding Famoso OLDOwner: Benjamin, Klaus Werndl and Flora KellerBreeder: Lambertus SchniederBreeding: by Farewell III, out of Donna Weltina, by Welt Hit II
Benjamin Werndl with 18-year-old gelding Daily MirrorOwner: Benjamin, Klaus Werndl and Flora KellerBreeder: Dieter KellermannBreeding: by Damon Hill, out of Fiedergirl II, by Florestan I
Owner: Victoria Max-Theurer and Madeleine Winter-Schulze
Breeder: Kathrin Damm (GER)
Breeding: by Quaterback, out of Piroschka, by Hohenstein 4
It will be decided closer to the time which horse Frederic and Benjamin, both championship debutants, will ride. Dorothee Schneider and Faustus have also been listed as team reserve.
Ingrid Klimke will make her dressage championship debut following an illustrious eventing career. She has won gold medals at world and Olympic level and was European champion in 2017 and 2019 with SAP Hale Bob OLD.
This will be Isabell Werth’s seventh dressage world championship, and she is also the reigning individual world champion. She will be riding a team debutante in Quantaz, who has taken over the mantle as her top ride this year after the retirement of her two top mares, Bella Rose – with whom she took double gold at WEG in 2018 – and Weihegold OLD.
Isabell’s season with Quantaz has been somewhat chequered: they have previously posted almost 78% in the grand prix, but were eliminated under blood rules at CHIO Aachen, and scored a below-par 69.48% on their last international outing at Kronberg CDI4* in mid-July.
Germany will be without the reigning Olympic and European champion, Benjamin’s sister Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, who is due to have her second baby in August, as well as Dorothee Schneider’s top horse Showtime FRH, but all four selected riders have a horse capable of scoring in the mid to high 70s for the grand prix test, meaning this German side is sure to prove competitive.
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