“This is very emotional because there won’t be so many more competitions I’m going to ride with her,” Jessica said.
“She’s always leaving her heart in there for me especially when it’s such a big atmosphere. When I’m in the here and now and totally focused, she is as well. This is what makes her so special – I don’t need to push, I just need to ask.”
The combination scored several 10s for their transitions in and out of their piaffe and had a whole host of other highlights, but it didn’t look the easiest ride for Jessica, with Dalera a little unsure in the contact.
It was a raucous atmosphere to enter, with the French crowd giving the penultimate combination Pauline Basquin and Sertorius De Rima Z an enthusiastic send-off as the now 17-year-old Dalera entered the arena.
But a little bit of tension shouldn’t be seen as too much of a negative. Having small areas to improve, while still being more than 1% ahead of the next highest-scoring combination – Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle – is a remarkable position to be in.
“She continues to improve, she’s more athletic than ever,” Jessica said. “She’s also so intelligent, I’ve never had a horse like her. It’s more than a partnership with us, it’s on another level.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“I think I’ve found a good rhythm now between technical training, regeneration and conditioning. This helps keep the balance good for her because there are times when we’re hacking for days only, and then she tells me when she wants to train again.
“I’m a good listener but she’s a very good communicator – she tells me what she needs.”
‘She’s not retiring yet’: Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Dalera’s dressage future after the Olympic Games
Despite coming into the competition as individual favourites, Jessica added that she didn’t feel daunted by the pressure.
“I would love to defend the title, but I’ve also already won it, so either way it’s good,” she added. “We’ve proven for three years that we can do it and that gives us both more self-confidence.
“But on the other side, I had huge mistakes at the German Championships and if these mistakes happen here we have no medal.
“I know that, and it’s still so important to have everything together for these six minutes, this is always the challenge.”
Whatever happens, Jessica said the Olympics will not be the last time we see Dalera compete.
“I can’t handle that thought, it’ll make me cry,” she said, the emotion now really starting to show in her voice. “That’s impossible, at least we’d do some farewell competitions, I don’t know yet – maybe it’s three more shows, maybe it’s one.”
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
Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
