Gold medal favourites: Germany’s Olympic dressage team announced for Tokyo

The German Olympic dressage team for Tokyo Olympic Games has been announced, and will head to Japan as favourites for the team gold medal.

German team trainer Monica Theodorescu and the German Olympic Equestrian Committee have now officially selected the following riders and horses:

• Isabell Werth and Bella Rose 2 (first reserve: Weihegold OLD; second reserve: Quantaz)
• Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera
• Dorothee Schneider and Showtime FRH (reserve: Faustus)

The travelling reserve will be Helen Langehanenberg with Annabelle 110.

Frederic Wandres (Duke Of Britain FRH) and Benjamin Werndl (Daily Mirror 9) have also been named as non-travelling reserves.

The selected team is the same trio that won the gold medal at the 2019 European Championships in emphatic style, with Isabell Werth once again riding her world and European champion Bella Rose, now aged 17.

Germany will also arrive in Tokyo as defending Olympic champions, having won the team gold medal in Rio, but only one combination from the 2016 German Olympic dressage team will compete in this year’s Games – Dorothee Schneider and the 2019 individual silver medallist Showtime FRH.

Isabell, Dorothee and Jessica filled all three top spots in every test at the final German selection trial, which took place at the Kronberg CDI this weekend. In the grand prix special, the test that will decide the team medals in Tokyo, Isabell and Bella Rose triumphed with a score of 85.59%, followed by Jessica and Dalera on 84.76% and Dorothee and Showtime in third on 82.57%.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

H&H dressage editor’s blog: ‘Will we see Valegro’s world records broken this year?’

Meet the vegan dressage rider with Tokyo Olympics ambitions

Carl Hester: ‘Olympic medals are not set in stone’ *H&H Plus*

Earlier in June, Jessica prevailed over her teammates at the German national dressage championships, riding Dalera to 84.88% to finish just under 1% ahead of Isabell and Bella Rose in the grand prix special, and posting 93% to win the freestyle.

The British Olympic dressage team is due to be announced this week, following the release of the nine nominated entries earlier this month.

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 to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens 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