Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the Trakehner mare Dalera BB defended their title at the World Cup Final in Omaha. With 90.482 percent they won the final freestyle ahead of the Danish rider Nanna Skodborg Merrald with Zepter (87.146 percent) and Isabell Werth with DSP Quantaz (85.761 percent).
"Dalera was simply great. She was impressed by the atmosphere in the arena again today, but did she trust me one hundred percent. When I raised my hand to ring in some music, I knew she was with me one hundred percent," said Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (Aubenhausen) after her ride in Omaha, Nebraska. They defended their title after the 2022 Final in Leipzig. They danced to the music of Edith Piaf to 90.482 percent and the victory.
National coach Monica Theodorescu was full of praise for the pair from Aubenhausen: "It was a great and exciting final. Dalera went simply great. It was so much fun to watch the two freestyles and to see how well the music suits the horses and their riders. The delicate and elegant suits Dalera perfectly, the strong and rocky suits Quantaz. When the music underlines the characters like that, it's just really fun."
Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz gave a rocking performance in the freestyle to the music of Bonnie Tyler. The national coach summed up: "Isabell presented very well with Quantaz. He went incredibly forward, piaffed great, all pirouettes were on point and exactly matching the music - the two of them rocked the arena."
Indeed, the arena in Omaha went wild when Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz finished their freestyle. Meanwhile, the crowd was already applauding, Isabell Werth herself singing along to the lyrics of Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache" as Quantaz piaffed and passaged. She said, "I am very happy with Quantaz's performance. It was his best freestyle yet. I really enjoyed my ride and felt the audience enjoyed the freestyle and especially the music as much." For her, the Omaha start was the second World Cup Final there. In 2017, she had won one of her five World Cup titles here with Weihegold OLD. "It's nice to come back to such a great event after the pandemic period, with so many people involved and such a great crowd on site."
Incidentally, with Germany's 2023 title win, Germany and the Netherlands are now tied in the race for the most World Cup dressage finals wins, with both nations recording 13 victories to their credit. Isabell Werth has already won five times for Germany, Ulla Salzgeber, Monica Theodorescu and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl each won twice, Helen Langehanenberg and Sven Rothenberger once each.
The final was marred from the German point of view, as Ingrid Klimke (Münster) and Franziskus were not able to compete in the freestyle. The pair from Münster had still finished fourth in the Grand Prix in Omaha, but the stallion had been sprained so that his rider withdrew him before the freestyle.
