Championships
European Championships Hagen a.T.W.
2021
Team gold at the championship premiere of Faustus! Just one week before the European Championships in Hagen we had to change our mind. Actually Showtime was supposed to represent the German colors and show once again after Tokyo in what great shape we are. But Showi got slightly injured. Therefore Faustus got his chance and joined the team. For Faustus it was not only the first European Championship in his life, it was also his first championship. On our side rode Isabell Werth with Weihegold OLD, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with Dalera BB and Helen Langehanenberg with Annabelle.
​
The motto for the Grand Prix: A good round without any big mistakes. We succeeded in this! There were a few small uncertainties, but also many highlights. Faustus showed himself in a great lateral appearance with an expressive trot and a really great canter tour. Super series changes were among the highlights and in a strong canter the feeling is simply indescribable.
​
I was very pleased with Faustus and our result of 74.985 percent. Our team was at the top of the podium in the end!!!
In the Special, Faustus really "took off" - the judges gave him a dream score of 10 for his strong canter! Also for the safe tempi changes, the good traversals and the beautifully placed pirouettes there were high scores. In the floodlights of Hagen, Faustus literally shone - it was great how confidently and expressively he showed himself here at his first championship. The start of the test was also top - and the trend even went towards 77 percent. Unfortunately Fausti stumbled slightly in the first passage, which led to a faulty beat. And also the second passage did not succeed as we can actually show it. But the piaffes with a lot of bending of the hanks and diligence. And on the final line again a beautiful pi-pa tour à la Fausti. In the end we received 74.802 percent, whereby the scores of the seven judges varied quite a bit from seventh to 22nd place.
I would have liked to present Faustus in the freestyle as well, but only the three best riders of a nation are allowed to compete. Nevertheless, Fausti did a great job and proved that he has everything that makes a championship horse!
Grand Prix 74,985 %
Teamgold
Grand Prix Special 74,802 %
Individual pl. 14
​
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020/21
Grand Prix 78,820 %
Team Gold
Grand Prix Special 80,608 %
Individual pl. 15
Grand Prix Freestyle 79,432 %
I could hardly put my feelings into words. Olympic team gold in Tokyo! Our second, after Rio 2016. I was so infinitely proud of Showi. Already on the warm-up arena he felt fantastic, could be ridden with very, very fine connection. He was absolutely with me and it was so much fun to present him! Piaffes, passages, pirouettes, changes ... it was pure goosebumps for me! We made a small mistake in the transition from the passage to the medium trot. That was a pity. But he was then immediately with me again. And completely concentrated also me. Simply a dream!
​
With 80.608 percent we put our team in the lead and Isabell on Bella Rose (83.298 percent) and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Dalera finally made the 14th team gold win for Germany perfect. With more than four percentage points we were ahead of the teams from the USA and Great Britain.
​
As the fourth best pair from the Special, we had naturally expected medal chances for the individual decision in the freestyle of the best 18 pairs. But it turned out to be a disappointment. We had decided before my ride that I would go for full risk. All or nothing - and then it unfortunately became "nothing". Showi was fit, very motivated and felt super relaxed. That encouraged us that risk is the right strategy. But in the end it was perhaps just that little bit too much.
What I would have wished to be able to show Showi with all his grandiose highlights in this incredible final. This so wonderful horse would have deserved it so much!
But we consoled ourselves with team gold. It was almost a miracle that I was able to take part in Tokyo at all. Due to a broken collarbone in the spring, the preparation for the Games went differently than planned and I was infinitely grateful to Showi and my team that we succeeded in making it into the German Equipe with this very few attempts. Another proof that Showi is something very, very special.
The Tokyo Olympics were postponed by one year to 2021 because of the Corona pandemic. And then they were only allowed to take place with the spectators excluded. Not only we riders, but also all other athletes regretted that very much. Another downer: the teams were only allowed to consist of three riders. There was no longer a strike result.
It was - simply indescribable! Madness!! I have already experienced some highlights in my career, but the European Championship in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was once again a new dimension: the goal of my wildest dreams and many years of training rewarded with one team gold and two individual silver medals - my first individual championship medals, by the way. And arrived in the illustrious circle of 90 percent. Thank you Showi! Thank you Gabriele! Thanks to my family and my team!
With Isabell Werth on Bella Rose, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with TSF Dalera BB and Sönke Rothenberger on Cosmo, the gold team of the WEG 2018 in Tryon / USA now competed in the continental test of strength. Only I didn't have Sammy with me this time, but my Olympic champion Showi. He had already shown at the CHIO in Aachen with our new personal record of 89.660 percent that he has matured incredibly and has become even more stable.
In the Grand Prix Showi was a bit nervous at first. But as he went on, he focused more and more, and ended up with a 9.9 for the last passage. The final line was just wonderful. We contributed 80.233 percent to the team result - and thus contributed our part to the 24th German triumph in an EM Nations Cup (ahead of the Dutch and the Swedes). It was also the sixth team gold medal under the aegis of the national coaching team Monica Theodorescu and Jonny Hilberath.
European Championships Rotterdam/NED
2019
After the special I really couldn't find the words. I never thought for a moment whether I would be first or second. I just enjoyed the ride. It felt like we were flying. I only lost my stirrup in the single changes. Maybe I have to practice a bit on the lunge with Monica again ... I have been training Showi for ten years and I am so infinitely happy and grateful that we were able to walk this path together.
The single silver just behind Isabell in the special (85.456 percent) was then added to the single silver in the freestyle. 90.561 percent - at this point just five other couples have ever done that. A total of 58 times within the tournament there was a 10 for Showis passage.
In the end I had three medals hanging around my neck and really had to pinch myself if I was just dreaming about all of this. I can hardly put my thanks to everyone who made this success possible: Thank you, all of you !!!
Team Gold
Grand Prix 80,233 % (2. Pl.)
Individual Silver
Grand Prix Special 85,456 %
​
Individual Silver
Grand Prix Freestyle 90,561 %
