Jessica von Bredow-Werndl

A Successful Duo of Siblings

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl is the double Olympic Champion of Tokyo 2021 and one of the best dressage riders in the world. Together with her brother Benjamin Werndl, they run the successful dressage and training stable, Gut Aubenhausen, located in the Alpine foothills of Rosenheim, Germany. Formerly known as Lewitzer Pony Stud and run by their Aunty, this is where Jessica and Benjamin first started riding on little skewbald ponies. Benjamin Werndl’s first pony was a little mare named Lady and Jessica Werndl rode Little Girl. It was on this pony that Jessica was first “discovered”, when trainer Stefan Münch noticed how beautifully she sat on a horse. He then coached Jessica and Benjamin up to Grand Prix level.

As junior and young riders both were very successful: Jessica Werndl, as she was then known, won six gold medals at European Championships and Benjamin Werndl collected three team gold medals and one individual silver as a young rider. Today Jessica and Benjamin are both on the German Olympic Squad.

Their Holistic Approach in Training

“Always for the horse” is their motto. They not only attach importance to the correct training of the horse but always pay attention to their physical and mental well-being. Daily turnout, feeding and management of the horse are carefully planned and adjusted to the need of their four-legged partners.

“We want to ride motivated horses. The goal is to be able to explain how the horses can best use their bodies so the movements we want them to learn, is easy for them. It is therefore important to treat each horse as an individual, each horse has his own character and is put together differently. By focusing on the strengths of the horse we develop his weak points. Horses want to do the right thing, therefore when they do something wrong it is usually because they have not understood what we want. Then the rider needs to take a moment and ask themselves: maybe I didn’t explain it correctly?”

Additionally to the holistic approach to the training of their horses, the siblings pay close attention to their own fitness and mental state of mind. By means of fitness workouts, yoga training and mental support they ensure that they are as fit and optimally prepared for competition as they expect their horses to be.