Corona Times: Hit & Run with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl

Interviews

Hit & Run

In corona times we are all ordered to stay at home, self quarantine, and do social distancing. With more time on your hands to spend online, Eurodressage launches a "Hit & Run" interview series so that you get to know the world's most famous dressage riders and personalities more closely.

German Grand Prix rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was the 2002 European Junior Champion and 2004 European Young Riders Champion on Bonito Gold. Her big break through at senior level came with Unee BB. She first represented Germany at the 2015 European Dressage Championships in Aachen, where she won team gold. Unee also took her to three third places in the World Cup Finals (2015, 2016, 2018). She returned on the team with Dalera BB at the 2018 World Equestrian Games (team gold) and at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam, where she bagged team gold and kur bronze.

Hit & Run - Jessica von Bredow-Werndl

What is your earliest memory?

My whole nursery was full of animal posters and was already crazy about horses and stopped eating meat at the age of four

Which person alive do you admire the most and why?

I admire many great personalities- most of them are very reflected and on a spiritual path

When were you the happiest?

Probably the moment after I became a mother

What is your biggest fear?

Losing someone I love

What was your first thought today?

I did a weather check and gratitude for the new day

What is your most annoying character trait?

You should ask my husband - he´s not around right now

Which trait do you dislike the most in other people?

When someone treats animals badly

What is your dearest possession?

I cannot posses the people I love most. There is nothing more important to me than my family and the animals around me

If you look into the future, what do you see?

I hope that this Corona time will be realized as a wake up call to rethink our behavior and to protect the environment and animals

What makes you unhappy?

Dishonesty

What is the love of your life?

My husband and son

What was the best choice you ever took in life?

To give my professional riding career one more chance, when I was 25. I had nearly stopped riding (professionally) as I had been extremely unsuccessful for more than 5 years at this time.

What's your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate

What do you owe your parents?

Respect and gratitude for all they have done for me

Who can sit next to you at your dream dinner table?

My husband & my best friends & my whole family

What was the worst job you ever did?

Toilet cleaning (sometimes) and writing cleaning schedules for the gym I ran running for two years, but this was a tiny bad part of a cool job in general.

What was your biggest disappointment in life?

There are no mistakes/disappointments, only lessons

What would you change if you can go back into the past?

I think all the experiences were important for me to become the person I am

Name one thing that would improve your quality of life?

To know when the competitions start again

What is your biggest achievement?

Running our beautiful yard together with my brother

What is the most important life lesson you have learnt?

Do what you can, there where you are, with what you have, as good as you can

Where would you like to be right now?

Here, exactly where I am

What's your favourite scent?

Hermès scents

Which character would you dress up in for Halloween?

I don´t like dressing up for Halloween

To whom would you like to say sorry?

I actually always apologize very soon if I am wrong

What does love feel like for you?

Getting hugs and kisses from my son, whispering „I lieb di“ which means „I love you"

When are you most relaxed?

In Shavasana

What super power would you like to have?

The power to heal (but there is a little power to heal in everyone of us- most of us just don’t have/find the access to it)

When did you last cry, and why?

When we had to put down our beloved dog after 18 years

When were you closest to death?

At the age of 24. I nearly died by drowning

How do you want to be remembered?

As a loving mother, wife, an activist for animal rights and Olympic Champion