Isabell Werth, an undisputed icon, has been defining the codes of dressage for over 30 years. 

Remember, she won for the umpteenth time at Equita Lyon during the dressage world cup, a few weeks ago. With her experience at the highest level and her numerous victories (more than 250 since 2010!), Isabell Werth shares a vision of riding based on building a partnership with her mount. As humble as she has been as a medalist, this amazon has made more than one square light up. Equestrian News offers you 10 facts about Isabell Werth.

Isabell Werth is 4th in the world in dressage.

Behind Catherine Dufour and Charlotte Dujardin, Isabell Werth is ranked 4th out of 779 riders with her winning partner, Weihegold OLD. But her talent doesn’t stop there, as the rider manages to place three more times in the world top 10! She also placed 5th with DSP Quantaz, 7th place with her mare Bella Rose 2 and 10th place with the incredible Emilio 107. Enough to make everyone take notice.

Isabell Werth is the most successful dressage rider in the world.

What if we told you that since 2010, Isabell Werth has won more than half of the competitions she has entered? More than a performance, it’s a real lesson in horsemanship that she offers us at each entry. With her twelve Olympic medals (seven of which are gold), her twelve European championship titles, her six world championship titles and her eight German championship titles, one has to wonder if there is still room on her trophy shelves.

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Isabell always travels with her horses.

Isabell Werth is an equestrian role model for many. Her vision of riding is based on creating a strong partnership with her horses and this requires absolute dedication. It is not easy to create a bond with a horse, but this German rider has always made it her priority, she confides: “My relationships are very close and full of emotion“.

That’s why she insists, whenever possible, on traveling with her companions in the cargo hold of airplanes, an unprecedented involvement.

Satchmo, her second Olympic horse, was her greatest challenge

“This horse has taught me humility,” she says. This big bay with a strong character has been the biggest challenge of her sporting career. Supple, elegant and airy, Satchmo could “explode” at any second. He did not attend the dressage competition at the World Championships in Aachen because he was described as dangerous by those around him. 

Isabell W. fought for the little horse, discovering an eye problem, which she immediately had treated. Four months after the operation, she broke the world record of 79.958% at the Grand Prix in Stuttgart. This is such great proof of listening and love from the rider.

Isabell is nicknamed The Dressage Queen by the FEI.

The title speaks for itself. When the International Equestrian Federation calls you The Dressage Queen, it means you have nothing to prove. On our side, apart from Reine de la Georgette, we cannot claim a better title…

Apart from riding, Isabell enjoys tennis and F1 races. In her free time, she likes to spend time watching tennis or even F1 circuits: “You learn a lot from other sports, and racing has always fascinated me!”

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Her mantra: “Success is the end of a long road.” It is the result of hard work and cooperation with the horses. It can be the first foot change or the little things in daily training that suddenly work.”

Isabell Werth published her first autobiography in 2018.

Just like great riders such as Pablo Hermoso or Michel Robert, Isabell Werth published an autobiography in 2018. From its German name ‘Vier Beine tragen meine Seele’ which can be translated as “4 legs carry my soul” (poetic, isn’t it), the book traces the life of the Olympic champion and her four-legged friends. 

Known for her outspokenness, Isabell Werth gives in this autobiography all her thoughts and opinions on the world of competitions, especially regarding the end of the career of the great horse Totilas.

Her first Olympic horse was called Gigolo.

There you go, that’s really funny, isn’t it? Joking aside, it was impossible to do a article on Isabell Werth without talking about Gigolo FRH. The German rider became famous thanks to her career with this little chestnut horse. Sporting partners for 10 years, Gigolo ended his days with Isabell. 

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She paid tribute to him in 2009: “Gigolo was the most successful sport horse of all time. Beyond the sport, he had a decisive impact on my life, and I look back on the years spent with him with great gratitude. I am sure he will be remembered by many.”

Paris 2024 will be her 7th and last Olympic participation.

After 30 years of competitive sports, Isabell Werth announced at the end of the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020 that Paris 2024 would signal for her the end of her sports career, if she is sent by her nation to participate. She says she does not want to compete after the age of 60 years. At 55 years old in 2024 and after 7 Olympic participations, the first of which was in 1992 (how many of you were not yet born?), we can only wish good luck to such a great lady.

We will undoubtedly remember her incredible performances as well as the duos she performed with, the greatest of dressage horses.

Isabell Werth’s devotion to her horses proves once again that by listening to our horse, we can lift mountains. We can only thank her for the moments of sport she continues to offer us.