Horsing Around
International dressage champion Jessica von Bredow-werndl recently joined the Richard Mille family as its latest ambassador. The passionate German equestrian tells Karishma Tulsidas why the Swiss watchmaker’s timepieces are perfect for the sport
Jessica von bredow-werndl was four years old when she rode her first pony. It was love at first gallop, and she begged her mother to allow her to ride every week. Four years later, she already knew that one day, she would be competing in the Olympics as a dressage star. While the 31-year-old’s Olympic dream has not been realised yet, the German equestrian has consistently been ranked in the top three at major dressage tournaments around the world. It wasn’t always the case. While she was wildly successful as a junior rider, winning gold at major European championships, she was unable to win any tournaments for the five years after she turned 21, as she had no horse of her own. “I had to learn how to bring the horses up to Grand Prix level. It was a tough, but healthy time as I had to learn how to do it myself, develop a relationship with the horses and train them. Training takes about eight to 10 years—you can imagine how many more years it takes to teach them how to move, to lift their legs, to pirouette,” says von Bredow-werndl. This challenging period prompted the equestrian and her brother Benjamin Werndl to start their own stable that would allow them to train horses from young and build them up to championship level. The Dressage Centre Aubenhausen, located near Munich in Germany, trains horses to Grand Prix level and also offers riding classes. Von BredowWerndl’s mum is in charge of a riding therapy programme, where the older horses, which are retired but still miss the human touch and are typically gentler, are used to help the disabled with their emotional progress. This centre was borne out of a need for the siblings to finance their passion, but they are very particular about whom they eventually sell the horses to. “I feel very responsible for the horses because we really build a relationship with them,” says von Bredow-werndl. The dressage rider is clearly passionate about the animals, but what about the bad rep the sport has gotten over the years with allegations of animal cruelty? I bring up the “blue-tongue scandal” where Swedish rider Patrik Kittel’s warm-up exercises at the 2012 Olympics were deemed “cruel”. Von Bredow-werndl says, “I think you have black sheep everywhere in the world, in every sport, in every family. Most riders, 95 per cent of them, are horse-loving and try their best for the horses and want them to be happy. I only want to train with happy horses. That’s my absolute number one priority. I want my horses to go out in the field every day, and not be locked in a stable. It’s so important that they’re not used as sports machines, and we have to be responsible for giving them a good life.”
EQUESTRIAN GRACE
Von Bredow-werndl likens her passion for horses to Richard Mille’s passion for watchmaking. She was recently named an ambassador of the Swiss watchmaker, and is the third female athlete to be part of the Richard Mille family, alongside golfers Diana Luna and Cristie Kerr.
“The strange thing is that everyone can tell you that wearing a Richard Mille watch is special, but you won’t believe it until you wear one, because it’s just so comfortable”
“It might seem too boring to say that I’m honoured [to be part of the Richard Mille family], but that’s how I feel,” says the beautiful blonde, who’s pregnant with her first child. “It’s not just a matter of prestige. It’s really like a family; they’re all very warmhearted, nice, down-to-earth people. Everyone I’ve met is passionate and inspiring.” She currently wears the RM 007 Chronograph in titanium when competing, as it is ultralight. “The strange thing is that everyone can tell you that wearing a Richard Mille watch is special, but you won’t believe it until you wear one, because it’s just so comfortable. I need to wear a watch for dressage, especially for the prepping stage before the competition as the timing is very precise, but the watch has to be light as you want to have absolutely equal influence on the reins. You don’t want one hand that’s heavier,” she shares. Time will tell whether we will see the watchmaker and the dressage champion work together to create a watch, like what Richard Mille has done with tennis star Rafael Nadal and actress Michelle Yeoh, but for now, both are pursuing their individual pursuits of perfection. Says von Bredow-werndl, “I strive for the perfect dance, while Richard strives for the perfect timepiece. We never stop.”