Jessica von Bredow-Werndl is one of the most successful dressage riders of all time. For 41 months, she was the World No.1, adding four Olympic gold medals, two World Cup titles and six European Championship medals to an already remarkable record at the very top of the sport. Yet what struck me throughout our conversation was how much of that success she traces back to the work she has done on herself.
In Episode 16 of Inside the Mind, Jessica speaks openly about a time when she lacked confidence and began to recognise how directly her inner state affected her horses. “I wasn’t confident, so I couldn’t give confidence to my horses.” It led to an understanding that still shapes the way she rides today: “My horses mirror me.”
That awareness changed her relationship with fear, too. Rather than ignoring it or trying to push it away, Jessica has learned to listen to it. To notice what her body is telling her, accept what she is feeling and bring herself back into the present. Because connecting with yourself doesn’t mean you stop experiencing fear. It means fear no longer has to control you.
And perhaps that is why letting go has become such an important part of her philosophy. Letting go, for Jessica, means trusting the process. Training smart rather than simply training hard. Giving her best without trying to control everything. And with her horses, choosing to convince rather than force – allowing them to make mistakes, listening to what they need and creating a partnership that comes from both sides.
What I loved most about this conversation is the reminder that even at the very top, the inner work never ends. The more deeply we understand ourselves, the more clearly we can listen to our horses.
