Times Kismet, or “Kiss” as the mare is called in Aubenhausen, has only competed once at three-star level. The delicate KWPN mare had won Intermediaire A and Intermediaire II at Gut Ising. The Ampere daughter made her Grand Prix debut yesterday in Ornago, north-east of Milan. A lot of things went well, but some things also went completely wrong.

Focused on the task at hand

It was a completely different picture today. The Grand Prix Special is energy-sapping with its many tempi changes in the first third of the test. It is also a mental exercise – collected trot, strong trot, passages, many transitions. The pair from Aubenhausen mastered this part well, scoring 16 eights from the panel of judges. A perfect start.

When parrying through to walk, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl praised her horse with both hands. Kismet relaxed and continued in walk towards the first piaffe. This is required in the Grand Prix Special from a collected walk. The mare started well, swerved a little after about half of the required paces, but returned to a steady walk.

In the second piaffe, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, who completed the entire test with minimal contact, clearly relieved the Dutch mare’s back. The filigree eleven-year-old thanked her for this, finding balance and rhythm and taking on considerably more weight than in the first piaffe. When in doubt, let go seemed to be the Olympic champion’s motto. In this way, the pair showed quite straight double and single changes. At the end of the second pirouette, the mare lost her balance a little and came low in the neck, but jumped the lesson safely to the end. The transition from canter to trot was a little bumpy, but the passage on the last line was expressive, light-footed and secure in time.

With 73.234 percent, it was a clear victory for the pair from Aubenhausen. Australia’s Simone Pearce came second with Will Marq (70.277) ahead of Switzerland’s Charlotte Lenherr with Dettori (69.0).

Results of the CDI3* Grand Prix Special Ornago 2026

Another mare

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl brought the mare Zieta to the start in the Small Tour. The daughter of the stallion Zalando by Zack, who was successful up to three-star level, was often in the limelight as a young horse. Bred by Ilka Zimmer in Trochtelfingen, the bay mare was Champion Mare in Baden-Württemberg and DSP Vice Champion. She was a finalist at the Bundeschampionat under Nicola Haug. Stallion owner Thomas Casper discovered her at the Riedlingen foal market, which is why she bears the official name Birkhof’s Zieta.

In 2022, she moved to the family in Aubenhausen. Benjamin Werndl initially rode the mare. Last year, “Jessi” then took over the reins. After two competitions in 2025, a medium (M**) and an advanced (S*) level dressage test, the pair made their international debut in Ornago. And it was a perfect success! The mare did her rounds unimpressed by the rain. The pair still have some work to do on their contact. But with a score of 74.412 percent, she finished well ahead of Clara Newin and La Belle Noire by Dante Weltino (71.275) on an all-German podium. Third place went to Yara Reichert with the recovered Skyline to B (70.294).