'It's all about trust'

Dalera does it again, while Lottie Fry boosts Britain's medal tally

NIGHT and day. That was the contrast between Dalera’s slightly ragged special that scraped Germany into team gold the previous night, and the final day’s delightful freestyle.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera’s mark of 90.09% was shy of the 92.82% they scored at last year’s Europeans, but it was their fightback to defend their Olympic title after being headed for the first time in three years that so impressed.

As Jessica stepped up to the top of the podium, the tears rolled unchecked down her face, the strain of delivering victory in the twilight of this glorious partnership plain for the world to see.

“I’m overwhelmed and exhausted, I’ve cried too much!” said Jessica, admitting that the pressure of playing Germany’s anchorman had messed with her mind in the special.

“Today I woke up and thought, ‘It’s all about trust.’

She is enough, I am enough and together we can do it. It was all about love, joy and trust because we have proved so often we can do it, so I didn’t need to fix anything.”

There was a sense of the changing guard as Jessica’s compatriot Isabell Werth fell less than 0.5% short of gold with Wendy. This mare is seven years Dalera’s junior, and with a partnership of a few months compared to nine years. Their freestyle score of 89.61% was their third personal best of the Games.

“I had goosebumps,” said Isabell.

“She felt really confident, and at her age, that is so special.”

There was a fierce tussle for bronze with three riders on plus-88%, but Britain’s Lottie Fry squeaked ahead, with 88.97%. Cradling her medal afterwards, Lottie said the “prize-giving was insane”.

“That feeling going around with Jessica and Isabell, two idols and huge inspirations in our sport, was incredible,” she said. “I knew Glamourdale was capable but to pull it off makes me so proud.”