# Isabell Werth

Isabell Werth (born 21 July 1969 in Issum) is a German equestrian who has competed in dressage at seven Olympic Games —1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2016, 2020, 2024— winning the gold medal in the team event in all seven, and one gold and six silver medals in the individual event. She stands alone in having medals from seven Olympics, or across a span of 32 years; her 14 medals are the most for any German or equestrian. She also has numerous titles in the World and European Championships and World Cups.

## Career

Werth rode Gigolo, owned by Uwe Schulten-Baumer, her coach from 1986 to 2001. On Gigolo, she won all her championships between 1992 and 2000, save for the 1999 European Championships in Arnheim, where she rode Anthony FRH. In 2006, she started riding Warum Nicht FRH at the international level and with him won the 2007 World Cup in Las Vegas. Warum Nicht retired in 2012. Werth competed at the Olympic Games with Satchmo, who subsequently retired in November 2011. In 2010, Werth started riding El Santo at the international level until the horse was transferred in 2016 to Spanish rider José Antonio Garcia Mena.
In 2016, Werth secured the ride on Weihegold Old, with whom she won the team gold medal and a silver medal in the Individual Dressage at the Rio Olympics.
In July 2024, she was named to the German dressage team for the Paris Olympic games with Wendy. It will be her seventh Olympic games.

## Controversies

On 24 June 2009, the forbidden substance fluphenazine was found in the A-sample from Werth's horse Whisper at a Whitsun tournament at Wiesbaden. She was suspended from all tournaments by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). On 2 September 2009, the suspension was set by the FEI to six months from 23 June.
Werth subsequently stated that the drug was given to the horse to treat equine shivers—mainly for the safety of the horse's handlers—and that she does not believe the drug influences a horse's ability to compete. She apologized for the positive result. The German Federation requested doubling Werth's suspension to one year as they considered the positive result to be intentional. Fluphenazine is not a medication approved for animal use in Germany.
In 2013, Werth was banned from competing once again after her mount El Santo was found to test positive for a prohibited medication, cimetidine at a competition in 2012.
In 2022, Werth was eliminated from the CHIO Aachen after blood appeared on her horse during the competition.

## Computer game

In 2007, a PC Game was released called "Isabell Werth – Reitsport". Made by French company Dancing Dots / German publisher Frogster Interactive, it is an Equestrian Simulation with 3-day Eventing, Show Jumping and Cross-Country Riding. Isabell Werth takes a part as an on-screen trainer, giving advice and pointers on how to ride and handle horses during training and eventing. Now out of print, the original websites can be seen at the Internet Archive Wayback machine, and the game itself is now available at Big Fish Games retitled – "Ride! Equestrian Simulation", with a French-man replacing Isabell as the trainer. Isabell's game character file is still in the data structure of the game, and using a patch still available, the game executable can be overwritten, converting it to the original German version, except for the German instructional audio which is missing.

## International championship results

Results :
| Year | Event | Horse | Score | Placing | Notes |
| 1989 | European Championships | Weingart | | 13th | Individual |
| 1991 | European Championships | Gigolo FRH | | | Team |
| 1991 | European Championships | Gigolo FRH | | | Individual |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Team |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Individual |
| 1993 | European Championships | Gigolo FRH | | | Team |
| 1993 | European Championships | Gigolo FRH | | | Individual |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Team |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Individual |
| 1998 | World Equestrian Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Team |
| 1998 | World Equestrian Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Individual |
| 1999 | European Championships | Antony FRH | | | Team |
| 1999 | European Championships | Antony FRH | | 16th | Individual |
| 2000 | World Cup Final | Antony FRH | | 4th | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Team |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Gigolo FRH | | | Individual |
| 2001 | World Cup Final | Antony FRH | | | |
| 2001 | European Championships | Antony FRH | | | Team |
| 2001 | European Championships | Antony FRH | | 16th | Individual |
| 2002 | World Cup Final | Antony FRH | | 5th | |
| 2003 | World Cup Final | Antony FRH | | 4th | |
| 2003 | European Championships | Satchmo 78 | | 17th | Individual |
| 2004 | World Cup Final | Apache OLD | | 9th | |
| 2006 | World Cup Final | Warum Nicht FRH | | | |
| 2006 | World Equestrian Games | Satchmo 78 | | | Team |
| 2006 | World Equestrian Games | Satchmo 78 | | | Individual Special |
| 2006 | World Equestrian Games | Satchmo 78 | | | Individual Freestyle |
| 2007 | World Cup Final | Warum Nicht FRH | 84.250% | | |
| 2007 | European Championships | Satchmo 78 | 76.750% | | Team |
| 2007 | European Championships | Satchmo 78 | 78.360% | | Individual Special |
| 2007 | European Championships | Satchmo 78 | 83.200% | | Individual Freestyle |
| 2008 | World Cup Final | Warum Nicht FRH | 82.600% | | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Satchmo 78 | 76.417% | | Team |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Satchmo 78 | 78.100% | | Individual |
| 2009 | World Cup Final | Satchmo 78 | 84.500% | | |
| 2010 | World Cup Final | Warum Nicht FRH | 79.750% | 4th | |
| 2010 | World Equestrian Games | Warum Nicht FRH | 75.404% | | Team |
| 2010 | World Equestrian Games | Warum Nicht FRH | 72.000% | 10th | Individual Special |
| 2010 | World Equestrian Games | Warum Nicht FRH | 80.000% | 6th | Individual Freestyle |
| 2011 | World Cup Final | Satchmo 78 | 77.143% | 5th | |
| 2011 | European Championships | El Santo NRW | 75.213% | | Team |
| 2011 | European Championships | El Santo NRW | 76.533% | 7th | Individual Special |
| 2011 | European Championships | El Santo NRW | 80.536% | 7th | Individual Freestyle |
| 2012 | World Cup Final | El Santo NRW | 79.964% | 4th | |
| 2013 | World Cup Final | Don Johnson FRH | 80.429% | 5th | |
| 2013 | European Championships | Don Johnson FRH | 75.213% | | Team |
| 2013 | European Championships | Don Johnson FRH | 71.890% | 20th | Individual Special |
| 2014 | World Cup Final | El Santo NRW | 79.089% | 5th | |
| 2014 | World Equestrian Games | Bella Rose 2 | 81.529% | | Team |
| 2014 | World Equestrian Games | Bella Rose 2 | | 31st | Individual Special |
| 2015 | World Cup Final | El Santo NRW | 77.875% | 6th | |
| 2015 | European Championships | Don Johnson FRH | 74.900% | | Team |
| 2015 | European Championships | Don Johnson FRH | 75.924% | 7th | Individual Special |
| 2015 | European Championships | Don Johnson FRH | 82.483% | 4th | Individual Freestyle |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Weihegold OLD | 80.463% | | Team |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Weihegold OLD | 89.071% | | Individual |
| 2017 | World Cup Final | Weihegold OLD | 90.704% | | |
| 2017 | European Championships | Weihegold OLD | 83.743% | | Team |
| 2017 | European Championships | Weihegold OLD | 83.613% | | Individual Special |
| 2017 | European Championships | Weihegold OLD | 90.982% | | Individual Freestyle |
| 2018 | World Cup Final | Weihegold OLD | 90.658% | | |
| 2018 | World Equestrian Games | Bella Rose 2 | 84.824% | | Team |
| 2018 | World Equestrian Games | Bella Rose 2 | 86.246% | | Individual Special |
| 2019 | World Cup Final | Weihegold OLD | 88.872% | | |
| 2019 | European Championships | Bella Rose 2 | 85.652% | | Team |
| 2019 | European Championships | Bella Rose 2 | 86.520% | | Individual Special |
| 2019 | European Championships | Bella Rose 2 | 90.875% | | Individual Freestyle |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Bella Rose 2 | 83.298% | | Team |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Bella Rose 2 | 89.657% | | Individual Freestyle |

## Notable horses

* Weingart – 1984 Chestnut Hanoverian Mare (Weinstock x Winkel)
** 1989 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual 13th Place
* Gigolo FRH – 1983 Chestnut Hanoverian Gelding (Graditz x Busoni XX)
** 1991 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal
** 1992 Barcelona Olympics – Team Gold Medal, Individual Silver Medal
** 1993 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal
** 1994 World Equestrian Games – Team Gold Medal, Individual Silver
** 1996 Atlanta Olympics – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal
** 1998 World Equestrian Games – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal
** 2000 Sydney Olympics – Team Gold Medal, Individual Silver Medal
* Antony FRH – 1986 Dark Bay Hanoverian Gelding (Argument x Wenzel I)
** 1999 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual 16th Place
** 2000 FEI World Cup Final – Fourth Place
** 2001 FEI World Cup Final – Silver Medal
** 2001 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual 16th Place
** 2002 FEI World Cup Final – Fifth Place
** 2003 FEI World Cup Final – Fourth Place
* Satchmo 78 – 1994 Dark Bay Hanoverian Gelding (São Paulo x Legat)
** 2003 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual 17th Place
** 2006 World Equestrian Games – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal, Individual Bronze Medal Freestyle
** 2007 European Championships – Team Silver Medal, Individual Gold Medal, Individual Silver Medal Freestyle
** 2008 Beijing Olympics – Team Gold Medal, Individual Silver Medal
** 2009 FEI World Cup Final – Silver Medal
** 2011 FEI World Cup Final – Fifth Place
* Apache OLD – 1993 Bay Oldenburg Gelding (Alabaster x Grundstein I)
** 2004 FEI World Cup Final – Ninth Place
* Warum Nicht FRH – 1996 Chestnut Hanoverian Gelding (Weltmeyer x Wenzel I)
** 2006 FEI World Cup Final – Silver Medal
** 2007 FEI World Cup Final – Gold Medal
** 2008 FEI World Cup Final – Silver Medal
** 2010 FEI World Cup Final – Fourth Place
** 2010 World Equestrian Games – Team Bronze Medal, Individual Tenth Place, Individual Sixth Place Freestyle
* El Santo NRW – 2001 Bay Rheinlander Gelding (Ehrentusch x Rythmus)
** 2011 European Championships – Team Silver Medal, Individual Seventh Place, Individual Seventh Place Freestyle
** 2012 FEI World Cup Final – Fourth Place
** 2014 FEI World Cup Final – Fifth Place
** 2015 FEI World Cup Final – Sixth Place
* Don Johnson FRH – 2001 Bay Hanoverian Gelding (Don Frederico x Warkant)
** 2013 FEI World Cup Final – Fifth Place
** 2013 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual 20th Place
** 2015 European Championships – Team Bronze Medal, Individual Seventh Place, Individual Fourth Place Freestyle
* Bella Rose 2 – 2004 Chestnut Westfalen Mare (Belissimo x Cacir AA)
** 2014 World Equestrian Games – Team Gold Medal
** 2018 World Equestrian Games – Team Gold Medal, Special Gold Medal
** 2019 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Special Gold Medal, Freestyle Gold Medal
* Weihegold OLD – 2005 Black Oldenburg Mare (Don Schufro x Sandro Hit)
** 2016 Rio Olympics – Team Gold Medal, Individual Silver Medal
** 2017 FEI World Cup Final – Gold Medal
** 2017 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal Freestyle
** 2018 FEI World Cup Final – Gold Medal
** 2019 FEI World Cup Final – Gold Medal