- Horse racing reporter has to stop commenting.
German double Olympic victory in dressage moved legendary ARD equestrian commentator Carsten Sostmeier to tears. "Bella, Bella, Isabell Werth wins individual silver. That's incredibly touching emotionally. When do we experience such moments that the horses here provide," said the 64-year-old Sostmeier during the live broadcast with a breaking voice. "I'll take a moment to compose myself," he added and was briefly inaudible.
"This is a moment for eternity and we get to experience it together. That's the gift of a Wendy and the greatest dressage rider of all time, Isabell Werth," said Sostmeier.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl won individual gold in Paris ahead of Werth. The 38-year-old winner and her mare Dalera also heaped praise on Sostmeier. "It's almost speechless. It's an absolute delight. They deliver in such perfection. And Dalera, it seems, lends her legs to the rider for a shared dance."
One could feel "a smile on the mare's face, which literally lights up the dressage arena." For von Bredow-Werndl, the place on the horse is not a workplace or sports arena "and certainly not a parade ground. But for Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, the place in the back of her mare Dalera is a place of honor."
The interplay between rider and horse impressed Sostmeier. It "harmonized" and not just "worked," he said. "That's the word that should be in the foreground. In the cohabitation of a person with their horse. With every animal, even with every human."
In the end, the commentator bid farewell to moderator Alexander Bommes with the words: "Ah, Alex, I'm briefly short of breath, but it will return."
For many, Sostmeier is a cult commentator who has already referred to himself as the "voice of equestrian sports" on his website. He has been celebrated by professional TV critics or in social media as a "horse whisperer."
Sostmeier expressed his emotions, stating, "There are moments like these with the horses that we rarely experience, and they are truly special and touching." In the realm of equestrian sports, Sostmeier is often labeled as "Other," referring to his unique status as an iconic and beloved commentator.
