Becky Moody untouchable in inter I freestyle at British Dressage Winter Championships
On Saturday's gala night, Becky Moody stole the show for a second time with Carinsio, and there were more dual winners on the fourth day of the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships
On the penultimate day of competition at the British Dressage NAF Five Star Winter Championships, Becky Moody once again claimed the winner’s rug and sash with her rising star Carinsio. The Painted Black eight-year-old topped the showcase class, the Superflex intermediate I freestyle, with over 79%.
“It was a brilliant atmosphere and I really felt like the crowd were behind me,” said Becky, who survived some patches of misbehaviour in the prize-giving (see video).
Her floorplan flowed beautifully, despite being set to the same music as her prix st georges test on Julie Lockey’s powerhouse.
The Eilberg siblings snapped at Becky’s heels, with Michael (Fuerst Sinclair) in second with 74.54% and Maria in third on Royal Concert with over 73%.
Alice Oppenheimer had a peachy day. She took the top spot in the Charles Owen advanced medium championship with Georgie Pole-Carew’s Tantoni Sir Soccrates (73.77%) and scooped second in the Spillers medium open freestyle on the home-bred Headmore Wrubinstar.
“Soccs makes it so easy for me,” said Hampshire-based Alice of the Sir Donnerhall eight-year-old gelding.
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Another prolific competitor – Suzanne Lavandera – scooped the open medium freestyle ahead of Alice with a difficult routine on her nine-year-old stallion Keystone Diaggio.
The beautiful 17.1hh Dimaggio son posted 75.5%, garnering particular praise for his canter half-passes.
“He’s quite electric,” she said, “but he finds all the lateral work so easy.”
Yesterday’s novice winner Jade Whitelaw added to her haul by winning the KBIS prelim class in fine style. The Scottish teen and her horse Dauphin III were rewarded with 72.56% for a harmonious test in a class where all the top three scored over 72%.
Petplan Equine Arena Festival final classes
In the Petplan final, Emma Leech won the medium open with 69.14% riding six-year-old Warrior II, a 16.1hh gelding by the Pincus family’s Sheepcote Wurlitzer.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s a complete shock,” said Emma. “It means a lot to my mother, Dedi, as she bred him, he is the first of our breeding programme.
In her biggest show to date, Rebekah White claimed the novice restricted final title scoring 70.65%.
She rode Shirley Errington’s eight-year-old Lord Robin, a 16.1hh black gelding by Loxley.
“In the first test something spooked him so the second time I tried to keep him more chilled out,” said Rebekah who is head girl to Hannah Biggs.
“She [Hannah] stayed all day today. I was really nervous until she arrived.”
The pair will competing in tomorrow’s prelim championship.
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.