Becky admitted she was disappointed with her 74.83% in the grand prix, which left her eighth – a sign of how high her standards have become in such a short time. Even as she spoke to the press afterwards, her focus had already shifted to what she could improve for the special.
She followed championship debutante Katharina Hemmer, who overtook the provisional lead from Lottie Fry and Glamourdale with a personal best 78.68%. Katharina’s ride was so impressive that it left both her and German team coach Monica Theodorescu wiping away tears.
Looking determined to respond, Becky opened with another of the halts she and Jagerbomb have been working on – square, secure and setting the tone.
This time, she kept more power flowing into the trot work, and the pair were exceptional in the piaffe and passage, especially in the transitions between the two. For much of the test, they were tracking Katharina’s score in the grand prix special at the European Dressage Championships.
“Loads better than the grand prix,” Becky reflected. “He took me a little bit by surprise the other day because I expected him to be hotter than he was. Today he’d had a very chilled day – maybe a bit more feed – and he had a bit more go, which made life easier.”
Their walk section averaged a touch under sevens, pulling the marks down slightly. After a mistake in yesterday’s extended canter, when Jagerbomb popped in an unscheduled flying change, Becky rode it more conservatively today.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“The piaffe wasn’t his best, the passage was okay, but I had to help him a bit, and I was tentative in the extended canter after yesterday,” she explained. “So to get that mark knowing there are more marks still in there – I’m pleased with that.”
European Dressage Championships: Becky Moody nails the special
But, in Isabell Werth-like fashion, she nailed the final movements, picking up eights and nines to finish just 0.7% off her personal best.
“What I’m going to keep striving for is that I can get that ultimate energy that makes everything else feel easy – but still keep his mind relaxed enough that he’s happy to just say, ‘okay, we halt here’ and do it,” Becky added. “We’re still a work in progress, and probably will be for years to come.”
Reflecting on her rapid rise since making her championship debut in Paris last year, Becky said: “I love the feeling that I haven’t yet got that mark, knowing it was the best test I could ever do. I know there’s so much more to come.”
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
