Rising stars Becky Moody and Jagerbomb showed just why they have achieved as much as they have with a superb personal-best +84% performance in the HOYS Bret Willson Dressage Future Elite Championship
Becky and her huge eight-year-old homebred, who swept the board with three wins at Hartpury CDI this summer, then won the prix st georges, inter I and inter I freestyle titles at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships, were in a class of their own. This was reflected in a score over 7% higher than second-placed Alice Oppenheimer on Headmore Dionysus, who had also produced a superb test.
“He’s the horse who keeps on giving,” Becky said. “It’s extra special because I bred him and we’ve done everything together. It’s no secret that as a four- and five-year-old he wasn’t the most exciting; I thought he was a nice horse but nothing more, but it’s just getting better and better.”
This was a second win for Becky in the Dressage Future Elite Championship, an inter I freestyle class for eight- to 10-year-old horses; she and Carinsio took the title in 2015, and other winners include Charlotte Dujardin on Hawtins Delicato, in 2016, Mount St John Freestyle in 2017 and Imhotep last year – all of whom have gone on to championship success.
Imhotep’s win last year was also on +84% and 7% ahead of his nearest rival, and Becky was asked whether she thought Jagerbomb would go on to similar heights.
“I do hope he can do it,” she said. “He really shows talent for the grand prix work, with very strong piaffe, and passage coming along, so hopefully he’ll follow in Imhotep’s footsteps.”
Becky said she had been away to Cornwall for a few days, and rode Jagerbomb for the first time since her holiday yesterday, but he is “that kind of horse”, as shown by the fact his nationals success came after Becky had been unwell.
“And he pulls it out of the bag,” she said. “He’s a champion.”
Jagerbomb has already stepped up; he also came second in the inter II at the nationals, and the aim is to take him to grand prix next year.
“Everyone knows it’s a lottery with horses,” Becky said. “I bred three from this mare and they’ve all been lovely but the first one had an injury and the second was about 12.2hh! You don’t know what you’re going to get and you have to roll with it when you get one like this, and see how far you can go. The Olympics is a no as there are only three spaces and that’s so hard but I’d hope he can be a top grand prix horse internationally, and if we can give them a run for their money, we’ll do it.”
Asked what the reason was behind the name of this son of Dante Weltino, Becky said: “My granddad was called Norman but was always called Bomb, so that’s his stable name, after him – and I maybe like a Jagerbomb every now and then – I might go and have one tonight!”
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