Becky Moody

The dressage rider reflects on her bumper year and tells Polly Bryan how guiding her current grand prix star to success has proved a revelation for her as well

IF ever there was a horse to prove that temperament trumps all, it’s Jagerbomb. The international grand prix ride of Becky Moody boasts prestigious breeding; the home-bred gelding is by the championship stallion Dante Weltino, and out of Udysee, a Jazz mare Becky trained up to grand prix. Yet, it took time for Jagerbomb to convince Becky he had what it takes to reach the upper echelons of the dressage world.

“I never thought he would end up being my top horse,” admits Becky, 43. “As a youngster, he didn’t articulate his joints very well, and didn’t have mega movement. He was a bit straight in the leg and lacked energy and sharpness. But he has let me create it.”

And that’s why, at the age of just nine, “Bomb” has emerged as one of the country’s most exciting team prospects. He and Becky were selected as reserves for this year’s European Dressage Championships team – an achievement Becky describes as “simply insane”. And while he and Becky’s stand-in services were not called upon, you can bet Bomb would have risen to the challenge with the same aplomb with which he’s tackled the season.

Having only made his grand prix debut in February, Bomb already has two national and two international grand prix wins to his name, with freestyle scores of almost 80%. Becky says it comes down to his “epic work ethic”.

I wonder whether there was ever a eureka moment, when Bomb’s brilliance suddenly became apparent. Not really, as it turns out, although his winning the seven-yearold national title in 2021 cemented his potential in Becky’s mind. She explains that as a six-year-old he started to show ability for piaffe and passage, and she was quietly hopeful about his prospects.