For Becky Moody, the Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals in Fort Worth, Texas (USA) gave her a week of "firsts." She competed in her first North American competition. Her horse Jagerbomb took his first transcontinental flight. And in her World Cup Finals debut, first was where she ultimately finished.
After topping the Grand Prix Thursday, Moody and her homebred partner positively brought down the house Saturday night at Dickies Arena in the Grand Prix Freestyle, scoring a personal best 88.330% to convincingly earn the World Cup title. Christian Simonson (USA) and Indian Rock finished second on a score of 83.810%, followed by Sandra Sysojeva (POL) and Maxima Bella (80.770%).
“I’ve never ridden in an arena like that,” Moody said. “It’s just insane to be part of such a cool competition. The crowd here was absolutely something else. To be sat here with these [riders] is just fantastic. I think all of our horses are complete and utter diamonds.”
To describe the crowd as exuberant would have been an understatement. In true Texas fashion, the fans ‘hooted and hollered’ with every bold line of extended trot and recognizable piece of music showcase in the choreography. At the end of the tests, those in their seats were repeatedly brought to their feet, as they gave deserving pairs standing ovations. Several horses reacted to the noise, but the riders encouraged the enthusiasm, motioning to the crowd and pointing down to give credit to their horses. The mood was celebratory from start to finish, though tears were certainly shed when Morgan Barbancon (FRA) shared after her test that it would be her final competitive ride with the wonderful 20-year-old Sir Donnerhall II OLD, who will be retiring from sport.
“At the end of my test, looking up and seeing this wall of people standing up, applauding ‘Rocky’ and me was super special,” Simonson said. “It’s something I’ll never forget. And he’s such a special horse. He deserves every amount of praise.”
A hero’s journey
After 22-year-old Raphael Netz (GER) held the lead for much of the competition, the final five riders shook up the leaderboard. Simonson opened things up with his own personal best with Indian Rock. The pair impressed in their pirouettes and half passes while riding to a compilation of American classics, including Eye of the Tiger and the Rocky Theme Song—a nod to the horse’s nickname.
“We wanted to show the hero’s journey in the choreography,” Simonson said. “And we just really wanted to show how powerful ‘Rocky’ is, of course. It’s based on the [music from the] Rockymovies and the story as well.”
The pair’s score held over a strong performance from 2024 World Cup Champions, Patrik Kittel (SWE) and Touchdown, who scored 80.260% to ultimately finish just off the podium. Sysojeva then slotted into third ahead of the final pair.
Sysojeva’s partner Maxima Bella impressed as they performed to a slightly altered version of their Paris 2024 choreography, incorporating Beyonce’s Texas Hold ‘Em into their music.
“I’m really proud of [my horse],” Sysojeva said. “She’s still young and really getting a lot of experience at shows like this. And I’m proud to be here…It’s my first time in the U.S., and I’m excited about this show.”
Degree of difficulty
When Moody and Jagerbomb entered the arena as the last combination to compete, the pressure was on. They rose to the challenge with a Beatles-inspired Freestyle that featured iconic tracks like All You Need is Love, With a Little Help From My Friends, Here Comes the Sun, Love Me Do, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Twist and Shout and Come Together.
The extensiveness of the musical compilation matched the complexity of the choreography. Moody and Jagerbomb excelled through their pirouettes as well as a challenging series of transitions and tempi changes on a circle. The judges rewarded them across the board, with the judge at H awarding a 90.235%.
“Today, right from the get-go, [Jagerbomb] was just so focused and so with me,” Moody said. “The beauty of the Freestyle is that you are able to showcase your horse’s strengths, and he finds the changes on the curved lines very easy, and because he is good in the balance, he can go from one [movement] to another without a struggle.”
Moody planned to celebrate the milestone appropriately.
“I will be going to find a drink later, definitely,” she said. “I think maybe a Jägerbomb!”
To access flash quotes from the Mixed Zone, click here. This link is updated during each competition.
Visit the Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final online pressroom here.