Moody sets standard at FEI World Cup Final

Becky Moody made an early statement in her Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final debut. The British team superstar and Jagerbomb, her bronze medal-winning partner from Paris 2024, wowed the crowd Thursday night at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, topping the Grand Prix with a score of 76.761%.

Becky Moody and Jagerbomb made it a thrilling start to the FEI Dressage World Cup final, earning the top spot in the Grand Prix with 76.761%. Christian Simonson (USA) and Indian Rock finished second (75.413%), followed by 2024 World Cup Champions Patrik Kittel (SWE) and Touchdown (72.869%).

"He felt really good today. I had that nice balance of energy, but with relaxation as well," Moody said. "I always say, he’s not exceptional at anything, but he is just really good at everything. So he’s just a joy to ride in an arena like that, and it was an amazing crowd."

Moody bred Jagerbomb more than 12 years ago, when she paired her mare Udysee to the stallion Dante Weltino OLD. She has brought Jagerbomb along through every stage of his life, but when it came to attending the World Cup Finals, the pair encountered uncharted territory.

“I had never flown a horse before, and he had never flown before, so that was a factor in my decision making [to come here],” Moody shared. “I wanted that experience, and for him to have that experience, and I’m really glad that I did, because we definitely learned things. This is just an amazing opportunity to come to such a fantastic place, and it’s so cool to be surrounded by such a strong equine culture [in Texas] that is completely different to anything I’ve experienced before.”

Lasting Impressions

Julio Mendoza Loor (EDU) earned qualification to these Finals based via a non-league starting place based off his World Ranking, and he proved he was worthy of the opportunity. The first down centerline, he received a 72.000% for his test with the 15-year-old gelding Jewel’s Goldstrike. Ultimately finishing just off the podium, his score held until the ninth rider.

That’s when Simonson entered the ring, and the Texas crowd was behind every movement of the American rider as he executed his test with the 13-year-old stallion, Indian Rock. The second-youngest athlete in the field at just 23 years old, Simonson was full of perspective as he shared the podium with Olympic veterans Moody and Kittel.

“It feels a bit surreal to even say that I’m here at a World Cup Final, [let alone] be here with two people I really admire and have watched for so long,” he gushed. “’Rocky’ was amazing tonight. He is a horse that is just so dependable. I love him so much, and I think he and I have such a good bond together.”

Moody overtook Simonson on top of the leaderboard with just four combinations remaining. Then all eyes were on Kittel and Touchdown, who achieved World Cup glory in Riyadh (KSA) in 2024. While the pair did not execute their strongest test, with mistakes in the first piaffe, Kittel—making his 11th World Cup Finals appearance—still found himself enjoying the ride.

“Normally I don’t smile when I go around the ring, but then someone in the crowd [shouted], ‘We love you, Patrik,’ so I smiled before I even started,” he said. “It’s just so nice to see the audience so with you, because that’s what it’s all about.”

Kittel also identified joy in the winners. “[Becky’s] horse looks really happy,” he added. “He looks in such great harmony. He has his ears to the front, the neck is beautiful, it’s beautiful in the mouth…It just looks so harmonious, and that’s what we want to see in the sport today.”

Moody still sees room for improvement ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix Freestyle, noting small mistakes in her rein back and pirouettes. But she notes the immense reward in achieving milestones with a homebred.

“When you have bred them, it just adds that little bit of extra,” she said. “I don’t have any children, so he is my child. He’s just my pride and joy.”

By scoring above 60%, all 16 combinations in the competition qualified for Saturday's Grand Prix Freestyle, which will determine the World Cup Champion. Moody and Jagerbomb secured a late draw in the event and will be the final combination to compete. Simonson drew the 12th position, with Kittel and Touchdown slated to compete 14th on the start list. The Grand Prix Freestyle begins at 7pm CST on Saturday, 11 April 2026.