Becky Moody Tops World Cup Debut on Horse She Bred

Becky Moody just crushed her first World Cup Final riding a horse she calls her "pride and joy" because she literally raised him from birth.

The British dressage rider topped the grand prix competition Wednesday night in Fort Worth, Texas, scoring 76.76% on Jagerbomb, a 12-year-old horse she bred herself. The performance puts her in first place heading into Saturday's freestyle finals, where the 2026 World Cup champion will be crowned.

What makes this win extra special? Neither Becky nor Jagerbomb had ever flown on a plane before this competition.

"I had never flown a horse before, and he had never flown before, so that was a factor in my decision-making," Becky said after the performance. The duo impressed a packed crowd at Dickies Arena, settling quickly into the massive space despite the unfamiliar territory.

Becky described her ride as nearly perfect, praising Jagerbomb's balance of energy and relaxation. "He's not exceptional at anything, but he is just really good at everything," she explained.

The Texas crowd clearly loved the pair, though one fan's enthusiasm briefly broke Becky's concentration. "It was a little distracting when someone's hollering 'We love your outfit' while you're in the zone," she laughed.

Why This Inspires

Becky's connection to Jagerbomb runs deeper than most athlete-animal partnerships. She bred him herself over a decade ago and has guided his development every step of the way.

"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."

Even competitor Patrik Kittel, an 11-time World Cup Finals veteran who placed third, couldn't help but admire their performance. "Becky's horse looks really happy," he said. "It just looks so harmonious, and that's what we want to see in the sport today."

Becky isn't getting comfortable though. She's already identified small mistakes in specific moves that she plans to fix before Saturday's championship round, where she'll be the final rider to perform.

The freestyle finals begin Saturday at 7pm Central Time, with the World Cup title up for grabs.