London International: Moody Edges Fry in World Cup Dressage

The 2024 London International Horse Show opened Dec. 18, delivering a dazzling showcase of equestrian talent and setting the tone for an unforgettable week.

In the International Arena, Becky Moody and her exceptional horse, Jagerbomb, triumphed in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ (Grand Prix), presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound. Show Jumping events, including the GS Equestrian Pony Club Mini Major, the CSI5*-W Ivy Stakes, and the CSI5*-W Champagne Taittinger Mistletoe Speed Stakes, thrilled the crowd, while the evening concluded with a dramatic LeMieux Puissance victory for Rachel Proudley.

The day also celebrated the sport’s brightest stars and Olympians. Team GB’s Paris 2024 equestrian athletes were honoured in a special parade, and Oliver Fletcher received the Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy, for his outstanding potential as a rider under the age of 25, all in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

Scroll to continue with content

In the New Horizon Plastics London Arena, the first LeMieux Masterclass, led by Richard Davison and featuring Olympic champion Rosalind Canter, captivated audiences with expert insights.

FEI Dressage World Cup Grand Prix

The 2024 edition of the London International Horse Show opened with the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix, presented by Bret Willson and supported by Horse & Hound. The competition featured 14 of the most elite dressage combinations, all vying for the top spot.

Dutch rider Dinja van Liere was the first to enter the arena, setting the standard with a score of 72.522%, however Nanna Skodborg Merrald, part of the Danish Olympic silver medal winning team, took the lead shortly after, riding the black stallion Blue Hors St. Schufro.

Up-and-coming British rider Lewis Carrier, partnered with Diego V — the same horse with whom he claimed the prestigious National Champion title at this year’s LeMieux National Dressage Championships — impressed both the judges and the crowd by producing a personal best of 72.304%, placing him in the top three at the halfway stage.

Norway’s Isabel Freese delivered a fluid and graceful test, achieving a score of 76.000% to take over the lead. However, with two of the best combinations in the world — Becky Moody and Jagerbomb, along with Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale — still to perform, Freese’s position at the top of the leaderboard was far from secure.

Fry, a double bronze medallist at this summer’s Olympic Games and a past winner of the class, could not surpass Freese’s score and moved into provisional second place. Next in the arena was Fry’s British teammate, Becky Moody, who wowed with a controlled yet dynamic test to take the lead with 76.696%, a score which could not be matched, leaving her to claim her inaugural victory at the Show.

Speaking on her win, Moody commented: “This Show last year was when I really realised how amazing my horse was, and the whole of this year has been a crazy ride. Competing here is incredible. To be honest, I was very nervous competing in the Grand Prix here last year because I had never competed in a show like this. Equally, this year, I did put pressure on myself, as I felt like we had something to prove. It was great to come out and take the win.”

LeMieux Puissance

The LeMieux Puissance provided an exhilarating finale to the first day of the 2024 Show. In total, 12 combinations took on the iconic red wall, with notable names including Great Britain’s Jack Whitaker, puissance specialists Geoff Curran and Paul Sims, and 18-year-old Maisy Williams – the daughter of five-time class winner Guy Williams – who was competing in this class for the first time.

Just three combinations remained to contest the fourth round of the competition and it was only 19-year-old Rachel Proudley from North Yorkshire riding Easy Boy de Laubry Z who cleared the remarkable height of 2.12m, with Jack Whitaker and Paul Sims taking the runners-up spots.

Proudley exclaimed: “He felt amazing tonight, I’m so proud of him, everything came together, we had a plan and we stuck to it – it was great. He’s an amazing horse, my dad actually was hunting him on Tuesday, which was a good preparation for him. He’s a very easy horse, straightforward and brave, which really helps. It means so much to be here on home turf, with the crowd behind you. When you go into the ring, it’s an amazing feeling, you can’t even put it into words how it feels.”

A man on a bay horse jumping a fence in London.

Wilm Vermeir riding Top Invest 313 Z, winners of The Ivy Stakes. (LondonInternationalHorseShow/Peter Nixon)

Ivy Stakes

The opening CSI5* Jumping class of the Show came from the 1.50m Ivy Stakes, a two-phase competition, which featured many of the world’s best riders. It was first to enter the impressive International Arena, World No.10, Julien Epaillard who set the pace with a double clear in the time of 27.03 seconds, however, his lead was quickly usurped by Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida. Wilm Vermeir’s tight turn to the second-to-last oxer proved a worthwhile risk as he, partnered with the talented nine-year-old gelding Top Invest 313 Z, claimed the provisional top spot with 26 horses left to jump.

The crowd was delighted to see double clears from British riders Robert Whitaker and Tim Gredley; however, neither could match the time set by Vermeir. Despite the impressive standard in the class, with six of the Top 10 riders in the world competing, no-one could rival Vermeir’s performance, leaving the Belgian to take the victory.

Champagne Taittinger Mistletoe Speed Stakes

Continuing with the speed theme, Joseph Stockdale and Ebanking set the tone in the Champagne Taittinger Mistletoe Speed Stakes, the second CSI5*-W class of the day. Entering the International Arena as first to go, the pair delivered a smooth and faultless round, establishing the initial benchmark.

However, it wasn’t long before London 2012 Olympic champion and Paris 2024 silver medallist Steve Guerdat took the lead. True to his reputation, Guerdat produced an exceptionally fast clear round aboard his 10-year-old mare, Looping Luna. Their daring line between the third fence and the fourth triple combination proved too tight for any other combination to replicate, showcasing exceptional precision and skill.

Three-time FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final winner Marcus Ehning and his mount, DPS Revere, mounted a strong challenge, applying pressure on Guerdat but ultimately fell short by more than two seconds.

The crowd was thrilled to see Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy winner Oliver Fletcher deliver a clear round with BP Pocahontas. Donald Whitaker also joined Fletcher and Stockdale as the only British riders to finish with clean scorecards. Despite their efforts, none of the British competitors were fast enough to Guerdat and Ehning, with third place going to London International Horse Show debutant Francesco Turturiello of Italy.

Reflecting on his win, Guerdat shared his enthusiasm: “I am really very happy. London International Horse Show is one of my favourite shows, and I love coming here every year. I had a really good round today – Looping Luna jumped exceptionally well, and it’s great to start the week like this.”

Results here.