Becky Moody and Jagerbomb opened their 2025 outdoor season – and stepped up preparations for this summer’s European Championships – with a dominant double win at the Printemps des Sports Équestres CDI5* in Fontainebleau, France.
The British pair scored 76.87% to top Saturday’s Devoucoux grand prix, returning on Sunday to win the feature class, the Région Île-de-France freestyle, with 84.38% – picking up a cool €27,100 prize money in the process.
“It’s a beautiful venue, and I was really pleased with him for the first outdoor show of the season,” said Becky. “He’s done quite a few indoor shows, but I think it’s always a bit of a shock when you go back outside.
“This was his first outdoor show since Paris, and after experiencing such a big atmosphere there, you never quite know how they’ll respond – but he was really cool.”
The field was slightly depleted, with a packed CDI calendar and an overlap with Hagen – which, although it was offering lower prize money, attracted riders with a wider range of class options.
Still, Becky won comfortably ahead of World Cup finalist Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau, who placed second in both the grand prix (73.13%) and freestyle (78.38%). Pauline Basquin and Sertorius De Rima Z Ifce were third in both (72.41% and 77.27%).
“In the grand prix, there were a lot of things I was really happy with – we got 8.5s and nines for the pirouettes, which were probably the best I’ve done in a test,” Becky explained.
“But I had a silly error in the zigzag, which was costly as it’s a double-marked movement.
“I think the piaffe-passage was good, but not quite as good as we can do – the passage was maybe a little too free.
“I was a bit frustrated with myself after the grand prix, but in the freestyle he was much hotter, which was actually a good thing,” she added. “We had a small glitch in one of the canter half-passes, but otherwise some really strong moments.
“On the whole, it was a valuable outdoor experience, and now we’ll go away, tidy a few things up, and come back stronger next time. I know there’s more in the tank – ultimately, I want to be able to ride an 80% grand prix. I think we have that in us; we just have to keep chipping away.”
Becky has been carefully balancing Jagerbomb’s development and mileage ahead of the Europeans; the 11-year-old contested just three World Cup qualifiers since Paris – London, Amsterdam and ’s-Hertogenbosch – between December and March. It was a calculated approach, though it ultimately left the pair just short of qualifying for the finals in Basel.
Next on their schedule is Royal Windsor Horse Show (15-18 May), where they’ll run through their freestyle as part of a dressage masterclass.
“That’ll be great – another chance to get him outside, but in more of a training environment,” said Becky. “It’ll give me the freedom to play with a few things. Then the plan is Aachen at the start of July.”
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