The CDI3* at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage (05 – 10 July 2022) attracted a quality field in both the Big Tour and Small Tour. Fiona Bigwood, double winner here in 2021, claimed the Grand Prix with Daytona Platinum, Gareth Hughes won the Grand Prix Special with KK Dominant while Becky Moody and powerhouse Jagerbomb were unassailable in the Small Tour achieving a treble win with sky high scores.
Bigwood and Hughes are both students of Carl Hester who lives a stone's throw from Hartpury, while Moody has worked with Ian Woodhead and David Hunt in the past.
Moody Sweeps Small Tour with Jagerbomb
Becky Moody’s young star Jagerbomb (Dante Weltino x Jazz) - pictured above - made an impact with three outstanding wins on his international debut. Becky and eight-year-old gelding ‘Bomba’ presented three phenomenal tests to win the CDI3* Prix St Georges on 75.236% and the CDI3* Intermediate I with 77.324% before adding the CDI3* Intermediate I Freestyle to their haul with a leader board-topping 80.995%. Triple winners here at Hartpury during the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, this exciting combination is going from strength to strength.
“He [Jagerbomb] was a bit of a legend,” commented a delighted Becky. “We really have had to work to get him sharp enough and active enough, but even in that [hot] weather, he almost got sharper as the days went on. By the Sunday (the day of the freestyle) it was boiling, but he was great for the music… the atmosphere has a positive impact on him, which is great to know for the future.”
The pair’s freestyle programme, choreographed to a catchy Tom Jones compilation produced by Tony Hobden of Equidance, was awarded a perfect 10 for music and interpretation by Canadian judge Cara Whitham, positioned at C. “In a way that music is a safe bet as it has legendary status and everyone knows it,” said Becky.
Undoubtedly, this exciting horse has great talent and arena presence though, as Becky explains, hasn’t always been the showman that he is today. “I didn’t think he was that good as a youngster,” she admits. “But he’s really come into his own. He did pick up the Grand Prix work easily, and the piaffe especially has helped to sharpen him up.”
Next stop for Jagerbomb will be the National Championships at Somerford Park in September where he’ll contest the Inter I and Inter II titles. “He’s having a bit of chill time, with three or four weeks hacking, then we’ll build up for the Nationals.”
Bigwood Wins with Daytona Platinum
The super-tall and sensitive 11-year-old gelding, who has also partnered Fiona’s daughter Mette Dahl at Junior level, is a firm family favourite. Fiona took to social media to say, “Wow! Dino the gentle ‘dinosaur’ (Daytona Platinum) has just won his first international Grand Prix at Hartpury CDI. He is such a superstar and totally trusted me throughout the test despite being unsettled when we first went around the outside of the arena. I cannot thank my amazing team enough as they have worked tirelessly to help this gorgeous boy trust new scenarios and to find confidence. He truly is one special horse.”
Hot on Fiona’s heels was Germany’s Kathleen Kröncke who, with the 15-year-old San Remo-gelding San Royal 3, posted 71.065% for second place followed by Britain’s Gareth Hughes and KK Dominant third on 70.544%.
Kur Victory for Hughes
The Gloucestershire-based German challenger went on to win the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday evening in front of an enthusiastic gala evening crowd, while Gareth Hughes and the Kroll family’s KK Dominant (Diamond Hit x Rubin Royal) made their mark with a CDI3* Grand Prix Special win on Sunday. An assured and harmonious test by Gareth and the 13-year-old stallion (pictured above) was awarded 72.319% - a new personal best for the combination - to declare them the unanimous winners in front of judges Stephen Clarke (GBR) at E, Cara Whitham (CAN) at H, Lars Andersson (SWE) at C, Isobel Wessels (GBR) at M and Kjell Myhre (NOR) at B.
The reigning British Grand Prix titleholders, who were well-placed at the 2021 London CDI-W as well as last month’s Rotterdam CHIO, took the win in front of Fiona Bigwood and Daytona Platinum on 70.766% and Andrew Gould aboard Tatiana Milne-Skillman’s Genie II who completed the podium on 70-plus%.
“I was over the moon with how he [KK Dominant] performed in that heat – it was incredibly hot at Hartpury,” commented Gareth. “He was really good in his Grand Prix, then for the Special he really did step up and he gave me a great ride.
“He’d been to Rotterdam and picked up a bit of experience there, then at Hartpury it was a solid, mistake-free test,” continued Gareth. “He stayed with me and tried really hard. I was very happy with him.”
Gareth additionally claimed a super Grand Prix third with KK Woodstock, also owned by the Kroll family, on a score of 70.544% before later achieving second place in the Grand Prix Freestyle with 75.240%.
Text by British Dressage, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Kevin Sparrow
Related Links
Scores: 2022 CDI Hartpury
Becky Moody Makes it a Small Tour Triple at the 2022 British Winter Championships
Daytona Platinum Sold to Fiona Bigwood