The 2024 London International Horse Show opened today, 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.
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.
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.”
