World Championships in Aachen, Grand Prix Special, First Half: Moody (GB) Leads, Ahead of von Essen (SWE) and Netz (GER)

Yesterday’s session was already a sight to behold: Becky Moody and Jagerbomb worked with Carl Hester, focusing primarily on suppleness. Travers to the quarter-line, then shoulder-in. Alternating between renvers and travers—classic training—a joy to watch. And the pair carried that suppleness over into today’s test.

Jagerbomb isn’t a particularly elegant dancer. His powerful build doesn’t exactly scream “ballet studio,” but he certainly captivates on the dance floor. His strong trot is energetic, and his passages are clearly defined. In the Grand Prix Special, with its alternation between collected and strong trots and passages in the first third of the test, Becky Moody didn’t drop a single point. The gelding she bred isn’t a horse for a 9.0, but he’s certainly not one for a 6.5 either.

A Grand Prix Special to savor

In the piaffes, he didn’t lift his front legs high, but he lowered himself into the croup, remained supple, and moved evenly and confidently. His balance and consistent, soft contact were maintained throughout the entire test.

The pair scored particularly well in the canter exercises, the flying changes, and the pirouettes. In the strong canter, Becky Moody “tapped the brakes” quite early on. The pair received a score of 77.76 percent, putting them in the lead after half of the competitors had finished.

Maria von Essen and Invoice

The stylish black stallion Invoice had still been quite nervous in the Grand Prix. Today he seemed a bit more relaxed, and it paid off: 75.274 percent, a personal best. Probably the last son of the KWPN stallion Jazz still competing at the highest level shone during the moments of highest collection—in the piaffes and pirouettes, with hock flexion, active hind legs, and wonderful balance.

Hardly anyone would have thought that the rider, who trains alongside her sister (here’s a brief profile), would be the best of the three Swedish team members. Least of all her. As she rode out, tears of joy flowed from just about every Swede in attendance—and from some in the stands as well.

Raphael Netz and Great Escape Camelot

The pair entered the stadium at a relaxed walk; the stands were already noticeably fuller than they had been during the Grand Prix. A light breeze blew through the stadium; it was warm, but not—pardon me—scorching hot.

Raphael Netz explained afterward that he had miscalculated the timing of his walk and had therefore gone back to the stable briefly. However, there was absolutely no sign of any miscalculation during this ride—not even the slightest.

Traverses – this is how it should look

With a fresh canter along the long side, “Raphi” built up momentum, then headed for the center line. My first thought: It never ceases to amaze me how this man sits in the saddle. The trot traverses to the left—rated at a coefficient of two in this exercise—met all the criteria: elastic, wide-reaching, and crossing; stable in the neck; securely positioned and bent. That could have been an eight, but not all the judges could bring themselves to give it one. Most of them did, though.

Great Passages

The passage—generally one of Johnson Jr.’s highlights—brought the first group of eighths onto the running scoreboard, which is visible only to the audience. Raphael Netz executed the transitions between the highest collection and strong tempo superbly.

Collected Walk – Demonstration of Fluidity

The strong walk was released right from the start. The collected walk was not only proof of solid training, but also an example of how this lesson should be ridden. Every stride was executed with diligence, yet collected and perfectly in time. A refreshing contrast to many of the competitors, who hold their breath during the collected walk and simply hope the judges don’t notice that it’s barely a four-beat gait anymore.

The piaffe from a collected walk was executed confidently. Piaffes aren’t among the most dazzling exercises at Camelot. But here, too, good riding pays off. The pair performed them confidently in the arena, and the subsequent passages were full of expression.

Canter Course

: Straight and uphill double changes at the start of the canter course. Then came the single changes, which had led to a misunderstanding in the Grand Prix. They were still slightly wobbly but had more volume—there’s room for improvement, but it’s already a whole step forward compared to the Grand Prix. This time, the strategy of riding into the series of changes with more momentum than usual paid off completely.

During the strong canter, there was a minor error in the transition. The first pirouette was another highlight; the second one had a bit too much momentum at the end, but those were just minor details. The final halt was textbook-perfect.

Trust

No matter how wildly the crowd cheered—at that very moment, long after the first black, red, and gold flags had begun to wave—the gelding stood as still as a statue. A relaxed one. The primal trust Camelot displayed toward his rider was certainly one of the many factors that contributed to the pair’s personal best—75.319 percent!

National team coach Monica Theodorescu said that Camelot always gives his all in the arena. Raphael Netz had to correct her. “He gives more, more, and always more. I wonder where he gets it from.”

Pearce Fourth in the Interim Standings

Australian Simone Perace and Will Marq also posted a personal best. The pair, who have consistently achieved strong results this season, earned points with their passages and piaffes. The bay horse is quite well-rounded and, at ten years old, is still at the beginning of his career. Today’s score of 74.438 percent is likely just a milestone for the pair.

Preliminary Results of the Grand Prix Special at the 2026 World Championships in Aachen