Youth continued to prevail during the evening session when 17-year-old junior rider Brian Moggre beat 14 other top professionals to win the $35,000 International Jumper Accumulator Costume Class. In his “Grease” costume, he guided MTM Flutterby, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by C-Indoctro and owned by Major Wager LLC, to a top score of 65 points in the fastest time of the night in 40.23 seconds.
Brian Moggre and MTM Flutterby. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
The first through fifth place riders all had 65 points, which meant they cleared all 10 jumps on course, including the final “joker” jump worth 20 points. The joker jump was a specially-designed Washington Capitals hockey jump sporting the team’s winning Stanley Cup trophy and was especially fitting with Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward dressed as the Caps hockey player Alexander Ovechkin for the class.
Catherine Tyree (USA) had another fantastic finish, placing second with Mary Tyree’s Catungee in 40.50 seconds. Andrew Kocher (USA) and Quarto Mail, owned by MKO Equestrian LLC, were third in 41.46 seconds, while Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) rode Cornwall BH, owned by Gochman Sport Horse LLC, to fourth place in 43.84 seconds. Rounding out the top five was Beat Mändli on Grant Road Partners LLC’s Dibatsja in 47.54 seconds.
This is Moggre’s first season competing in the open jumpers during the fall indoor competition season. He won on opening day at last week’s Pennsylvania National Horse Show and captured the coveted Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals. In addition to his jumper mounts, Moggre will be competing in the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund WIHS Equitation Final at WIHS.
Moggre had fun with his costume for the Accumulator class. “I thought it would be cool to dress up,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t put too much on my horse because she’s a bit spooky, so we had to keep it minimal on her. We stuck to painting with the stencils on her.”
Brian Moggre, 17, of Flower Mound, TX, won the $35,000 International Jumper Accumulator Costume Class. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
While Moggre didn’t see much of the class before he went in, he said, “I could hear here and there, and I knew whatever was going to happen, I just had to go in there and give it my all and hope it worked out the best for me. It did, so I’m very appreciative of that.”
He was nervous coming down to the final joker fence, but relied on MTM Flutterby, his mount of almost five years. “My mare’s so good about compressing and jumping around and high, so she was really great then. It worked out!” he said.
For their victory, Moggre was presented with the Crown Royal Trophy, while MTM Flutterby was awarded the Sue Ann Geisler Memorial Trophy, donated by the Washington International Horse Show, as the top horse in the class.
The Best Costume Award, presented by Equestrian Sport Productions, was given to Andy Kocher, dressed as a pirate. With 10 clear rounds over the Buck Breast Cancer jump, $5,000 was donated to the Capital Breast Care Center.