07 October '26
Brin d'Or de Haute Melen Z secures an impressive World Cup victory in Puebla
© FEI - Rodrigo Ceceña
To be the only pair to remain clear in the first round and thus add a World Cup leg to your list of achievements in such impressive fashion… Last Saturday, this feat was achieved by New Zealand rider Sharn Wordley and his trusty partner Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z during a particularly thrilling CSI4* World Cup in Puebla, Mexico. In a competition where faults were piling up, the pair kept their cool and ultimately secured victory.
The World Cup round in Puebla was the second leg of the North American League and saw twenty-two pairs take to the arena on Saturday afternoon. The 1.60m course, designed by Mexican course designer Anderson Lima, proved to be a tough challenge, with many riders and their horses making one or more faults. In the end, only Sharn Wordley managed to complete the course successfully with his 12-year-old gelding Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z, a son of Bamako de Muze and Baloubet du Rouet, bred by Georges Trulemans. This immediately secured victory for the successful pair and also marked a unique achievement!
Sharn Wordley: “I thought I had a good chance, but I’d expected there to be a jump-off with at least four horses. It’s not often you win a class without having to ride fast in the jump-off, so I’m happy to take it (laughs). I’ve had Brin d’Or since he was eight years old and have had to take things slowly with him because he’s so cautious. He had to learn to trust himself over the bigger jumps. Today he really felt very confident. He jumped brilliantly and it was a fantastic competition.”
Another notable pairing in Puebla was the Bolivian rider Diego Bedoya Yañez and the 11-year-old chestnut gelding Ding Dong van Overis Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Chellano Z who, as his name suggests, was bred by Gerald Lenaerts and Sigrid Gielen of Studfarm Overis. Bedoya Yañez and Ding Dong van Overis Z made their debut together at an international show and immediately secured two top-10 placings. They first made their mark in the 1.45m class on Friday with an8th place and rounded off their competition in the 1.45m class on Sunday with a brilliant3rd place.
Finally, two Z-class horses also managed to secure top-five placings in Saturday’s 1.40m class. For the Argentine rider Joaquin Alfonso and the 9-year-old stallion Dandy D Avifauna Z ( Douglas VDL x PKZ Contact van de Heffinck – breeder: Avifauna BVBA), whilst local rider Georgina Kaye Puertos and the 11-year-old mare Chavelle V&V Z (Carrera VDL x Heartbreaker – breeder: H. Voort) took5th place.