30 March '26
Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z and Colina Z ensure gold during final week in Wellington
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Studbook
© Sportfot
The 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival is over! For twelve weeks, the magnificent Wellington International once again provided the backdrop for a lot of national and international show jumping, jumping to the highest level. The final week of this unique event was dominated by the Rolex Series at five-star level, with several Z-horses once again giving their best.
The most striking name during the five-star competition was that of the 10-year-old chestnut stallion Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, the son of Comme Il Faut and Lord Z bred by the Van Rossem family of Mivaro BV. Under the saddle of Irish rider Shane Sweetnam, Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z already achieved three resounding victories in recent weeks and that list was extended a little last weekend. Indeed, just like two weeks before, the current number 9 in the world rankings and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z were again the overall winners at the 1.55m WEF Challenge Cup on Thursday. In a jump-off for which 12 out of 60 combinations qualified, they ensured a flawless performance and with a finishing time of 39.71 seconds, they once again managed to outclass the competition!
Shane Sweetnam: "He is brilliant and so consistent, especially in the last six weeks. We know each other well and we are competing for most of the prizes. I felt Coriaan could jump a clear round and have a chance of winning. It turned out to be a good bet (laughs)."
Besides Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z's victory, a second Z-horse managed to secure a podium place at this WEF Challenge Cup. Indeed, bronze went to Israeli rider Daniel Bluman and the 12-year-old gelding Hummer Z (Harley VDL x Hemmingway), bred in the Netherlands by P.H.A.E. Bocken. Bluman and Hummer Z managed to do it in 39.55 seconds even faster than Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, but a mistake on the way finally relegated them to 3rd place in the standings.
Just off the podium in 4th place, we saw Frenchman Julien Anquetin with Beau de Laubry Z (Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere x Nabab de Rêve - breeder: Haras de Laubry), while home rider Mimi Gochman and Iron Maiden (ex Cadans van de Ijzervallei Z - Clarimo ASK x Kashmir Van Schuttershof - breeder: Titus Vereecke) took 6th place in the rankings.
Two-star competition
During this last week in Wellington, it was not only show jumping at five-star level, but the riders of the two-star competition were also back in action. The highlight of the weekend was of course the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, in which a Z-level horse took the lead. That honour fell to American rider Campbell Brown and the 12-year-old chestnut mare Colina Z, a daughter of C-Ingmar and Carthago Z bred in the Netherlands by J.R.J Evenhuis and L.G. Morsink. Brown and Colina Z produced a clear first round and were thus among the seven combinations that managed to advance to the decisive jump-off. In it they again failed to make a mistake and with a finishing time of 41.90 seconds they again held off the competition.
Then again, the bronze in this CSI2* Grand Prix got a blue/yellow touch thanks to American rider Ali Wolff and the 9-year-old chestnut mare Hesperide du Breuil, a daughter of our chestnut stallion Comilfo Plus Z and Hickstead from the breeding farm of S.A.R.L. JDM Horse in France. They too again kept it neatly clear in the jump-off, but took 42.92 seconds to complete their round.
For Brown's compatriot Catherine Tyree Flores and the 14-year-old chestnut mare Camilla Z (Cliff 67 x Sandro Boy Junior - breeder: G.S. Groenveld) there was a 6th place in this Grand Prix. They reached the finishing line in 47.74 seconds after a clear jump-off.
Finally, American rider Paris Sellon also had another successful weekend with the 10-year-old grey mare Calida Z (Cornet Obolensky x Carthago Z), also a breeding product of J.R.J. Evenhuis and L.G. Morsink. They immediately drew attention on Wednesday with a 3rd place in the 1.45m class and two days later gained a 7th place in another 1.45m class.