02 February '26
Gold for Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z in the CSI4* Grand Prix of Wellington
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Studbook
© Wellington International - Cassidy Klein
While Thermal's Desert Internatioal Horse Park was competing for World Cup points within the North American League, international top-class sport was also once again on display at Wellington International last weekend. The fourth week of the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival saw jumping at four-star level, with victory in the CSI4* Grand Prix reserved for a Z horse.
The Derby Field at Equestrian Village in Wellington was well surrounded last Saturday for this fourth WEF Grand Prix of the season and received a total of 19 combinations at the start. The 1.50m high base course by Brazilian course designer Anderson Lima and his team had some technical challenges, which were eventually overcome flawlessly by five combinations. Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam was one of them and was accompanied by the 10-year-old chestnut stallion Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, a son of Comme Il Faut and Lord Z bred by the Van Rossem family of Mivaro BVBA. Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, who already won a Grand Prix in Wellington in November, also managed to make it all go flawlessly in the jump-off and with a finishing time of 41.40 seconds, they were more than half a second ahead of the rest of the field of competitors.
Shane Sweetnam: "I thought it would take longer to reach this level with him (laughs). In his first week here last year, he had never jumped an international competition before and immediately came second in the WEF Challenge Cup. He picked it up immediately and was very competitive from the start, despite his inexperience. Moreover, he is also very careful. We often came second here in Wellington last year, so it's nice that we were able to get another win now. He feels very comfortable and we can now start perfecting it all further."
However, Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z were not the only ones to ensure blue/yellow gold in Wellington last weekend. In the 1.55m WEF Challenge Cup on Thursday, it was Colombian Mark Bluman who snatched top prize with the 13-year-old chestnut gelding Landon de Nyze, the son of our chestnut stallion Comilfo Plus Z and Quadrillo who was born Crack de Nyze Z at breeder Danny Nijs. Blueman and Landon de Nyze, who also took 9th place in the 1.40m class on Wednesday during the opening day, kept nicely clear in both the first and second rounds and with a chrono time of 50.15 seconds were just under half a second ahead of their closest pursuer.
Another victory then came in the name of Brazilian rider Gabriel De Matos Machado and the 10-year-old stallion Commander HK Z, a son of Comme Il Faut and Emerald van 't Ruytershof out of the breeding of Tim Van Hal of Halkin Stables. De Matos Machado and Commander HK Z became the overall winners of the 1.45m class on Wednesday, where they outclassed the competition with a clear2nd phase in 38.49 seconds. The following days, De Matos Machado and Commander HK Z further confirmed this performance with 5th place during the 1.50m on Friday and 9th place during the 1.50m class on Sunday.
But also the2nd place during that 1.45m class on Wednesday was coloured blue and yellow thanks to American rider Olivia Venezio and the 13-year-old mare Flower Z, a breeding product of Martin Rauw who combined the blood of Farfelu de Muze with that of Bengale. They too provided a clear round in both the1st and2nd phases, but needed just a little more time than De Matos Machado and Commander HK Z in 38.82 seconds.
Also on Wednesday, a 1.40m class was also on the programme for the riders of the four-star competition and in it, too, we saw a Z horse at the top of the leaderboard. Venezio's compatriot Victoria Ketchum and the 15-year-old mare Zara de Laubry Z (Zandor Z x Chin Chin), who, as her name already suggested, was bred by the Haelterman family of Haras de Laubry, took care of that. They too provided a double clear round with a 4th place final result.
Two-star competition
The four-star competition drew the most attention in Wellington, of course, but in addition, a two-star competition also took place during this fourth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival. In it too, several Z-horses managed to put their best foot forward and one of them was the 14-year-old chestnut mare H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof Z, the daughter of Levisto Z and For Pleasure out of the breeding of Bert van den Branden of Stal 't Ruytershof. H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof Z, who a few years ago in Lanaken became Belgian Senior Champion with Nicola Philippaerts, appeared in the ring with her Israeli rider Yali Kass and together they managed to jump to a nice2nd place in the 1.45m class on Thursday.
Another notable combination was Jordanian Ibrahim Barazi and the also 14-year-old stallion Khan vd Kattevennen Z, a breeding product of the late Leon Sprongen who combined the blood of Kannan with that of Heartbreaker. During the 1.45m main class on Friday, Barazi and Khan vd Kattevennen Z nicely kept clear in both rounds, finishing in 3rd place.
Finally, American rider Katherine A. Dinan also managed to score a podium finish with 12-year-old Diamantina Z (Diamant de Semilly x Narcos II) from the Ushuaia Horses NV breeding farm. They also secured 3rd place in the 1.40m opening class on Wednesday.