Wellington, United States – March 12, 2026 – Sweeping the competition under the rug, Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Coriaan van Klapscheut Z secured their second international victory of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season after winning the $116,100 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round 10 CSI 4* at Wellington International on Thursday. Hosting 12 consecutive weeks of international competition, WEF runs through March 29 in Wellington, FL.
With only nine to return from a forty-nine-horse line-up, Sweetnam and his 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Comme Il Faut 5 x Lord Z Z sailed to victory through course designer Ken Krome’s (USA) jump-off track. With unbeatable footspeed and bold dash to the final fence, their time of 34.53 seconds kept them on top with less than a click of the stopwatch to spare.
“He’s a quick horse, Christian [Kukuk] probably did fewer numbers in that line, but Coriaan was faster over the ground,” said Sweetnam, who has had the ride on the gelding he owns together with Voquest, LLC, since the middle of 2024. “We started with a nice rhythm and had a good turn to the double. Then I did the leave-out, though; the last jump was a bit of a flyer. Once he zoned in on it, I knew we’d be okay.”
German Olympic champion Christian Kukuk (GER) settled for a second with 9-year-old Hanoverian mare Viki Van Gogh (Van Gogh x Now or Never M) after stopping the clock at 35.15 seconds for owner Lost Falls.
Taking third in a time of 38.12 seconds was Canada’s Mario Deslauriers (CAN) riding Inside of My Heart, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare (L.B. Crumble x San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Aram Ampagoumian.
An FEI record with Sweetnam in the irons only dating back to last year, the gelding has stepped up to the plate and is proving to be a consistent winner. “He got some really good results last year as well, but he was still learning. This year, I found that he’s a lot more mature,” stated Sweetnam of the horse developed by Abdel Saïd.
“Where he learns is in the ring. He’s got a very good ring IQ, so anytime he goes in, he understands when he’s jumped clear. The more rounds I do, the better he gets,” explained Sweetnam of the gelding’s progress in the competition ring.
With a plan to cruise through the rest of the 2026 WEF season, Coriaan van Klapscheut Z will get another chance to chase the blue in the $215,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI 4* during Saturday Night Lights on March 15 before focusing on summer competition.
Final Results – $116,100 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round 10 CSI 4*
1) Shane Sweetnam (IRL) & Coriaan van Klapscheut Z – 0 / 0 – 34.53
2) Christian Kukuk (GER) & Viki Van Gogh – 0 / 0 – 35.15
3) Mario Deslauriers (CAN) & Inside of My Heart – 0 / 0 – 38.12
Source: Press Release Wellington International
Photos: © Wellington International / Sportfot / Cassidy Klein
