Wellington, Fla. – March 12, 2026—Sweeping the competition under the rug, Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam and Coriaan van Klapscheut Z secured their second international victory of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season after winning the $116,100 Adequan® CSI4* WEF Challenge Cup Round 10 at Wellington International on Thursday. Hosting 12 consecutive weeks of international competition, WEF runs through March 29 in Wellington, FL.
Shane Sweetnam & Coriaan van Klapscheut Z. Photo ©Sportfot
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.”
Watch The Winning Round
An FEI record with Sweetnam in 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 Belgium’s 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.
German Olympic champion Christian Kukuk 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, LLC. Taking third in a time of 38.12 seconds was Canada’s Mario Deslauriers riding Inside of My Heart, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare (L.B. Crumble x San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Aram Ampagoumian.
Shane Sweetnam & Coriaan van Klapscheut Z are presented as winners of the $116,100 Adequan® CSI4* WEF Challenge Cup Round 10 by Chelsea Sinkbeil, Manager of Sponsorship and Events, and Tim Burress, National Sales Manager. Photo ©Sportfot
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 CSI4* Grand Prix during Saturday Night Lights on March 15 before focusing on summer competition.
For complete results of the $116,100 Adequan® CSI4* WEF Challenge Cup Round 10, click HERE.
Molly Athey Triumphs Under the Lights in First-Ever $20,000 Don Little “Masters Mania” Classic
Masters jumper riders took to the International Arena and went under the lights for the $20,000 Don Little “Masters Mania” Classic on Thursday evening of WEF 10. Molly Athey of Enid, Okla., aboard her own Kebea KS rode to the win after fault-free jumping over two days and four rounds.
Molly Athey & Kebea KS. Photo ©Sportfot
Faults from Wednesday’s opening rounds were carried forward to Thursday evening, and 16 combinations returned for a final jump-off after remaining fault-free throughout the two days of competition.
Championed by Don Little Masters riders themselves, the evening was rich with camaraderie, competitive support and show jumping thrills under the lights of Wellington International. The Don Little Masters is a mainstay at WEF, designed for competitors aged 50 and older competing at 1.15m.
Molly Athey & Kebea KS are joined by groom Luis Landeta to be presented as winners of the $20,000 Don Little “Masters Mania” Classic. Photo ©Sportfot
“This was so exciting,” said Athey of her debut under the lights at WEF, and her first year in the Masters division. “This is my first year, so I’m super excited to be 50. I was excited to be able to show in the International Arena, let alone under the lights.
“I’m so grateful for the group of fellow Masters riders who helped put this together,” continued Athey, who trains with Danny Arendt at Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam’s Sweet Oak Farm based in Wellington, Fla. “This is a special group of people who are always so supportive.”
Athey rode her 10-year-old Dutch-bred mare by Carambole to a winning time of 37.428 seconds, just under a second faster than the closest challenger. Blythe Masters of Wellington, Fla., rode Palermo Van Paal Z to the second spot on the podium in 38.143 seconds, and Jean McLaren of Evanston, Ill. finished third aboard Brassante in 38.508 seconds.
Podium finishers (left to right) Blythe Masters, Molly Athey and Jean McLaren. Photo ©Sportfot
After a daring slice across the middle of the ring to the fifth fence in the final round, Athey noted of her mare, “She is always looking for the next jump—she takes the wheel when she should, and she listens to me when she sometimes she probably shouldn’t sometimes. She’s just fearless.”
Partnered together for a year, Kebea KS and Athey were joined in the prizegiving by groom Luis Landeta.
For complete results from the $20,000 Don Little “Masters Mania” Classic, click HERE.
For complete results from WEF 10, click HERE.
