Wellington, Fla. – January 31, 2026—Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam and the 10-year-old Coriaan van Klapscheut Z left nothing to chance on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village by winning the $215,000 MARS Equestrian CSI4* Grand Prix, highlighting Saturday afternoon during Week 4 at Wellington International’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Hosting 12 consecutive weeks of international competition, WEF runs through March 29 in Wellington, FL.
Shane Sweetnam & Coriaan van Klapscheut Z are presented as winners of the $215,000 MARS Equestrian CIS4* Grand Prix by Deidra Pitts (left), Equestrian Operations Team Lead for MARS Incorporated, and Bonnie Foord (right), Sponsorship & Events Manager for MARS Equestrian. Sweetnam also earned the Village of Wellington Cup, presented by Michael Stone, President of Wellington International. Photo ©Sportfot
Six advanced to course designer Anderson Lima’s (BRA) tie-breaking jump-off, and five double clears left the fate of the winner to the clock. Sweetnam shaved three seconds off the current leading time with Coriaan van Klapscheut Z, a Zangersheide gelding by Comme Il Faut 5 x Lord Z Z. After a final push to break the timer beam, the clock read an uncatchable 41.40 seconds.
“I thought it would take more time [to get to this level], but I didn’t have many horses when he stepped up to FEI last year,” said Sweetnam, who has had the ride on the gelding he owns together with Voquest, LLC, since the middle of 2024. “His first week here last year, he’d never done an FEI class and was second in the WEF [Challenge Cup]. He took to it like a duck to water and was very competitive from the start—even though he was green. He really wants to leave the jumps up.”
The win was a battle among fellow countrymen as Bertram Allen (IRL) took second by a half second aboard Conquest de Rigo, a 10-year-old Belgian-bred son of Fantomas de Muze and VDL Indoctro owned by Aloga Stables. The pair stopped the clock at 41.95 seconds to settle as runners-up.
Watch How They Won
“We’ve been second a lot, which was my year last year, so it’s nice to have him put me up one spot and get the win,” laughed Sweetnam, who finished 2025 on a high note with Coriaan van Klapscheut Z by winning a three-star grand prix at Wellington International. “With horses, they’ll tell you what the plan is, especially at this level, but he’s comfortable already, and now we can smooth it out.”
Bertram Allen & Conquest de Rigo. Photo ©Sportfot
Sweetnam was sent a video of Coriaan van Klapscheut Z during the summer of 2024 and made an impromptu trip to Sweden to try the horse, previously owned by Abdel Saïd. “It was worth the trip,” explained Sweetnam, a two-time Irish Olympian.
“He’s a funny character; very smart, not spooky but quite sharp about his surroundings,” continued Sweetnam, whose groom Maria Israelsson, was honored with the Double H Farm Grooms Award and $500 prize for her care and preparation of Coriaan van Klapscheut Z.
Maria Israelsson accepts the Double H Farm Grooms Award. Photo ©Sportfot
USA’s Natalie Dean rounded out the podium placings riding Mr Boombastic, a 12-year-old Selle Français gelding (Vigo Cece x Sable Rose) owned by Marigold Sporthorses, on a time of 44.03 seconds. The 26-year-old also accepted the Martha Jolicoeur, Douglas Elliman Leading Lady Rider Award for her consistent results throughout the week.
Natalie Dean & Mr. Boombastic. Photo ©Sportfot
Natalie Dean—aboard Mr. Boombastic—is presented with the Martha Jolicoeur, Douglas Elliman Leading Lady Rider Award by Martha Jolicoeur (left) and Dr. Stephen Norton (right). Photo ©Sportfot
For complete results from the $215,000 MARS Equestrian Grand Prix CSI4* Grand Prix, click HERE.
Highlighting two-star competition on Saturday at Wellington International, Chile’s Gabriela Reutter topped the $10,000 Griffis Residential Speed riding Maharees Rock, owned by Lumiere Horses. The $62,500 Griffis Residential CSI2* Grand Prix takes center stage on the derby field during the day on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
Gabriela Reutter & Maharees Rock are presented as winners of the $10,000 Griffis Residential CSI2* Speed by (left to right) Ian, Susan and Georgia Griffis. Photo ©Sportfot
Full results from WEF 4 are available HERE.
