ive-star competition continued on Friday, February 13, 2026, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) with Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam capturing the win in the $62,500 Winning Round CSI5*-W class on Coriaan van Klapscheut Z (Comme il faut x Lord z).
Out of 33 entries in the five-star class, 12 were clear, but with the Winning Round format, only the top 10 returned for the second round. The courses were designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral of Portugal. The top three were the only double clears in the class, with Sweetnam and “Coriaan” leading in a time of 35.80 seconds.
“I wanted to win, but it was hard to gauge what needed to be done to win,” said Sweetnam of the jump-off course. “There was a turn to the second-to-last jump, which I wasn’t in love with. I sort of took a gamble there to go around and be fast, then do one less stride to the last jump. It worked out well. It was just a little bit of an awkward jump-off, so I wasn’t sure it would be enough. Thankfully it was.”
Sweetnam started riding Coriaan in FEI classes a year ago, but they now have 18 top-five FEI finishes, including a four-star grand prix win two weeks ago.
“He was still quite green last year, but got some really good results all year,” he said of the 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Comme Il Faut x Lord Z. “The end of last year he won a good grand prix, and then another at his last show, so now we expect a lot from him.”
Sweetnam is another top rider who has added more weeks at WEC – Ocala to his schedule in 2026. “This year I wanted to do more,” he acknowledged. “We love it here. I came with some greener horses last week. I really do feel this is like a championship ring with championship jumps. Some of the horses are nervous at the start, but they really do learn a lot in that ring. It definitely helps them step up the gears and be ready for whatever comes next.”
Following Sweetnam in the final standings were McLain Ward (USA) and Lestro vd Valckenborg, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding by Stakkato Gold x Animo owned by E.T.C. Custodian Fbo Marta Mattox, who finished the short course in 37.22 seconds. Stephanie Macieira (BRA) and Toulouse van’t Prinsenveld Z, an 11-year-old Zangersheide mare by Tangelo vd Zuuthoeve x Carabas van de Wateringhoeve owned by Haras Bonne Chance BV, were third with a time of 38.48 seconds.
