Shane Sweetnam Stars on the Opening Five-Star Day at WEC Ocala
McLain Ward and Stephanie Macieira Round Out the Podium
Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala – North American League Gets Underway
Ocala, Florida – A true five-star week is underway at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala, where Friday, February 13, 2026, delivered top-level international show jumping and thrilling sport. Headlining the day were Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam and Canada’s Erynn Ballard, both claiming major victories in their respective classes.
Sweetnam secured the win in the $62,500 Winning Round CSI5-W* aboard Coriaan van Klapscheut Z, a horse he owns together with Voquest LLC. In the $32,000 Wild Horse Refuge Grand Prix Qualifier CSI2*, Erynn Ballard captured her second victory of the week, this time riding Paladin 116, owned by Ilan Ferder.
The highlight event of the week will be the $300,000 1.60m CSI5-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala presented by MARS Equestrian*, scheduled for Saturday, February 14, at 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets are still available.
Out of 33 starters in the five-star class, 12 combinations produced clear rounds. However, the Winning Round format allowed only the top 10 to return for the second and decisive round. The courses were designed by Portuguese course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral.
Only three combinations managed to deliver double-clear performances, with Sweetnam and “Coriaan” proving the fastest, stopping the clock in 35.80 seconds.
“I wanted to win, but it was hard to know exactly what would be enough,” Sweetnam explained of the jump-off. “There was a turn to the second-to-last fence that I wasn’t completely comfortable with. I decided to take a risk, go around it to be quick, and then leave out a stride to the final fence. It worked out well. It was a slightly awkward jump-off, so I wasn’t sure it would be enough, but thankfully it was.”
Sweetnam has been competing Coriaan in FEI classes for about a year, and the partnership has already amassed 18 top-five FEI finishes, including a four-star Grand Prix victory two weeks ago.
“He was still quite green last year, but he produced really good results all season,” said Sweetnam of the 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Comme Il Faut x Lord Z. “At the end of last year he won a good Grand Prix and then another at his final show, so now we expect a lot from him.”
Sweetnam is among the top riders who have chosen to add more weeks at Ocala to their 2026 competition schedules.
“This year I wanted to do more,” he continued. “We love it here. Last week I came with some greener horses. This arena feels like a championship ring with championship jumps. Some horses are a little nervous at first, but they learn so much. It really helps them step up a gear and be ready for whatever comes next.”
This victory marks the 18th top-five FEI placing over the past year for Sweetnam and Coriaan van Klapscheut Z.
Finishing second behind Sweetnam was McLain Ward (USA) with Lestro vd Valckenborg, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding by Stakkato Gold x Animo, owned by E.T.C. Custodian Fbo Marta Mattox, in a time of 37.22 seconds.
Third place went to Brazil’s Stephanie Macieira aboard 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, who stopped the clock in 38.48 seconds.
Photo: Shane Sweetnam & Coriaan van Klapscheut Z © Andrew Ryback Photography
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