Three Champions Crowned, One to Go: The Story of WEF 2026
The 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival has reached its final chapter and one champion remains to be crowned. Richard Vogel, McLain Ward, and Darragh Kenny each delivered a Wellington CSI5* Grand Prix victory that will stand out as some of the defining moments across this year’s 12-week run.
Three riders, three horses, three huge moments. We take a look back at those moments ahead of the season finale - the 2026 Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5 Grand Prix. These three will likely all be contenders again on Saturday night but so will many others. The season isn't done writing its story just yet.
Vogel: Perfection by the Numbers
The Week 5 CSI5* Grand Prix at the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington was won by Richard Vogel (GER) riding Gangster Montdesir in the $500,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix. Richard Vogel is generally considered as one of the most talented riders in the sport and it seems that in Gangster Montdesir he has found his next superstar.
Gangster is just 10 years old, but he has been nothing short of immaculate at CSI5* 1.60m: five rounds, five clears, and two wins. This pair were fourth at Week 7 (one down in the jump-off). A young horse with a perfect record paired up the fast and talented rider, and a recent winner of this class. It would be no surprise if they win again this weekend.
Ward: Home is Where the History Is
Week 7’s CSI5* Grand Prix was won by McLain Ward riding High Star Hero in the $500,000 Modon CSI5* Grand Prix. No rider in the last 15 years has won more often at Wellington than McLain and this is the week he often shines. This victory with High Star Hero was his fourth WEF Week 7 Grand Prix win since 2010, following previous successes in 2016, 2017, and 2020.
Together, Ward and High Star Hero have now won three CSI5* 1.60m classes and if they make the jump off on Saturday will have a big chance. If there is one rider who knows how to perform when Wellington asks its biggest questions, it is Ward. He is the most recent US rider to win the class (2019) and will be desperate to repeat the trick.
Kenny: A Partnership Finding Its Peak
Week 9’s CSI5* Grand Prix was won by Darragh Kenny (IRL) riding Eddy Blue in the $500,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix. Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue are one of Ireland’s top rated combinations based on huge consistency and clear rounds and high placings in tough fields. The only surprise is that they haven't won more.
This victory was only their second CSI5* Grand Prix/World Cup win together, (following a London World Cup triumph in 2024). They like it here and before this win had finished on a WEF Week 7 podium last year. They are in form and likely to be in the jump off. What happens from there, we will see.
A Decade of Week 12 Champions
Three champions made and one more still to come - the last and most coveted title Wellington has to offer: the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix. The crown has gone to Germany in four of the last 5 years and with Richard Vogel and Christian Kukuk returning, the trend might well continue.
Christian Kukuk is the only rider to win it back-to-back in that span, taking both with his Olympic gold medal partner Checker 47 in 2024 and 2025. Last year's win also ensured he became the first ever winner of the US Equestrian Open.
McLain Ward is the only two-time winner in the period across different horses — HH Carlos Z in 2015 and HH Azur in 2019 — while the full list of champions includes Ben Maher, Sergio Alvarez Moya, Margie Goldstein-Engle, Dani G. Waldman, Daniel Deusser, Ashlee Bond, and Richard Vogel.
Of the 9 winning riders across that span, just one had never previously won a CSI5* 1.60m Grand Prix or World Cup before claiming this title. Margie Goldstein-Engle and Royce in 2018 are the exception that proves the rule. Every other champion arrived with that experience already banked. This is a class that tends to find riders who already know what winning at the top looks like.
By Saturday night, this list will have a new entry. The only question is whose name goes on it.
Wellington Signs Off
As WEF 2026 draws to a close, three five-star champions have already written their names into this season's story: Vogel's precision with a superstar young horse still finding his ceiling, Ward's unmatched WEF pedigree, and Kenny's surging momentum. This season has given us three worthy champions and on Saturday, a fourth will join them.
