Three US riders dominate Wellington Grand Prix
Great fourth place for talented youngster Tony Stormanns in Wellington
from Dominique Wehrmann 
McKayla Langmeier and Jiselle NS ensure US victory in the Grand Prix on the first Wellington weekend of 2026. Photo: Wellington International // Cassidy Klein The only pair to finish clear in both the round and the jump-off were McKayla Langmeier and her twelve-year-old KWPN mare Jiselle NS by Balou du Rouet. This meant that the U25 rider, who has been riding at five-star level since 2024, could not be denied victory.
The fastest four-fault round was completed by Jacqueline Ruyle and the Zangersheide-based Clarimo daughter Cyramo Z. The two have been a team for more than six years and already made a name for themselves last year in Wellington with a victory in a CSI2* Grand Prix. The mare may be small, but she is lightning fast and agile. She also doesn’t lose much time in the air, Ruyle once reported after they had once again won a jumping competition against her. They demonstrated this again today with an unbeatable time of 38.027 seconds. However, a pole fell on the way.
The same fate befell Lillie Keenan and the KWPN gelding Happy Time, for whom the round ended after 41.351 seconds. Nevertheless, Keenan must have been very pleased, as she only recently took over the Quality Time TN son Happy Time, who was also at the Beerbaum stables in 2022/23. He had previously been placed at CSI5* level over 1.60 meters with Coco Fath, among others.
Stormanns on US tour
While other 17-year-olds are now trying to get out of holiday mode and back into the school spirit, former European Children’s Champion Tony Stormanns is busy collecting ribbons weekend after weekend in the USA. The Internet makes it possible. Stormanns has online lessons, as Rheinlands Reiter + Pferde reported on the junior from Weisweiler. After the son of world-class show jumping rider Helena Stormanns finished his stint for Germany at the European Junior Championships in Riesenbeck (fourth place with the team), he took his horses across the pond. Here he has already attracted attention in several countries. He has competed successfully in Connecticut, North Carolina and California.
He has now arrived in Florida and was already able to make his mark on Thursday with a second place in the most important jumping competition of the day. Today he and his new star Cassius Clay, who he took over from the British rider Taisie de Gruchy just a few months ago, and his European Championship partner Donjon d’Asschaut finished fourth and seventh respectively. Both had one down in the normal course.
Richard Vogel presented the nine-year-old KWPN gelding Michael Jackson W, a Diamant de Semilly son who had previously been ridden by Vogel’s partner Sophie Hinners. She was awarded eight penalty points.
You can find all the results here.
