February 2026 edition of Karlswood Newsletter

February 2026

Karlswood Newsletter

The 2026 season continued in Wellington through February, bringing another busy month for Team Karlswood. Below is a summary of this month’s key highlights.

CIAN O’CONNOR

Cian had a strong month with all his horses. Ulysses jumped double clear to help Team Ireland secure second place in the CSIO4* Nations Cup of Wellington and finished fourth in the CSI5* WEF Challenge Cup the previous week. Canbella Blue PS placed fourth in the CSI5* Hermes Cup, while Chatolinue PS delivered an impressive performance in the CSI5* Grand Prix, finishing with just two time faults. In Ocala, Kentucky TN placed third in the CSI5* World Cup.

WATCH ULYSSES

WATCH KENTUCKY TN

WATCH CHATOLINUE PS

FRANCIS DERWIN

Frano continued to show strong progress with his talented string of horses based in Ocala, delivering another standout performance during World Cup week. Partnering Gospel Tame, the duo produced an impressive clear round over the fences in the CSI5* 1.45m class, showcasing their growing partnership and consistency at top level competition.

WATCH GOSPEL TAME

MAX WACHMAN

Max delivered an excellent performance on the Derby Field in Wellington, riding Kannem JA Z to an impressive 5th place in the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix. He also stepped up to contest his first CSI5* Grand Prix of the season aboard Lexington, producing a fantastic round and finishing with just a single fence down.

WATCH KANNEM JA Z

TOM WACHMAN

Tom claimed an impressive 3rd place in the CSI5* Hermes Cup aboard Genghis Khan. Tom jumped a superb first-round clear in the CSIO4* Nations Cup of Wellington to help Team Ireland secure a strong 2nd place finish with Do It Easy. Rounding off an outstanding run of form, Tom galloped to victory in the CSIO4* WEF Challenge Cup Grand Prix Qualifier with Obora's Laura. Tom also won the WEF 8 Style Award in addition to the Kate Boon Prize.

WATCH OBORA’S LAURA

WATCH DO IT EASY

ALICE WACHMAN

A month to remember for Alice! Banksy delivered a beautiful clear in the 1.45m High Amateur Class, highlighting the impressive progress this partnership has made in such a short space of time. Alice also stepped confidently into a new level, making her U25 debut aboard Killarney and gaining valuable experience against strong competition.

The highlight of WEF 8 saw Berlux Z produce a sensational double clear to win the High Amateur Classic, securing Alice the High Amateur Champion title — a fantastic achievement. Congratulations as well to Beth Underhill for her outstanding coaching and support behind the scenes.

WATCH BERLUX Z

NIKKI WALKER

Nikki delivered a strong week of top-level performances, securing an excellent 5th place in the CSI5* 1.45m Longines Ranking Class aboard her ever-reliable Atout Des Trambles. She also played a key role in the CSIO4* Nations Cup of Wellington, helping the Canadian Team claim an impressive third-place finish aboard Panter — a fantastic achievement on the international stage.

THE KARLSWOOD MINI TEAM

Cara has enjoyed a wonderful month in the ring with her pony Brookhall Elizabeth. The pair jumped a fantastic clear round in the 80cm class at Wellington, showing great teamwork and growing confidence together. A lovely achievement and a great step forward for this partnership.

YOUNG HORSE SPOTLIGHT:
TYNAN TRIUMPH

Tynan Triumph is a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Clarimo x Hermes De Rêve who has shown consistent development throughout the WEF season under Beth Underhill. Over the circuit, he has demonstrated quality, scope, and an improving level of rideability as he continues to gain experience in the ring. His progression this season reflects his potential as a competitive young horse for the future.

WATCH TYNAN TRIUMPH