Josh Collins and Cornel have claimed their second World Cup victory in just six weeks, taking out the Chatham Park World Cup Qualifier at Sydney International on Sunday afternoon. It was another outstanding result for the Australian-based Kiwi, but this time there was an added reason to celebrate, with his wife Emma Collins joining him on the podium in third place aboard Oaks Abracadabra.

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The 1.60m competition attracted 26 combinations to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, with Jamie Kermond finishing runner-up aboard Yalambi’s Lord Byron, while Emma claimed third. In a particularly memorable result for two of the sport’s best-known Jumping families, Jamie’s wife Jamie Winning-Kermond also finished fifth aboard Tulara Lady Zirocca, meaning the two couples occupied four of the top five positions.

For Josh, Sunday’s victory was another significant achievement in what has become an exceptional World Cup season. Having claimed his first World Cup win aboard Cornel at Willinga Park in September, he has now added a second title with the same horse, demonstrating the consistency of a partnership that has been developing at the highest domestic level for several years.

The victory also came at the conclusion of an extraordinary few weeks for World Cup Jumping in Australia. Just over two weeks ago, 21-year-old Cody Tincknell made headlines with an unforgettable victory on his World Cup debut at Tamworth. A week later, Australian Olympian James Paterson-Robinson celebrated his first World Cup victory at Stonewall International aboard Diamond B Vivienne. Now Josh and Cornel have added another impressive chapter to a series that continues to produce memorable results.

Sunday’s competition was conducted over a course designed by Switzerland’s Julien Pradervand, and the opening round proved particularly challenging, with just one combination completing the course without penalties. That honour belonged to James Paterson-Robinson and Diamond B Vivienne, who returned a clear round in 76.09 seconds, putting themselves in a promising position heading into the second round.

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Josh and Cornel were not far behind, although a rail and three time penalties saw them finish the opening round on seven penalties. Jamie Kermond and Yalambi’s Lord Byron were better placed at that stage, with five penalties, leaving the competition wide open as the leading 12 combinations returned for the second round.

Josh and Cornel produced a faultless second round, stopping the clock at 50.91 seconds to remain on their first-round total of seven penalties. Jamie also managed to leave every fence standing, but two time penalties took his final total to seven, matching Josh. With both combinations finishing on the same overall penalties, their second-round times became decisive. Josh’s 50.91 seconds was enough to secure the victory over Jamie’s 53.60 seconds, a difference of just 2.69 seconds.

There was also plenty to celebrate for Emma Collins, who delivered two competitive rounds aboard Oaks Abracadabra to finish third. The pair incurred four penalties in each round, completing the competition on a total of eight, with a particularly quick second-round time of 46.04 seconds.

Emma’s placing adds an interesting dimension to the Collins family’s recent World Cup success. It was only in October last year that Emma claimed her own first World Cup victory aboard Oaks Abracadabra at Boneo Park. Twelve months later, she was back on a World Cup podium, this time alongside Josh, who has now celebrated two victories of his own during the 2026 season.

The family connections did not end there. Jamie Winning-Kermond, who represented Australia at the FEI World Championships in Aachen in August, was also among the leading combinations at Sydney. Riding Tulara Lady Zirocca, Jamie recorded four penalties in each round to finish fifth. With her husband finishing second, the Kermonds also had two riders in the top five, making Sunday’s presentation a particularly memorable occasion for both families.

Splitting Emma and Jamie in fourth place was Phillip Lever and Billionaire NZPH, who produced one of the best second-round performances of the competition. After recording eight penalties in the opening round, Phillip returned to jump clear in 47.74 seconds, holding his final total at eight and securing fourth position.

Another rider attracting considerable attention was James Paterson-Robinson, whose sixth placing aboard Diamond B Vivienne came just eight days after the pair’s memorable victory at Stonewall International also over a Julien Pradervand (SUI) designed course.

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Lane Clarke was another rider to continue his recent run of strong results, finishing seventh aboard Oaks Emperor Waltz and eighth with James Bugatti. Lane had been one of the standout performers at Stonewall, where he and James Bugatti claimed a brilliant second place. To have two horses performing at this level in the same competition is a significant achievement, particularly when it follows such a strong result the previous weekend.

Amelia Douglass and Quel Filou 16 finished ninth, while another of the recent World Cup winners, Cody Tincknell, completed the top ten aboard Numero Too. For Cody, the past few weeks have represented an extraordinary period in his young career. Having enjoyed significant success at Kurri Burri at the beginning of October, Cody arrived at Tamworth for his first-ever World Cup start and proceeded to win the qualifier with two clear rounds aboard Numero Too. At just 21 years of age, winning a World Cup on debut was an exceptional achievement, and his tenth placing at Sydney provided further valuable experience at this level.

Rounding out the top 12 were Victoria Stuckey and Jaybee Ballon Dor in eleventh place, followed by Rhys Stones and Ballentyne in twelfth.

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With the Australian World Cup Series progressing towards its conclusion, the recent results have provided plenty of interest for those following the leaderboard. Madeline Sinderberry remained at the top of the Australian standings following Stonewall, while riders including Rhys Stones and Sarah-Louise McMillan have continued to pursue valuable championship points.

For Josh and Cornel, Sunday’s result is another milestone in an already impressive season. For Jamie Kermond and Yalambi’s Lord Byron, it was a closely fought second place, while Emma Collins and Oaks Abracadabra added another World Cup podium to their record.

Congratulations to Josh, Emma, Jamie and all the placegetters, along with their horses, owners, support teams and everyone involved in the Sydney International event.

Final Results: Chatham Park World Cup Qualifier CSI1*-W, 1.60m

1st – Josh Collins (NZL) and Cornel
2nd – Jamie Kermond (AUS) and Yalambi’s Lord Byron
3rd – Emma Collins (AUS) and Oaks Abracadabra
4th – Phillip Lever (AUS) and Billionaire NZPH
5th – Jamie Winning-Kermond (AUS) and Tulara Lady Zirocca
6th – James Paterson-Robinson (AUS) and Diamond B Vivienne
7th – Lane Clarke (AUS) and Oaks Emperor Waltz
8th – Lane Clarke (AUS) and James Bugatti
9th – Amelia Douglass (AUS) and Quel Filou 16
10th – Cody Tincknell (AUS) and Numero Too
11th – Victoria Stuckey (AUS) and Jaybee Ballon Dor
12th – Rhys Stones (AUS) and Ballentyne

Full Results: https://online.equipe.com/startlists/1320834

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