A five-year-old is only at the beginning of its sporting story. Yet the first outlines of a possible future often become visible at this stage. The 2026 season so far highlights a notable crop of five-year-olds, with horses from different countries, various breeders and under different riders.
The current Hippomundo ranking for five-year-old horses provides an interesting picture of performances so far. At the top is the Italian Conorina FZ, but right behind it is a remarkably strong Belgian block. Four of the five highest-ranked horses were bred in Belgium. Moreover, the top twenty includes several riders with more than one five-year-old in the ranking.
The ranking is of course a snapshot. The season is not over yet, but the first trends are clear.
Conorina FZ currently in the lead
With a Hippomundo Rating of 39, Conorina FZ currently tops the ranking. The mare is ridden by Italian Davide Testori and was bred by Az. Agr. Franca Zanetti. Conorina FZ belongs to the MASAF studbook and is thus the only one in the current top five not originating from a Belgian studbook.
For Testori, Conorina is not his only asset in this ranking. The Italian also holds eighteenth place with Clark Kent Z, worth an HR of 32. That makes Testori one of three riders who currently have two horses in the top twenty.
A strong Belgian block behind the leader
In second place we find Dourkas van de Hazelinde Z, who with an HR of 36 is currently the main challenger to Conorina FZ. The son of Dourkhan Hero Z was bred by Jos Smits and is ridden by German Max-William Dölger. Dourkas thus forms a striking combination of Belgian breeding and foreign sport. The Zangersheide horse is only three points behind the leader and has firmly positioned itself among the best five-year-olds of the season.
Third and fourth also come from Belgian breeding. No Touch Du Coin Z also stands on an HR of 36 and is ridden by Belgian rider Marie Foulon. The mare was bred by Bruno Vilenne, providing a second Belgian combination in the top three. In fourth follows Evolve vd Braembeier Z, ridden by Spanish Emilio Peralta Campaña and bred by Stal De Braembeier and Amel Benoot. With an HR of 35, this combination also remains close to the head of the standings.
The top five is completed by Vicca DB, which also records an HR of 35. The mare was bred by DB-Horses VOF and is ridden by Cyril Cools. Notably, Cools also holds the number six: Verona B&V follows with the exact same HR of 35. This gives the Belgian rider two horses in the top six, while Davide Testori and Melissa Laenen also reappear later in the top twenty with two horses each.
The first five places already tell an interesting story about this crop of five-year-olds. Four of the five horses in the top five were bred in Belgium, while three of the top five are registered with Zangersheide and Vicca DB represents the BWP. Only Conorina FZ, the provisional number one, breaks that Belgian dominance.
| Place | Horse | Rider | Breeder | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conorina FZ | Davide Testori | Az. Agr. Franca Zanetti | 39 |
| 2 | Dourkas van de Hazelinde Z | Max-William Dölger | Jos Smits | 36 |
| 3 | No Touch Du Coin Z | Marie Foulon | Bruno Vilenne | 36 |
| 4 | Evolve vd Braembeier Z | Emilio Peralta Campaña | Stal De Braembeier/Amel Benoot | 35 |
| 5 | Vicca DB | Cyril Cools | DB-horses VOF | 35 |
| 6 | Verona B&V | Cyril Cools | Bart Van Poucke & Valentijn De Bock | 35 |
| 7 | Indipendence Day | Marie Bistoni | Alessandro Nieri | 35 |
| 8 | Limalaya De Riverland | Jessica Rosa | SCEA Riverland | 35 |
| 9 | Et Toi Là Z | Melissa Laenen | Melissa Laenen | 33 |
| 10 | BE Zardenia | Phillip Spivey | Chloe Breen | 33 |
Certified by Hippomundo © 2026
A ranking to follow
The five-year-olds of 2026 have made their first calling card, but the battle is far from over. Conorina FZ leads for now, while the notably strong Belgian block stands out behind her. Which of these young talents will ultimately rise to the international top will have to be seen in the coming seasons.
view the full ranking here.
