Thermal, Calif. – For Karrie Rufer, 2026 marks her first year fully back in the saddle, going “hardcore right from the start with all the horses” after welcoming a baby a year and a half ago – and a few weeks in, she is already off to quite a strong start. On January 25, she piloted her longtime partner, Stern dei Folletti, to victory in the $40,000 FarmVet 1.45m Open Classic, held as part of Desert Circuit 3 at Desert International Horse Park.
Karrie Rufer and Stern dei Folletti. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
The Sunday morning class welcomed a field of 42 entries, and the Colm Quinn and Alan Wade-designed course soon narrowed that field down to 12 qualified to return for the jump-off.
Ariel Marx and Kandersteg W, owned by Crystal Lane Farms LLC, set the early jump-off time to beat at 37.006 seconds, and Rufer knew what she and “Stan” needed to do to take over the lead. However, Rufer herself was surprised when her time flashed on the board as being more than three seconds faster than Marx’s, clocking in at 33.624 seconds.
Karrie Rufer and Stern dei Folletti in their winning presentation. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“I actually looked at the time and thought, ‘Wait a minute!’” said Rufer. “I didn’t think we were going to be that much faster…I think we just caught little fractions here and there, and he’s quite quick across the ground. He can spend some time in the air on the jumps, but today he felt like he was just as quick over the jump as he was on the ground and ended up being fast enough.”
Sliding into second place with a time of 34.061 seconds were Mark Finnerty and Madagaskar, owned by Three Vintage Equestrian. Simon Schroeder and NKH Vittorio S, owned by NKH LLC, finished in third on 34.092 seconds, and Marx and Kandersteg W held on to fourth place.
“I was a little nervous!” said Rufer. “We had Simon [Schroeder], Mark [Finnerty] and Cassio [Rivetti] all coming behind us, and we’re a little bit rusty…I went through mom life; I went through that unfitness and the fight to get back and the changes in your balance and your eyesight and just all these things.”
Now, Rufer’s young daughter can often be spotted ringside helping to cheer on her mom, making moments like Sunday’s win extra special.
Karrie Rufer and Stern dei Folletti. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“It’s really great today,” said Rufer. “My parents are here; my younger brother is here, and my baby’s here. They’re all sitting over at our table, and I can cross the finish line and look up and see her and she’s clapping and all excited. It’s really special when days like this happen because everyone I love is here. It’s perfect!”
For complete results from the $40,000 FarmVet 1.45m Open Classic, click here.
While Sunday, January 25, marked the conclusion of Desert Circuit 3, presented by BRAINJUICE, competition resumes on Wednesday, January 28, with Desert Circuit 4, featuring the $340,000 CSI5* Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ – Thermal.
With 10 weeks of top-caliber competition, Desert Circuit at Desert International Horse Park continues through March 15, 2026. To learn more, visit deserthorsepark.com.