Skylar Wireman competed in the very first class of her professional career Wednesday morning of Desert Circuit I and ended up atop the leaderboard.
Having traveled across the East Coast throughout the end of 2022, racking up numerous equitation final top placings, the now 18-year-old returned to her home state of California in winning style, taking first and second place in the $10,000 Whittier Trust 1.35m Welcome Speed Wednesday morning at Desert International Horse Park (DIHP).
Skylar Wireman and Coolio 23. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
With four rides in the class, Wireman started out with a rail aboard Citoki. Her second ride she got the clear round she aimed for and quickened her time for a top-10 finish aboard De Laloma, owned by Shayne Wireman.
Twentieth in the order, Wireman returned aboard Shayne Wireman’s Coolio 23, a 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding, and gave the field something to chase. Her ultimate winning time of 50.605 seconds was nearly two seconds faster than any other competitor, until she herself came in aboard Karen, owned by MKT Investments LLC, and came just a tenth of a second away, capturing second place as well as the class came to a close. Mark Kinsella and La Capitol, owned by Aleron LLC, took third.
Skylar Wireman and Coolio 23 in their winning presentation, pictured with Shayne Wireman. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“This was his first class here, so I wasn’t sure [how it would go],” Wireman, of Bonsall, CA, said of Coolio 23, a horse she’s been paired with for just under one year. “Usually he’s better in smaller indoor [arenas], so I wasn’t sure how he would jump. I’ve never ridden him in that ring and he was phenomenal, so I was thrilled.”
The first time Wireman rode Coolio 23 there was quite a bit of pressure. “I was doing a two-star trying to qualify for the Youth Equestrian Games in Aachen. He was a catch ride and we ended up taking him home. He’s been a project for me. He was a tricky ride when I got him and I got run away with in the first class I did. So it was kind of a learning curve to figure him out. It was definitely a rocky start, but we changed a few things around and got to know him better. He’s become quite a special horse and he definitely likes to win,” Wireman continued.
Skylar Wireman and Karen. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Aboard her third of four mounts in the class, with Coolio 23 Wireman planned to follow a direct path through Ken Krome’s course. “With him, my plan is always to shave off time where I can without having to go faster necessarily,” she explained. “So I shave off time by taking the bend out of the lines and [tightening] a couple of turns. He turns really well, so I use that to my advantage where he lands and turns on a dime.”
Wireman is enjoying her first day of competition at DIHP as a professional, spending the vast majority of her time in the saddle and seeing top results already.
“I love showing here,” she said. “It’s turned into quite an amazing facility to show at. I’m really excited to ride on the grass field in a few weeks because I have not gotten on that field yet. They do a great job. The rings are turned out beautifully, the jumps are beautiful, they’ve got good course designers, and there’s a lot to like about it.”
Mark Kinsella and La Capitol. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Wireman isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With many major wins under her belt already, she has big hopes for the future and is well on her way to accomplishing her goals.
“The long term goal is to ride for the [United States] team in international competitions like World Cup [events], the Olympics, Nations Cups, and World Equestrian Games. And in the meantime, my goal is to step up and hopefully jump some bigger ranking classes. I want to start stepping in the 1.50m and 1.55m ring,” she concluded.
Desert Circuit I continues with National competition Thursday as competitors take on the $30,000 FarmVet 1.45m Open Classic.
Final Results: $10,000 Whittier Trust 1.35m Welcome Speed
1. Coolio 23 / Skylar Wireman / Shayne Wireman / 0/50.605
2. Karen / Skylar Wireman / MKT Investments LLC / 0/50.742
3. La Capitol / Mark Kinsella / Aleron LLC / 0/52.706
4. Dots & Dashes / Lauren Kolbe / Full Tilt Farms / 0/54.552
5. Livestream 2 / Lisa Carlsen / Lisa Carlsen / 0/54.637
6. Chacco Latte’ / Alexis Taylor / Aleron LLC / 0/54.813
7. Nixon VD Bisschop / Bonnee James / Bonnee James / 0.55.350
8. Daytona Du Sud / Sophie Simpson-Leckie / The CL Group / 0/55.695
9. Balboa SH / Jessica Gleason / Linda Miller / 0/56.146
10. De Laloma / Skylar Wireman / Shayne Wireman / 0/57.041
11. Madison / Holly Scapa / Holly Scapa / 0/57.168
12. Epsilon De Brenil / Leslie Wright / Andrew Lopez / 0/57.418