Skylar Wireman & Karen Claim the Goods in Section A of the $10,000 IDA Development Welcome Speed

By Jumper News USA on March 19, 2025

Thermal, California – March 12, 2025 – The $10,000 IDA Development Welcome Speed – 1.35m at Desert Circuit 10 was held as two sections, but at the end of the day on Wednesday, March 12, only one rider was named a winner across the two classes. Aboard Karen and Corsini, Skylar Wireman rode away with victories in both the $10,000 IDA Development Welcome Speed – Section A and the $10,000 IDA Development Welcome Speed – Section B, respectively.

In Section A, Wireman and Karen were the 14th of 28 entries to jump on the Desert International Horse Park’s Grass Field. Having come directly from competing in another ring, Wireman had not walked the course or had a chance to truly make note of how fast others were going. So, the young professional left nothing to chance.

“I had sent [working student Taryn McEntire] to walk it for me,” explained Wireman. “So, she told me some numbers. I don’t even know half the numbers I actually ended up doing, but I definitely was leaving strides out…I just cut in and started slicing things. Halfway through I was like, ‘Man, I should just keep the gas pedal on!’ So, I just kind of kept going. [Karen] has such a natural foot speed for sure. She’s so quick, and she doesn’t spend extra time in the air. She’s already landing and is like, ‘Where are we going now?’ She’s right on it. She’s just such a fun mare to ride.”

With Wireman and Karen’s leave outs throughout the course, they would ultimately stop the clock in a winning 59.416 seconds. That time would impressively prove to be more than six seconds ahead of second place finisher Kaitlin Campbell. Campbell rode Sun Warrior, owned by Linda Starkman, to a time of 65.742 seconds for the runner-up spot, and third place went to Jamie Sailor and Gillion ES with a time of 66.961 seconds.

“I’ve been riding Karen close to five years now, and over this last year, I turned her over a little bit to Taryn [McEntire] to show in the junior jumpers again,” said Wireman of the 13-year-old Hanoverian mare, owned by MJ & Todd Kaplan. “I think she’s been having fun playing around with that. She did the juniors last week, and then I said I was going to steal her back for this class this week to try and qualify for the Speed League! She was ready. She was flying on the grass this week, and she is just such a special mare. She loves to win, and she knows when that cooler goes on, she’s the winner!”