Thermal, CA – March 9, 2025 – The only person who could beat Skylar Wireman in Sunday, March 9’s $20,000 MeadowGrove & Friends 1.20m Open Classic was Wireman herself. She and Chirolito Z topped a 65-horse field to take home the win in the annual class, held to support #WeRideTogether and the organization’s mission of championing a safe and healthy sport environment.
On her way to victory with “Chirolito,” Wireman first set the jump-off time to beat at 33.661 seconds aboard Flipper Lady. That time would hold up all the way until the very end when Wireman returned to the Desert International Horse Park’s Grand Prix Arena as the final rider to jump during Desert Circuit 9.
“With Flipper Lady, I knew that she’s as fast as fast can be, and she’s been a great speed horse for me,” explained Wireman. “So I was like, ‘I can turn the afterburners on and really go for it here!’…[Flipper Lady] was amazing and that was enough for the leading time at the point.”
Wireman continued, “I knew [Chirolito] was fast, but I wasn’t sure if he was maybe faster than Flipper Lady or not because she’s pretty fast. So, I knew I could give it a good shot and maybe hope for second, but he was amazing and just turned like a little dream and was so good!”
It came right down to the wire, but Wireman edged out her previous time by just hundredths of a second, stopping the clock in 33.624 seconds. That time would relegate Flipper Lady, owned by Camryn Chalmers, to second place, and third place with a time of 34.183 seconds went to Justin Prather and Bradon Equestrian LTD’s Grazie.
“[Chirolito Z] actually was a top five-star mount of mine,” said Wireman of the 14-year-old Zangersheide stallion that she has been partnered with for a little more than two years. “So, I really know him quite well…He is barefoot. So that’s a little bit of a different thing too.
“I’m a big believer that as natural as they can be is great,” continued Wireman. “My farrier was like, ‘He has really good feet. He’d be a great candidate for it.’ So, we said let’s just take him off and he’s never been better!”
To view complete results from the $20,000 MeadowGrove & Friends 1.20m Open Classic, benefitting #WeRideTogether, click here.
MeadowGrove, and the many friends of MeadowGrove who helped to support the class, are committed to ensuring a safe, fun and healthy athletic environment for all coaches and competitors and graciously donated $20,000 in prize money for the class. In addition, DIHP is donated all class entry fees to further #WeRideTogether’s important work in keeping athletes in all sports, at every level, safe and healthy. To learn more about #WeRideTogether, visit www.weridetogether.today.
