Skylar Wireman and Tornado Open 2026 Season with a Win in the $30,000 FarmVet 1.45m Open Classic
Thermal, Calif. — January 16, 2026 — Skylar Wireman and Tornado kicked off their 2026 campaign in style, claiming victory in the $30,000 FarmVet 1.45m Open Classic on Thursday at Desert International Horse Park, during Desert Circuit 2.
After closing out 2025 competing in CSI5* classes during Desert Holiday at the same venue, the pair returned to Thermal as momentum builds toward two more weeks of CSI5* competition during Desert Circuit 3 & 4.
“We’re preparing this week before he’ll jump the CSI5* grand prix again next week,” said Wireman. “I wanted to give him a nice, easy week to let him just jump around and feel like he’s the king of the world.”
Thursday evening’s course, designed by Cedric Longis, offered the perfect setup. Wireman and her 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding made light work of the first round, producing a fault-free performance to advance to the jump-off. In the deciding round, they stopped the clock at 37.236 seconds, securing the win by more than a second.
“I thought the jump-off was laid out really well with a couple of inside turns and some nice, good gallops,” Wireman added. “You had the option to leave a stride out in the first line, which I did. All in all, it was a fantastic course.”
Top Three – $30,000 FarmVet 1.45m Open Classic
- Skylar Wireman & Tornado — 37.236 sec
- Kyle King & Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde — 38.589 sec
- Michelle Parker & Easy Does It — 39.363 sec
Partnered since 2023, Wireman and Tornado have quickly built an impressive résumé, highlighted by a $250,000 CSI4-W Longines FEI World Cup Qualifier* victory and Wireman’s World Cup Final debut in 2024.
Next, Wireman will again target qualification points toward the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, with the opportunity to score during Desert Circuit 4’s $340,000 CSI5* Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ – Thermal.
Competition at Desert Circuit 2 continues through Sunday, featuring Friday’s $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Open and $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur on the Grass Field, followed by Saturday night’s $75,000 Kubota Grand Prix.
Desert International Horse Park press release
Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
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