Californian Skylar Wireman, who finished 10th in the first round of the Longines FEI Show Jumping World Cup Final, will not be competing today as the show wraps up in Saudi Arabia.
In a an incredibly mature and thoughtful social media posting, the 19-year-old discussed her thinking:
“I have made the very difficult decision to withdraw from the final round of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Finals. Tornado, my horse is 100 percent well, sound and fit and I would like to explain why I have withdrawn. I came here knowing this would be an incredible learning experience and hoped to be competitive. I am at the start of what I want to be a long and successful career as a jumping athlete and to compete against the very best in the world has been an honor, and I have learned so much.
Skylar Wireman and Tornado. (Helen Cruden photo)
“I hope I have proven that I deserved to be here and that I will give my all to jumping clear rounds and being a winner. While I want to ride every round and grow my experience level, I care deeply about my horses. I love Tornado more than anything.
“I came here with a horse that is 10 and is very much still learning and his welfare will always be at the very heart of every decision I make. Without our horse, we are nothing, and they put their complete trust in us. Tornado was a rock star in the first round of the World Cup Finals, finishing 10th amongst the legends of our sport. He jumped his heart out in the second round on Thursday.
“Tornado is inexperienced at this level and having studied our round on Thursday and talked extensively to my coach and many others whose opinions and experience I have high regard for, I will not risk his welfare or his future in the sport by asking Tornado to jump a course he might not be quite ready for. The course today will be big and technical but fair for this level of competition: I knew it would be but I knew Tornado and I had the potential to jump it; that potential is still there but we need just a little more experience to realize it.
“I am so grateful to those that have supported Tornado, to my family Shayne Berridge-Wireman , my groom Alicia Marie, my coach Peter Wylde and the USEF who have put a warm blanket of support around all of us here in Riyadh. I look forward to representing the team in the future!”