Karrie Rufer Takes & Stern dei Folletti Win the $80,000 Horseflight Grand Prix of Woodside CSI 2*

By Jumper News on 2025-07-23

Woodside, United States – July 20, 2025 – The first West Coast stop of the 2025 Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) boasted an all-new location, with international horses and athletes welcomed to The Horse Park at Woodside for the Woodside Charity CSI 2*, benefitting the venue. The new event saw familiar faces in the winner’s circle, as Karrie Rufer (USA) and Stern dei Folletti (Toulon x Berlin), owned by Morning Star Sporthorses, topped the podium of the $80,000 Grand Prix CSI 2*, presented by Horseflight. No stranger to the West Coast tour, Rufer took her first ever CSI2* win at the inaugural Sonoma International in 2018.

“I always tell Derek [Braun]: ‘Please come back to California,’ because we always have the best time at his shows and everything is run so well,” Rufer praised. “I won my first-ever 2* at his inaugural California show at Sonoma years ago, so my first 2* win was a Split Rock win and I was very lucky to continue that…The last 2* Grand Prix that I won before I got pregnant was a Split Rock Grand Prix [with Stern dei Folletti] when it was at Paso Robles…This is only my second time [in international competition] since having our baby, Millie, and it’s just so fitting that it’s another Split Rock Grand Prix.”

**Karl Cook** (USA) & **Etundel de Marocy**

The 15-effort track by Peter Holmes (CAN) secured the podium from the first round, with just three combinations going clear: Karl Cook (USA) and Etundel de Marocy (Diamant de Semilly x President), owned by Signe Ostby; Ansley Wright (USA) and her own Diamanto JT Z (Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel); and Rufer with Stern dei Folletti. The jump-off would determine those coveted top spots, with 2024 Paris Olympic Team Silver Medalist and Woodside native, Cook, as the first to return. He laid down a speedy round that seemingly had little room for improvement as he crossed the timers with another clear in 45.39 seconds.

Wright followed, but a rail would cost her, leaving the final chance to Rufer and she delivered.

**Karrie Rufer** (USA) & **Stern dei Folletti**

She found a quieter distance to the second fence in the jump-off, allowing her to close in a bit tighter than Cook on the rollback that followed, edging her finish time just ahead for the win in 45.12 seconds.

“Derek [Braun] is a show manager, but at heart, he is a competitor and a horseman and he understands what riders want – that is paramount when it comes to managing shows: really knowing what the riders and the horses need. The footing was amazing, the courses were very appropriate and nice. I’m so grateful for Derek to continue coming back to California and bringing Split Rock with him and just putting out such an amazing product. My favorite shows of the year are always Split Rock shows because he just does such a wonderful job.” Rufer expressed.