January 28, 2022 
Winning a competitive speed class generally requires a good gallop and some slick turns. For Lindsay Archer and Jarpur, however, it takes some strong shuffling and powerful “poofs.”
“[Jarpur]’s a quirky horse,” said Archer of the 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. “He kind of shuffles. He doesn’t have a big gallop. It’s really fast, and it’s not a short stride, but it’s also not a big, rangy stride. We joke in the barn that he ‘poofs’ over the jumps. He shuffles and then he poofs. He has own style.”
Jarpur’s unique style also means that Archer generally needs a unique course plan for the gelding, and on Friday afternoon, that plan paid off as the duo bested a field of 41 entries to win the $37,000 Talus 1.50m Speed CSI3* at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, CA.
The pair were the eighth to enter the Grand Prix Stadium to contest the track set by Manuel Esparza, and they flew through the finish in a time of 69.01 seconds.
“[Jarpur]’s not a horse that I easily ride set numbers on,” explained Archer of her winning strategy. “I have to be a little bit on the fly with him and be willing to do what’s working in that moment. I know him well enough that I’ve been able to just trust that and know that it’s going to work out. When people walk courses me, they’re like, ‘Oh no, I’m not listening to you!’ because I do different plans very often, but I know him literally like the back of my hand at this point. We trust each other, and I know that if I tell him to go, he’s just saying how fast and where to!”
With Archer’s lead set early in the class, and with many top contenders still to follow, it seemed almost unlikely that she and Jarpur’s time would hold for the win.
However, 33 trips later, only two additional riders had jumped clear under the 70 second mark. Coming the closest to catching Archer and Jarpur were Ireland’s Nicky Galligan and his own Javas Miss Jordan, who finished in second on a time of 69.12 seconds. Third place with a time of 69.26 seconds went to Brazil’s Cassio Rivetti aboard Kayack.
“I was a little worried it wasn’t going to hold! I knew the end of the order was likely to catch me, so that was a little nerve wracking.” said Archer, who has had the ride on Jarpur for four years. “But [Jarpur]’s an incredible horse. He’s the smartest horse I’ve ever ridden, and I’m just grateful to have him every day. He’s, for sure, my horse of a lifetime.”
Archer continued, “He’s the most focused, organized, intense animal when you walk in the ring. He knows exactly what his job is, which takes a lot of weight off your shoulders.”
While Jarpur is all business in the ring, outside of the ring is a different story.
“[In the barn], he’s the spookiest horse you could ever be around!” said Archer. “My husband jokes that in nature he would die—that he would spin and hit his head on a tree and knock himself out. He’s just scared of life. But when you walk in the ring, there’s nothing that scares him. He’s a total character; I think he’s hysterical. I have to thank my owner because she’s been such an incredible supporter, and I’m so grateful to have the horses that I have.”
Archer, a longtime competitor at the Desert International Horse Park grounds, will now set her sights on jumping Sunday’s $138,600 Purina Animal Nutrition 1.55m Grand Prix CSI3* with Jarpur, and she looks forward to continuing to compete throughout the Desert Circuit.
“I’ve been coming here since when it opened in 2007, and the work that they have put into this place, especially in the last six months, eight months—you can’t find a better grand prix ring and grand prix warm-up ring than this!” said Archer. “It’s absolutely incredible. The footing is great. My horse is so sensitive to the ground; he just gets better and better here now on this ground, and it’s beautiful to look at. You feel like we get to stay and enjoy. It’s just going to keep getting better.”
International show jumping competition at the Desert International Horse Park continues on Saturday with the $37,000 Sun Air Jets 1.45m Classic CSI3* and culminates with Sunday’s $138,600 Purina Grand Prix 1.55m CSI3*. Catch all the action live on deserthorsepark.com. For full results of Friday’s $37,000 Talus 1.50m Speed CSI3* class, click here.
