Lindsay Archer and Jarpur Top Welcome Stake CSI3* At Traverse City Spring Horse Show

Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR) set a 12-obstacle first-round track that took advantage of the expansive Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring. A total of 15 pairs managed to navigate a clear effort in order to advance to the jump-off, including representatives from Columbia, the United States, Israel, Portugal, Canada and Australia. The shortened 8-fence jump-off course offered new challenges for competitors with plenty of chances to slice and dice their way around the arena to shave time off of the clock.

As the pathfinders for the shortened track, Alexis Sokolov (USA) and Cana Van de Blom put forth the first double-clear ride to set the standard high for those to follow in 40.43 seconds. Her top spot was quickly taken by Portugal’s Luis Sabino Goncalves, who rode Argan de Beliard to a clear and tactful effort in 37 seconds. The winningest rider of the 2021 Traverse City Horse Shows series thus far, Katie Laurie (AUS), entered as the eighth athlete in the order-of-go aboard her own Django II, hopeful to notch yet another win. Laurie just narrowly took over Sabino Goncalves’ lead, stopping the clocks nearly one second faster in a time of 36.01 seconds.

Immediately after Laurie’s impressive finish, Archer took to the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring with her longtime partner Jarpur, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. Marking their first visit to Flintfields Horse Park, Archer and Jarpur left it all in the ring to make it a memorable one, sliding into the top spot just six-tenths of a second faster than Laurie in 35.40 seconds. Though the four horse-and-rider combinations who followed would try, they could not match Archer’s quick and clean round, ultimately earning her the first place honors. Laurie and Django II would claim second place, with Luis Sabino Goncalves rounding out the top three aboard Argan de Beliard, owned by Equivarandas LVA.

Archer’s win placed her in contention for the 2021 CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus, however Laurie’s continuous success allowed her to keep her leading position with a total of 40 points thus far. Following a successful Week II of TCS, Canada’s Tiffany Foster currently sits in the second place position on a total of 27 points, with Israel’s Daniel Bluman claiming the third position with 24 points. Offering show jumping competitors the chance to accumulate points throughout the 12-week Traverse City Horse Shows series, the bonus is awarded to the athlete with the most points at the conclusion of the 2021 $230,000 American Gold Cup Grand Prix CSI5*, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors. The CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus is a highly sought-after prize among the field of international competitors that attend Traverse City Horse Shows.