Jumping
Pearce Makes It Three-for-Three at Indio in the Friday $30,000 Ariat Grand Prix
By Joshua Walker
Mar 7, 2006, 15:43

He said to watch this one and today he got our attention. Since week one of the Indio Desert Circuit, John Pearce has touted the talent of his young up-and-comer, Archie Bunker, and today’s $30,000 Ariat Grand Prix victory proved the talent of this spirited horse. This victory brings Pearce’s Indio record to 3-of-3 with Grand Prix wins aboard all of his mounts, Champagne, Urioso and now Archie Bunker.

Archie chose one of the most complex and fiercely competitive classes upon which to make this year’s debut win. The competition was 57 strong over a course designed by Olaf Petersen that was intended to filter through only the very best. The initial round provided some difficult and unusual questions to stump riders and their mounts; the most intimidating of which being a three-fence combination that boasted a quadruple rail leading into a vertical, then to an oxer. That particular combination allowed only one stride between each fence.

Some teams tackled this and the twelve other demanding obstacles without a hitch but finished behind pace which left blemishes on their overall scores. Pearce strode in aboard Champagne, 11th in the order and turned in the first perfect run, as if it were a preview of things to come. Eight other entries answered the challenge in the initial round, including Archie Bunker.

With the preliminary field now narrowed significantly, a jump-off course was built to par with the original. Pearce brought two entries to the second round to face top-notch qualifiers such as Boxster and Will Simpson, ABC Lanzelot and Hap Hansen, Sapphire and Mark Watring, and week-three Ariat Grand Prix winners, Richard Spooner and Quirino 3.

Taking the opening trip of the jump-off, Pearce and Champagne left the welcome mat out after putting a rail into the dirt, but still managed to set a solid pace at 33.76 seconds. Charmed and Peter Pletcher entered an equal score after taking out the first fence, but finished slightly slower. Watring and Sapphire stepped up to show the rest of the qualifiers how to navigate the course without touching a rail. The pair took the lead with 35.44 seconds to set the bar for six more entries to attempt.

ABC Lanzelot and Hansen answered back without fault, but missed Watring’s pace by a quarter second. It wasn’t until Pearce returned, this time aboard Archie Bunker, that another clean round took precedence. Their precision high-speed race over rails placed them in the spotlight with only two entries left to challenge.

After piloting Archie to a faultless round in 33.91 seconds, Pearce watched his competition enter the ring. “Spooner always puts the pressure on,” said Pearce. As expected, Spooner and Quirino 3 sliced through the course quickly and smoothly, taking turns and jumps at angles most wouldn’t even consider. The clock said victory as the pair galloped to the final fence, but that last rail begged to differ. “John was very fast and the pressure was on,” said Spooner. “I got the final turn but when I landed, I waited too long to push for that last jump. When we got there, we were too long.”

And suddenly, it came down to Boxter and Will Simpson with the final go. The pair took to the course with an initial speed seeming to top even that of Spooner and Quirino. But it halted in a screech at the second to last jump as Boxster refused. Simpson nailed the rollback but commented that he didn’t give enough leg to encourage Boxter over the fence.

And with that, Archie Bunker cut through today’s considerable class to reign victorious. “He’s going to do some good things in the future and he’s starting to come into his own,” said Pearce of Archie. “He’s only 8-years-old and this is his first year in the Grand Prix so he’s got a long way to go. He’s just learning the ropes and hardly even knows the game yet.”

Archie Bunker was 5-years-old when Pearce found him in Germany. The Oldenburg gelding was crowned Canada’s National 6-Year-Old Champion at the 2004 Young Horse Development Series during the Royal Horse Show in Ontario, Canada.

“He’s still inexperienced, but [Indio] is a great circuit to develop young horses on. I brought him here to learn,” said Pearce. And with each class he rides, Archie’s experience, strength and talent grows. Having watched this young horse’s progress throughout these four weeks, it’s easy to see why Pearce remains confident that Archie Bunker will become a force to be reckoned with in the Grand Prix circuit.

Results: HITS Indio Desert Circuit, $30,000 Ariat Grand Prix – 2-24-2006

1 – Archie Bunker- Forest View Farms- John Pearce – 0/0-33.91

2 – Sapphire- Watring/Bohannan- Mark Watring – 0/0-35.44

3 – ABC Lanzalot- Linda I Smith- Hap Hansen – 0/0-35.68

4 – Quirino 3- Oscany Inc- Richard Spooner – 0/4-32.29

5 – Champagne- Forest View Farms- John Pearce – 0/4-33.76

6 – Charmed- Alex Dillard- Peter Pletcher – 0/4-34.43

7 – Gyro- Harry/Mollie Chapman- Rich Fellers – 0/4-34.65

8 – La Picolina- John McConnell Partnership- John McConnell – 0/4-35.92

9 – Boxter- El Campeon Farms- Will Simpson – 0/4-42.04

10 – Calibur- Cimmaron Farms- Kelley Small – 1-72.17

11 – Ratina 79- Hollow Creek Invest/Monarch International- Keri Kampsen – 2-73.90

12 – Rainland Mel- Rainland Farm Equine Clinic- Audra Fleck-Snijders – 4-66.38



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