For six years, local equestrian Lindsey Garner has had her eyes on Capilano, a 10-year-old gelding with a promising future in horse jumping. And since purchasing him in June 2017, Garner has ridden Capilano to wins in two Oregon High Desert Classics $25,000 Grand Prix events at the J Bar J Boys Ranch northeast of Bend.

“I love this show,” Garner says. “It’s the reason I moved to Bend. The jumps are beautiful, the grounds are beautiful, and J Bar J does great things for the community.”

Garner, 37, grew up in Canada, in the British Columbia town of Langley, where she began her career as a hunter and jumper trainer and competitor. According to Garner, she was born into the equestrian world, as her mother, Janet Paton, bred hunter/jumper horses, and her father, David Paton, was an equine veterinarian.

She started showing horses at age 10.

“I was really lucky that we had horses at home growing up,” Garner says. “My mom is 70 and still shows hunters, and my dad is 69 and rides in cutting horse competitions all over the Northwest.”

About 17 years ago, Garner became a professional trainer and rider in Langley. But after she had competed in the High Desert Classics for several years, she and her husband decided to move with their young son to Central Oregon in 2008.

Garner took a break from training and riding until 2012, when she opened Capstone Equestrian at Horse Butte Equestrian Center southeast of Bend.

“We started slowly,” Garner says. “At that time, the (hunter/jumper) equestrian community in Central Oregon was really small. I only had four clients who were only showing at the lower levels. But over the years, we’ve grown a ton.”

It was about 2012 when Garner met Capilano, a young Thoroughbred and Holsteiner cross who was bred and born in Central Oregon under Gary Henley. A renowned trainer and horse breeder in the region, Henley became Garner’s mentor.

“I first met Capilano when he was 4 years old,” Garner remembers. “When I moved to Bend, I began riding him for Gary. One year later, a partner and I purchased (Capilano) and I owned 25 percent of him. I wanted to develop him, but then I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, so I stopped riding.”

Garner sold Capilano, but she she continued to follow his career around the West Coast.

“A couple of years ago,” Garner says, “Capilano was for sale and one of my clients bought him. But he is difficult to ride and she decided to sell him.”

In early 2017, Henley passed away. And when Capilano came up for sale in June of that year, Garner immediately bought him. One month later, in the first week of the 2017 High Desert Classics, Garner and Capilano won the $25,000 Grand Prix.

“Gary passed more than a year ago,” Garner remembers. “But he wanted me to have Capilano. The next month, we went on to win the Grand Prix at the Classics, which was one of Gary’s favorite shows.”

According to Garner, her first win with Capilano was unusual. They knocked down a rail in the jumpoff round but nevertheless finished with the cleanest round, which aided them to a victory.

However, last Saturday’s $25,000 Oxford Hotel and Suites Grand Prix at the High Desert Classics was the solid win Garner and Capilano have spent the past year training for.

“I almost didn’t jump him,” Garner says. “The beginning of last week he seemed off … but I decided to show him, and the moment we walked up to the arena with the crowds his energy picked up.”

Garner says Capilano jumped his best round ever, qualifying them for the final jumpoff round.

“In the jumpoff round we were feeling good,” she says. “I decided to push him to go as fast as he could in that round, and he did great. He’s a big horse and the course was tight, which meant that he had to shorten his strides, but he did really well.”

Garner’s assistant trainer, Tara Niculescu, says that Garner’s riding and training style focuses on the foundation of the horse and rider.

“Lindsey has a great solid foundation of actually training horses,” Niculescu says. “She truly trains the horses and trains the riders. She has come up with a very classical style that really teaches the horses from the ground up by showing them how to do their jobs.”

Capilano’s solid performances over the past year have fast-tracked Garner’s goal to ride in the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) Jumping World Cup, which is the pinnacle for horse-jumping competitors.

“I’m Canadian,” Garner says, “so my goal is to ride on our nation’s World Cup team. Our next show is in Canada at Thunderbird Showpark (in Langley), and I will be competing (Capilano) in the international division.”

Before that, though, Garner and Capilano plan to compete in the second and final Grand Prix of the 29th annual Oregon High Desert Classics — the $25,000 Sheri Allis Memorial, starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

“This is a great family event,” Garner says. “I have lots of friends and family who are (Capilano) fans. We’re really excited for (this week’s) Grand Prix.”