Meet Worthwhile, better known as “Jarco” around the barn. Jarco is a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding who was bred by Frederik Spiessens in Belgium. His sire is Enrco Van de Withoeve and his dam is Wendy S. Jarco is a big beautiful bay with a star on the center of his face. The handsome boy is owned and ridden by Sophie Brown-Proctor and lives in Houston, TX where the pair trains with Nada Wise at Rendezvous Farm. Although not for long! Rendezvous Farm will soon be making an exciting move to La India North (the previous home to the Nordic Lights Equestrian Facility) next March.
Sophie shares that with the time she’s shared with Jarco she has so many incredible memories that it’s hard to choose just one memory as her favorite! “One of them was just after I had gotten him. My trainer in Connecticut told me how she believed that horses choose their people, not the other way around. She said that Jarco had told her that he chose me to be his person and that she knew she had to make it happen. Part of her business for over the last 20 years has been matching horses and riders, so her words will always mean the world to me.”, shared Sophie.
Back in Connecticut, where Sophie used to live, her trainer found Jarco after he was imported from Belgium while she was at the Ocala Circuit. At the time Sophie was leasing another horse, and Jarco was for sale. “Once my lease was close to ending, she let me start lessoning on some of her sales horses and Jarco was the first!! I actually didn’t like him the first time I rode him, but the next time (a few months later) I fell completely in love with him! A few months later my mom surprised me with him. I’ve owned him for just over 3 years now.”
Jarco has a very big personality! He absolutely loves attention from anyone and everyone! And he will let anyone play with his oversized ears. He also licks anything after eating any treat! Jarco is no stranger when it comes to treats. He loves every treat he’s ever had and will try any food. He also loves applesauce!
Jarco has many incredible accomplishments. He qualified, along with the top 25 horses in the division, for the Connecticut Hunter Jumper Association Children’s Hunter Classic in 2019. He was 4th overall in the Children’s Hunter Connecticut Horse Show Association final the same year and 7th in the Hunter Derby at the same final. He finished the year with 10th for CHJA and 3rd for CHSA end-of-year awards in the Children’s. More recently, he was 3rd in our first Jumper Classic and just finished 3rd at Pin Oak in a Low Children’s class.
“I started riding when I was 8 years old after going to a friend’s birthday party which was at a barn. I begged my mom to let me ride after the party until she finally gave in! My favorite thing about owning a horse is that I get to spend time with my best friend and have a partnership with him.”
