Alexa Pessoa and Charlotte Jacobs with trainer Rodrigo Pessoa during the $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Show Jumping Hall of Fame Classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo By: Parker/Russell – The Book LLC.
East Aurora, NY and Wellington, FL – March 26, 2014 – It was an excellent week for “Team Pessoa” as they dominated the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers, taking home both of the tricolor honors during Week XI of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Charlotte Jacobs of North Star Ventures, who trains with Rodrigo Pessoa, captured the victory in the first class on Friday with Cyrina Z, and she then went on to place second behind Alexa Pessoa and Levade 35 in the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Classic. At the end of the day, Jacobs’ efforts were rewarded with the championship title, while Alexa Pessoa rode away with the reserve championship.
On Friday, Jacobs and Cyrina Z kicked off the weekend with a double clear effort in the $2,500 High Amateur-Owner Jumper class. The pair bested the 10-horse jump-off with a smooth track that beat the second place finisher by two seconds. “The first day, I had flown in from school. I hadn’t shown the week before, so I was a little nervous,” Jacobs admitted. “Cyrina showed her true colors though, and she really jumped great and took care of me.”
Alexa Pessoa and Jacobs returned to the ring on Saturday for the Classic. Alexa Pessoa was the first to return for the jump-off with Levade 3, and she managed to lay down an unbeatable round with the quick mare. Having walked the course together, Jacobs and Alexa Pessoa had the same track, and Jacobs came within 3/100ths of a second of Alexa Pessoa’s time, taking home the second place ribbon as the last to go.
“Levade 3 is naturally very fast, and when you do all the right numbers and turns she’s just naturally faster than some,” noted Alexa Pessoa. “I think I just got lucky. For her, it was just a medium-fast round. I am really happy and sort of surprised at the way it turned out.”
Alexa Pessoa added, “Rodrigo [Pessoa] didn’t know who to root for in the end. It was great that it was a one-two finish; it was a great weekend.”
“I watched Alexa, but we are on very different horses,” said Jacobs. “Her horse has a much smaller stride, but she was a lot tighter in the turns. My plan was to leave out strides in all of the lines and hope that would improve my time. She was flying though, so I knew I had to really go for it. I thought I was really on it, but I think I went a little wide to the last fence.”
Jacobs continued, “It’s been really great training with Rodrigo. He and Alexa are so much fun to be around. It’s different, but everything is a lot simpler. I ride my own horses in the mornings before I show. A lot of it is up to me, which is different, but good. He’s a horseman, and he’s teaching me every little part of it back at the barn.”
“It was nice to see them first and second,” smiled Rodrigo Pessoa. “Alexa’s mare is a very fast mare. She was first to go in the jump-off, and she had a good plan that she executed well. It was going to take a good round to beat her. Charlotte was last to go and Alexa maybe left a little crack open, so I told Charlotte to go for it, be competitive and take a shot. She came very close.”
Rodrigo concluded, “Cyrina was doing the Mediums throughout the circuit, and this was the first week that she was in the Highs. We were pretty confident that they would have good result, so on Friday she won, and then on Saturday she went clear again. It was very good because she has been working toward this through the season. The year is still very long, so we’ve been careful not to overuse the horses and still keep horses for the summer and the rest of the year. We were very happy with Cyrina, throughout the circuit, but especially this weekend.”
Team Pessoa will continue to show during the final week of the Winter Equestrian Festival, before traveling throughout the summer to the country’s most prestigious events.
Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Charlotte Jacobs and Patrick win ASPCA Maclay Regional Championship for Region 1. Photo By: Reflections Photography.
East Aurora, NY and Wellington, FL – October 1, 2013 – Charlotte Jacobs has kicked off the fall show season with a major victory, winning the ASPCA Maclay Regional Championship for Region 1 at the Fairfield Hunt Club in Fairfield, CT. After an over fences phase, a flat phase, and a final test, Jacobs received the top call from the judge for her efforts aboard Patrick.
Following the first phase over fences, Jacobs was ranked fourth, and during the under saddle she climbed into the third place position for the final test. For the test, riders had to canter a fence, halt, canter a five-stride line, trot a fence, and counter canter the final oxer.
“I put in a really solid test,” explained Jacobs. “The test is always a strong point for Patrick. He is really good about halting after fences, and we did the trot and counter canter perfectly, because he does his lead changes perfectly. He made it really easy for me.”
This marks Jacobs’ final year as a junior, but she is not letting the pressure get to her. “This was definitely a good way to start Indoors,” she smiled. “I feel confident going into the Finals. I have pressure on me since it is my last junior year, but I definitely feel good.”
Jacobs added, “Before I showed, my trainers John and Missy said, ‘Don’t get nervous; it’s just another Regionals. Just because it is your last junior year, it doesn’t change anything.'”
Jacobs contributes much of her success to a strong base of support from both her family and her trainers. “I would like to thank both my parents, Missy and John, and everyone at North Run for all of their hard work,” she commented. “Without all of their help none of this would be possible.
Now, Jacobs will travel to the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search East at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. Jacobs’ victory at the Region 1 ASPCA Maclay Championship has qualified her for the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals during the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, KY.
Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Mario Deslauriers and Ardeche van de Zelm Win $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic; ASPCA Maclay Awards Two Sections
Wellington, FL, March 3, 2013 – Week eight of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by G&C Farm, concluded on Sunday afternoon with an exciting victory for Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel in the $150,000 CSIO 4* Grand Prix, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). In an 11-horse jump-off, Farrington and Blue Angel were 1/100th of a second faster than Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ who finished second. Conor Swail (IRL) and Lansdowne, owned by Ariel and Susan Grange, placed third.
Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY, was the course designer in the International Arena at PBIEC for the week. In Sunday’s feature class, 53 entries showed and eleven went clear to advance to the jump-off. In the second round, six cleared the short course without fault, and it was a race to the finish as the times got faster and faster.
Charlie Jayne (USA) and Chill RZ, owned by Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher, showed the way to a clear round in the jump-off and eventually placed sixth with their time of 41.02 seconds. McLain Ward (USA) and Grant Road Partners’ Antares F went next and improved on that time in 38.83 seconds to place fourth. Germany’s Janne Friederike Meyer and Cellagon Lambrasco, owned by Meyer, Friedrich and Anne Sophie, were just 2/100ths of a second slower in 38.85 seconds to take the fifth place prize.
Conor Swail and Lansdowne went next and put on quite a show as they stopped the clock in 38.57 seconds to eventually place third. Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ upped the ante once more as they completed their round in 38.25 seconds. Just when it seemed like Madden might not be beat, Kent Farrington and Blue Angel raced through the timers in 38.24 seconds, just 1/100th of a second faster, to grab the top spot.
Watch an interview with winning rider Kent Farrington
Farrington’s winning mount, Blue Angel, is an eleven-year-old Anglo European mare by Luidam x Ascendant. Farrington just started riding her in Wellington this winter and as he put it, the pair “sort of jumped into the deep end of the pool,” going for the big classes right away.
“We did the 1.30m, 1.40m, and then we were off and running,” Farrington stated. “Winning with her gives me confidence in what I’ve been doing. I want to continue to try to grow with the horse and really get her into my system and get to know her better.”
“She is a special horse that’s actually the type of horse I grew up riding, more Thoroughbred-type,” Farrington described. “We had a lot of horses off the racetrack and I used to race ponies as a kid, so I’m used to riding really hot, small horses like that. That’s sort of right up my alley.”
In their short time together, Farrington and Blue Angel have had several top finishes, including a second place in this week’s $43,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 8.
“I haven’t ridden it that long, but it’s naturally a fast horse,” Farrington point out. “I have actually practiced a few jump-offs in here. We have come close to winning a few classes – the WEF on Thursday was a speed round and she was second. McLain (Ward) won with a spectacular round that was unbeatable. Today was our day and we got a little redemption.”
Commenting on Sunday’s course, Farrington remarked, “I didn’t think there would be as many clear as there were, but I think that shows the strength of the field today.”
Farrington and second place finisher Beezie Madden are fresh off a win for Team USA in Friday night’s $75,000 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm. Madden and her mount Cortes ‘C’ have had a great season, also including a win in the $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix, CSI 3*-W presented by Spy Coast Farm during week six.
Madden agreed with Farrington’s comment on Sunday’s class. “I thought it was a good course,” she stated. “In a class like this I would prefer a few less clean, but I thought it tested carefulness and scope and a little bravery at the end with the [brush] box going into the triple [combination]. I think he had a really good feel for the horses. A lot of the riders had their top horses in today, so it makes for some very good jumping.”
Madden commented on her round in the jump-off, explaining, “I saw Conor go before me, so I knew it was very, very fast. I was just trying to use my horse’s big stride. I could set off right through the timers fast; I could trust him to jump the first fence clean and just gallop to that, and hope to be really fast to the second fence. I think I eased up a bit to the fifth fence, the oxer. I think I pretty much matched Kent everywhere else. It’s hard to say where you lost a hundredth of a second.”
Third place finisher, Conor Swail, had a great round with Lansdowne but knew he had some fast riders still to come.
“I certainly didn’t think I had it, but I was very happy to go into the lead,” he noted. “Lansdowne is a fantastic horse. He’s now 10 years old and he has jumped a few of these bigger classes. He knows what to do with himself now. I was delighted. I think the top four riders, those rounds would win most grand prixs. It was crazy.”
With a world-class line-up, Sunday’s class certainly proved the talent of the horses and riders in the jump-off. Swail was happy to be a part of the action.
“It’s nice to ride with these guys and be competitive with them,” he acknowledged. “You learn a lot by being in this company. By riding with the best, it’s how we get better. We all enjoy the competition. Any one of us could win each particular day. We never think we cannot win. We want to be on the top.”
Mario Deslauriers and Ardeche van de Zelm Win $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic
Earlier in the day on Sunday, Mario Deslauriers (USA) and Ardeche van de Zelm, owned by Mario’s wife Lisa Deslauriers, topped the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. In a class of 41 entries, seven cleared the first round course to advance to the jump-off, and Deslauriers and ‘Ardeche’ completed the only double clear round in a time of 34.87 seconds to earn the victory.
Ardeche is a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Gran Corrado x Darco. After his win on Sunday, Deslauriers explained, “Ardeche is a horse that my wife Lisa rides also, that we have had for several years. It is a great horse. We were having some bad luck with his health for a little while, but we always try to bring him back because we know he is so good and he proved it today. He just had a couple of classes for practice and then he can just go in here and do what he does. He is exceptional.”
“He has won the Queen’s Cup; he has won several grand prixs. We just had a lot of bad luck with him, but touch wood, we keep hoping,” Deslauriers added. “With a horse like that it makes it easy for the rider because you just have to be in range. He is so special and he is just a show horse. He gets in the arena and he hears the bell and he has already picked up the canter. He is very smart and it is just a real joy to ride him.”
Laura Kraut (USA) and A. Lebon’s Jubilee d’Ouilly finished second with four faults in 33.43 seconds. Alonso Valdez Prado (PER) and Quick du Pottier were third with four faults in 34.90 seconds. Daniel Deusser (GER) and Stephex Stables’ Evita van de Veldbalie had four faults in 34.93 seconds. Kraut also took fifth place honors with the Evita Group’s Nouvelle with four faults in 35.51 seconds.
Victoria Colvin and Charlotte Jacobs Put In Blue Ribbon Performances in ASPCA Maclay Sections
The ASPCA Maclay class was split into two sections after entries swelled to over sixty riders during week eight of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Victoria Colvin finished first in Section A, presented by Sidelines Magazine, aboard Asparagus, a 19-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Missy Clark. Caitlin Boyle and her horse Loredo were second followed by Jack Morgan’s third place finish aboard Allison Haupt’s Vangoch.
Charlotte Jacobs rode Catherine Tyree’s Patrick to first place in Section B, presented by Alessandro Albanese. Gabrielle Bausano was second to Jacobs with her own Calito 7. The top three was rounded out by Lucille Green and her horse Accord.
Colvin, of Loxahatchee, FL, barely had time to prepare for her winning round after quickly hopping on Asparagus following her rounds that morning in the jumper ring. “I didn’t even have the chance to walk,” Colvin admitted. “I just got here and went in and rode the course, and it went pretty well,” she smiled.
Not surprisingly, the ever-humble Colvin gave the credit to her experienced mount, Asparagus. “I’ve shown him only a few times at WEF and he’s just perfect!” Colvin described. “He’s done everything so he never sets a foot wrong. He just keeps his head still and has a nice jump that won’t pop you out of the tack.”
A challenging combination that riders were asked to do was a figure-eight through jumps set up with hay bales and it proved too daunting for many riders, however Colvin welcomed the challenge. “I liked the ‘hay bale’ combination because it had so much turning, which I always enjoy,” Colvin commented.
Jacobs, of East Aurora, NY, and Patrick also had no problem navigating the challenging course, designed by Skip Bailey. “The course was fun. I like that there were a lot of natural obstacles included. It’s a different experience,” Jacobs described.
“All of the horses were a little fresh with the weather being a little cold and windy, and Patrick had two weeks off before this,” Jacobs continued. “He was a little bit fresh, but I like that.”
Jacobs is leasing Patrick from barn mate Catherine Tyree, who aged out of junior divisions last year. “He’s been amazing. He’s a lot like my other equitation horse, Stallone VDL, so we clicked pretty much right away. We work really well together,” Jacobs explained.
“Patrick is just perfect. I love him and he’s so much fun to ride. He has the best canter and is just a very nice horse,” Jacobs concluded.
Both Jacobs and Colvin have their eye on ASPCA Maclay Finals in November. Jacobs and Colvin have already accumulated enough points to qualify and look forward to competing in one of the country’s most prestigious equitation competitions.
Sunday’s class concluded hunter and equitation competition for week eight of the FTI WEF, sponsored by G&C Farm. Week nine of competition will run March 6-10, 2013, and is sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Charlotte Jacobs and Kachina won the European Youngster Cup's speed class during the Pappas Amadeus Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG
East Aurora, NY – December 12, 2012 – North Star Ventures’ Charlotte Jacobs proved to be the speed master with her talented mount Kachina during the European Youngster Cup’s speed class at the Pappas Amadeus Horse Show in Salzburg, Austria. The pair conquered the class by a full second and stood at attention while the National Anthem played in the Austrian arena. Jacobs was also successful the previous week, and earned solid placings during the Gucci Paris Masters in France with both Kachina and Promised Land.
On Saturday, December 8, 2012, all the stars aligned for Jacobs and Kachina as the talented pair raced to victory during the European Youngster Cup’s speed challenge. They managed to leave all the fences intact and dashed through the timers in 65.81 seconds, a full second ahead of the Irish rider who placed second.
“Kachina was awesome,” expressed Jacobs. “The person that was winning went really fast, and they had smaller speed horse, so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to catch his time on Kachina. I was really smart about my track though, and she has a huge stride. She was unbelievable all week, and it was so special when they played the National Anthem.”
Charlotte Jacobs recently signed to Southern Methodist University, and will be traveling to Europe next week to compete. Photo By: Parker/Russell - The Book, LLC
East Aurora, NY – November 23, 2012 – North Star Ventures is pleased to announce that young rider Charlotte Jacobs was recently signed to the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Equestrian Team, and will be attending the prestigious school in the Fall of 2013. Next week, Jacobs will round out her stellar year in Europe, competing at the Gucci Masters in Paris, France, and the Pappas Amadeus Horse Show in Salzburg, Austria.
“I am really excited to be attending SMU next year,” commented Jacobs. “I have been considering the school for the last year and I think they have one of the best teams in the country. I also think SMU is very strong academically, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
SMU equestrian coach Haley Schoolfield added, “Charlotte has had an outstanding junior career and is one of the top equitation and jumper riders in the country. She will be an immediate asset to our hunter seat team, and we are very excited to welcome her into the Mustang family.”
Charlotte Jacobs and Promised Land. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG
East Aurora, NY – October 31, 2012 – The prestigious Washington International Horse Show proved very successful for young rider Charlotte Jacobs, who competed in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper division over the weekend. After winning the $5,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class on Friday, the judges presented her with the 2012 Shalanno Style of Riding Award for her impeccable American style of equitation and her sportsmanship.
“I think it is a huge honor to win the award,” said Jacobs, who also received the prestigious honor in 2010. “I never really think I’m the prettiest rider because I am always trying to sit down and find the distance or make something happen. Winning the Style of Riding Award is really special because it shows that you are riding well and your hard work is paying off.”
On Friday, the $5,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class welcomed the top junior and amateur riders for the fourth day of competition. Jacobs and Promised Land led the victory gallop after laying down a clear round in only 52.358 seconds. She had her first go at the course aboard Kachina, stopping the clock at 53.505 seconds, which was good enough for third place.
Charlotte Jacobs and Kachina won the Individual Junior Show Jumping Bronze Medal at the 2012 NAJYRC. Photo By: Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com
East Aurora, NY – July 25, 2012 – It was an exciting week of competition for junior rider Charlotte Jacobs during the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC). Jacobs and her talented mount Kachina captured the Individual Junior Show Jumping Bronze Medal, as well as the Junior Team Gold Medal alongside the riders from Zone Two.
During the championship event’s five rounds of competition, Jacobs and Kachina added just four faults to their score. After an unlucky rail in the speed round during the first day, they consistently laid down clear efforts.
On the second day, riders participated in the Team Competition, where Jacobs represented Zone Two with Lillie Keenan, Kira Kerkorian, and Katherine Strauss. Jacobs and Kachina took the lead-off position, and their clean efforts in both rounds helped boost the team’s confidence. The riders captured the Gold Medal and led the lap of honor at the end of the evening.
Charlotte Jacobs and Stallone VDL won the R. W. "Ronnie" Mutch Equitation Championship at the Devon Horse Show. Photo By: Parker/Russell - The Book LLC
East Aurora, NY – June 5, 2012 – For the second consecutive year, talented junior rider Charlotte Jacobs took home the R. W. “Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship during the prestigious Devon Horse Show. Jacobs and her leading equitation mount Stallone VDL were once again at the top of the leaderboard to claim the coveted honor. Later that weekend, Jacobs flew to HITS-On-The-Hudson, where she placed first and second in the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic with Kachina and Cyrina Z, respectively.
Jacobs and Stallone VDL have been top competitors in the equitation ring throughout 2012, and during the Devon Horse Show their mastership of the discipline shone though. They earned the top call in the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal, and then won the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search. At the end of the Devon Horse Show’s Junior Weekend, they were presented with the R. W. “Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship for the second year in a row.
Charlotte Jacobs and Kachina won the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship at the Saratoga Springs Horse Show. Photo By: James Parker/Kathy Russell, The Book LLC
East Aurora, NY – May 22, 2012 – Young rider Charlotte Jacobs has kicked off the spring show season with big wins during the Saratoga Springs Horse Shows, competing in the jumper, equitation, and hunter rings. Over the past two weeks, Jacobs piloted her mounts to championship honors in the High and Low Junior Jumpers, as well as top finishes in the $25,000 Saratoga Cup Grand Prix and $25,000 David B. Wood Cup. Earning over $17,000 in prize money, Jacobs donated her winnings to Danny and Ron’s Rescue, a no kill rescue organization that has placed over 4196 dogs in loving homes.
During the first week of the Saratoga Springs Horse Show, Jacobs dominated the High and Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers divisions. She nabbed the Low Division Championship aboard Robin, and the both the championship and reserve championship awards in the High Division with Cyrina Z and Kachina, respectively. Jacobs then went on to compete in the $25,000 Saratoga Cup Grand Prix where she qualified for the jump-off and placed fourth and fifth on Karonda V. Schl’Hof CH and Cyrina Z, respectively.
Charlotte Jacobs and Cyrina Z winning the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic. Photo By: SportFot
East Aurora, NY and Wellington, FL – March 28, 2012 – The winter show season has come to a close for young rider Charlotte Jacobs of North Star Ventures, but during her last week of competition she captured top honors in the jumper and equitation rings. Over the past 11 weeks, Jacobs competed at the Winter Equestrian Festival aboard her talented string of mounts under the tutelage of Missy Clark and John Brennan of North Run. During Week 11, Jacobs won the High Junior Jumper championship aboard her newest horse, Cyrina Z.
During Saturday’s speed class, Jacobs piloted Cyrina Z to a fault free effort that claimed the second place honors. On Sunday, the pair stepped it up for the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic. With a beautiful, clear first round they advanced to the jump-off with three other riders. They lowered the height of just one fence and their four-fault score led the way to earn the blue ribbon victory. Jacobs and Cyrina Z’s excellent performance throughout the division was eventually honored with the High Junior Jumper Championship.
