Written by: Devaney Iglesias
Client: Deeridge Farm
Release Date: 2016-07-21
Wellington, Fla. and East Aurora, N.Y. – July 21, 2016 – An annual family vacation evolved into a dominating performance for the Jacobs family at the 2016 Lake Placid Horse Shows. Earning five tricolor ribbons, the athletes from Deeridge Farms dominated the hunter and jumper arenas at the Lake Placid Horse Show (June 28-July 3) and the I Love New York Horse Show (July 5-10) this summer.
Katie Jacobs-Robinson was the first the victor, securing the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship during the initial week of competition aboard Cascarillo. She and the 8-year-old Holsteiner rode to near perfection, capturing four blue ribbons and a third-place finish.
“It’s such a great show,” Katie Jacobs-Robinson expressed. “I see a lot of friends there, and it’s almost like a family vacation for all of us. It’s always great to win at a top show, and it’s nice to get a win on a new horse in one of the few shows I compete in over the summer. He always comes out wanting to do his job. He’s a pleasure to have.”
The pair also earned reserve champion honors during week two, continuing their success with top-three finishes in every class of the division.
Robinson was not the only Deeridge Farms competitor to perform well during the Lake Placid Horse Show. Her niece, Katie Jacobs secured the Grand 3’3” Junior Hunter Champion aboard Chamiro with a collection of blue and red ribbons in the over fences.
The 11-year-old Wurttemberger was imported from Europe and hand-picked for Katie by her trainer Linda Smith Faver.
“I’ve been riding him a really long time,” Katie said. “Right now he’s my only horse, and I’ve had a lot of time to work with him. Everybody worked well that day. The horses were in a good place. He was prepared well, and I was in a good place. It was just a great team effort.”
Success in the hunter arena continued the following week, during the I Love New York Horse Show with Melissa Jacobs in the Adult Amateur division. She and her horse, Well Played, brought home the Grand Adult Hunter Championship.
“The hunter world is new to Well Played, but he stepped into his position really well,” Melissa said. “I started riding him in December. He’s super reliable and pretty much always ready for whatever we ask him to do. He was really excellent the entire show.”
Cousins, Charlotte Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs Jr. had the spotlight in the jumper arena. While Charlotte dominated the Low Amateur-Owner Jumper division, Charlie Jr. competed in the Low Junior Jumper division.
Aboard the Cyrina Z, Charlotte scored the top honors in the Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. The pair was one of seven double clear entries, but their quick jump-off of 27.894 seconds secured the victory with a two-second lead. Their win in the Classic combined with a fourth place ribbon earlier in the week helped them earn the Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship.
“I’ve shown in every division of the horse show,” Charlotte said. “It was my 20th year in Lake Placid, so it was special to win. I’ve had Cyrina since I was 16, so it’s been about five years now. She’s a very quirky horse and super fun to ride. I really trust her and she always wants to win.”
During the Lake Placid Horse Shows, Charlie Jr. was focused on building a partnership with his new mount Winston, who he only began riding a month ago. Hard work paid off, and the pair took home top honors in Friday’s Low Junior Jumper class during the second week.
With a sharp inside turn that Charlie Jr. believes gave him an edge, the duo had the fastest jump-off time of 34.294 seconds, earning the victory that also helped them win the Low Junior Jumper Reserve Championship.
“I started riding Winston at the beginning of Spruce Meadows,” explained Charlie. “The first day that I rode him we had an instant connection. It was automatic. He reminds me a lot of one of my old horses. You need to leg him, but he’ll ride forward when you need it and slow down when you need it. Lake Placid was really exciting, because we’re going forward in the right direction.”
Deeridge Farms and the Jacobs family compete at the top equestrian venues around the country throughout the year. At the end of the summer, the family will gather to compete during the prestigious Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, New York.
