The first week of the 2024 Traverse City Tournament of Champions, featuring the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament, is one Charlotte Jacobs (USA) will not soon forget. Jacobs, aboard Rincoola Milsean, scored a hat trick by winning all three international events throughout the week, capped with a climb to the top of the podium in the $120,000 Agero CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday at Flintfields Horse Park.
Winning was all Jacobs, 29, knew how to do during opening week of the Tournament of Champions. After topping the $32,000 Stud Tree CSI3* Two-Phase on Thursday afternoon, Jacobs and North Star Sport Horses’ 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Aldatus Z x Cruising) claimed Friday’s $32,000 GGT Footing CSI3* Welcome Stake. After a day of rest, Jacobs’ mount—fondly known as “Roy” around the barn—came back out in winning from over one final Guilherme Jorge (BRA) designed track in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring.
"This week was absolutely incredible,” gushed Jacobs. “This grand prix has been a big goal of mine and after having already had such a great week I went in thinking ‘if I win that’s great but if I just get a good placing and a good round I’m still happy’. Then to have won, I was just like ‘wow, is this week even real’.
“Every day I come out on him, I know that if I don’t screw it up I can win,” Jacobs continued. “He’s a spectacular horse and he’s the type that gets better the more you jump him, so I actually think his jump-off today was his best round all week.”
Jorge built a long and technical track for his final track of the week, which saw a field of 33 international athletes. The first-round time allowed proved to be an issue for only one challenger, but another handful of riders suffered from one downed rail and were unable to advance. Ultimately, nine horse-and-rider pairings produced a fault-free effort and moved forward, including speed specialists such as Kent Farrington (USA), Hunter Holloway (USA), and Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP). Jacobs and Roy once again proved that their foot speed is invaluable as they raced to the top of the leaderboard in a blazing 35.31 seconds to effectively shut the door on the remaining competitors.
Winning was all Jacobs, 29, knew how to do during opening week of the Tournament of Champions. After topping the $32,000 Stud Tree CSI3* Two-Phase on Thursday afternoon, Jacobs and North Star Sport Horses’ 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Aldatus Z x Cruising) claimed Friday’s $32,000 GGT Footing CSI3* Welcome Stake. After a day of rest, Jacobs’ mount—fondly known as “Roy” around the barn—came back out in winning from over one final Guilherme Jorge (BRA) designed track in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring.
"This week was absolutely incredible,” gushed Jacobs. “This grand prix has been a big goal of mine and after having already had such a great week I went in thinking ‘if I win that’s great but if I just get a good placing and a good round I’m still happy’. Then to have won, I was just like ‘wow, is this week even real’.
“Every day I come out on him, I know that if I don’t screw it up I can win,” Jacobs continued. “He’s a spectacular horse and he’s the type that gets better the more you jump him, so I actually think his jump-off today was his best round all week.”
Jorge built a long and technical track for his final track of the week, which saw a field of 33 international athletes. The first-round time allowed proved to be an issue for only one challenger, but another handful of riders suffered from one downed rail and were unable to advance. Ultimately, nine horse-and-rider pairings produced a fault-free effort and moved forward, including speed specialists such as Kent Farrington (USA), Hunter Holloway (USA), and Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP). Jacobs and Roy once again proved that their foot speed is invaluable as they raced to the top of the leaderboard in a blazing 35.31 seconds to effectively shut the door on the remaining competitors.