Palm Beach Masters Series Hosting Premier Show Jumping Competitions
Deeridge Farms, the world-class equestrian venue owned by Jeremy and Peggy Jacobs, is hosting three of show jumping’s biggest events in 2019 as part of its expanded Palm Beach Masters Series. New to the series this year is the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of the United States of America, which returns to Wellington after a brief absence.
The Jacobs family name has been synonymous with equestrian sports for decades. They have hosted events at their picturesque Wellington farm for the past three years. The 2019 Palm Beach Masters Series schedule will open with the Palm Beach Masters CSI4*-W (Jan. 30 – Feb. 3) featuring the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Wellington, one of the final two East Coast qualifiers determining which North American show jumping riders qualify for the 2019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden in April.
The closing event is the Deeridge Derby (Feb. 28 – March 3), a USEF nationally rated show where the nation’s most elegant hunter horses and riders will take center stage. The highlight will be the highly competitive $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Last year’s winners, Brad Wolf’s Private Practice and Victoria Colvin, went on to top the 2018 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships.
In between these events is the icing on the cake — the newly added Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of the United States of America (Feb. 14-17). A thrilling CSIO5* team competition, this Nations Cup will act as the only qualifier in the U.S. for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, Spain next fall. The event will also include the FEI Jumping Nations Cup youth competitions for Young Riders, Juniors and Children, showcasing the next generation of elite show jumping talent. The Nations Cup will be hosted annually at Deeridge Farms through the year 2021, and previous events hosted by the Jacobs family leaves little doubt that it will be presented on a grand scale.
The show grounds at Deeridge Farms feature breathtaking scenery, unrivaled hospitality, custom-built jumping rings and world-class facilities. The grounds also feature diverse shopping boutiques to browse and enjoy, as well as the venue’s renowned VIP Club, an exquisite two-story destination for watching the classes in either of the two competition arenas. There, guests are offered culinary delicacies with an ample variety of beverages, all provided with attentive service tailored to every need.
“This is an amazing event,” said Irish show jumper Daniel Coyle, who won last year’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Wellington at Deeridge Farms. “The conditions could not be any better; the footing is perfect and being here is just a fantastic experience.”
Celebrating its 110th year in 2019, the FEI Jumping Nations Cup is equestrian sport’s oldest and most prestigious team competition. National federations from around the world assemble teams of their most talented horse and rider combinations, and the groups compete as a team, just as they do in the Olympics. The worldwide Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup series is split into six regions: Europe, North/Central America/Caribbean, South America, Middle East, Asia/Australasia and Africa. Canada, Mexico and the United States host only one qualifier each.
The first FEI Nations Cup competition held in the U.S. was in 1911 at the National Horse Show at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It continued there through 1998, with a brief stint at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, from 1989-1995. Other U.S. hosts have included Boston, from 1929-1932; the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, from 1948-1972; and the Washington International Horse Show, from 1973-2001.
A Nations Cup was first held in Wellington in 2002, but the only United States qualifier for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final moved to Ocala for 2015 through 2018. Now, thanks to the Jacobs family, that qualifier is back in Wellington.
The Jacobs family has a storied history in equestrian sport. Family patriarch Jeremy Jacobs was a highly successful rider in the hunter divisions, regularly winning championships at major horse shows. He and wife Peggy have also owned or part-owned several elite Grand Prix horses that have represented the U.S. internationally, including, among others, the legendary Authentic. The well-known bay won two Olympic gold medals with Beezie Madden and was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame last year.
Jeremy and Peggy’s children have earned many of their own accolades in the saddle. Lou Jacobs was a successful Grand Prix rider in the 1980s and 1990s. He was named Grand Prix Rookie of the Year in 1982 and rode on winning Nations Cup teams at some of the world’s biggest horse shows, including Aachen and Washington, D.C. Still active at the sport’s highest levels, Charlie Jacobs has similarly competed on several winning Nations Cup teams and has represented the U.S. in four of the last five FEI Jumping World Cup Finals. Also still active, Katie Jacobs Robinson competes on the big-league hunter circuit and, like her father, has won championships at virtually every major horse show.
“We are thrilled and honored to bring the prestigious Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup back to Wellington,” Lou Jacobs said. “From the outset, our goal with the series has been to ensure that Wellington is a favorite destination for the highest levels of equestrian sport, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to producing a world-class experience for all of our riders, horses and spectators. Above all else, we hope to engage and inspire future generations of riders and equestrian fans. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Wellington, the U.S. capital of horse sport, and in particular to Deeridge Farms, for the Nations Cup and for what we believe will be one of the most exciting equestrian events to be held here in a long time.”
For more information about the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of the United States of America and the Palm Beach Masters Series, visit www.palmbeachmasters.com.
