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At the beginning of March, 30-year-old Charlotte Jacobs was part of the all-female U.S. team that won the CSIO4* Nations Cup in Wellington, FL, USA, riding Playboy JT Z (Presley Boy x Plot Blue) – stepping to the top of the podium alongside Laura Kraut, Natalie Dean and Carly Anthony.

“I think Robert has done an amazing job incorporating the next generation,” Charlotte says about USA’s chef d’equipe Robert Ridland. “I am really excited about 2025 because it's a non-championship year for the U.S. so I think there's going to be a lot of opportunities for the up-and-coming riders. It'll be exciting to see what the rest of the year looks like.”

Charlotte rode with Missy Clark and John Brennan at North Run for seven years and had a very competitive junior career. “When I aged out when I turned 18, I went to college to the University of Miami,” she tells. “I took those four years and rode as an amateur, I had two or three horses and did it for fun. After I graduated, I worked in Boston for two years. I was still riding the whole time, but as a hobby. However, it made me realise that I wanted to take the sport seriously again.”

I'll always have a love for the animals and the sport no matter what level I’m competing at

“When I first came back to ride full-time at the end of 2018, I started working with Greg Broderick at Ballypatrick Stables in Ireland,” Charlotte tells about a turning point in her career. “He was over in the U.S. for a season and my now-husband, Matt Calderwood, was working with him at the time. I built a good relationship and a strong partnership with Greg and have spent three summers over in Ireland.”

Charlotte’s first year in Ireland was when the Covid-pandemic hit. “I spent a lot of time riding all different types of horses from 4-year-olds all the way up to a few of his Grand Prix horses,” she recalls. “It really made me love the sport again and made me want to do it in any capacity. To be able to do this at the highest level is amazing, and I'm so grateful to do it, but I'll always have a love for the animals and the sport no matter what level I’m competing at.”

“I'm a very competitive person and I love to win but my love for the horses will always overpower that,” Charlotte continues. “I've done this at so many different levels now – I did the equitation, I did the hunters, jumpers, young horses, everything really. It's not just that I'm jumping five-stars, I'm just as happy if I'm riding a young horse.”

Hopefully in the next few years there will be greater efforts to make it more affordable and more accessible to produce young horses here

When it comes to producing young horses, Charlotte sees a big difference between the American and European systems. “There's not a lot of production of young horses in America,” she points out. “There’s a gap between Europe and America, but it’s something I think they are trying to address. Hopefully in the next few years there will be greater efforts to make it more affordable and more accessible to produce young horses here. I'm very fortunate that my parents have always supported me in developing the horses here in America, but it's not an easy thing to get into due to the costs.”

“My string of horses is very exciting at the moment,” Charlotte – currently ranked 80th on the Longines Rankings – tells. “My oldest horse is Rincoola Milsean (Aldatus Z x Cruising), who is 12 – but he's out right now. He had an unfortunate injury in September, but we’re looking to have him back in competition this summer. He's taken me to unbelievable places in my career. I have four talented 10-year-olds; Playboy JT Z – who is my top horse, Korbach van de Renger (Colestus x Concorde) – who I just bought from Jos Lansink, Instrumental (Qualdandro x VDL Indoctro), and Thomascourt Ballypatrick (Balou du Rouet x VDL Indoctro). I also have a very exciting and talented 9-year-old called Pablo C (Pollux de Muze Z x Pacino) that I have had since he was 5, and a few more youngsters that look promising for the future”

Both of Charlotte’s parents have been involved with horses since they were young – her dad Louis competed in the top sport, while her mum Joan was a groom at the highest level.  “She took care of a horse called The Natural who won the 1987 World Cup Final with Katherine Burdsall,” Charlotte tells. “She worked with Burdsall, Melanie Smith and the Leone-family. My dad was on the winning Nations Cup team in Aachen and is the only American to have ever won the Hamburg Derby.”

It's a family sport for us

“I grew up around horses at our farms in East Aurora, New York, and in Wellington. My whole family rode; my cousins, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents – so it was always in my blood. It's a family sport for us. Today, I’m in the lucky position that my parents own all my horses – most of them have been invested in as young horses to develop – and my husband Matt manages everything for me. We're very tight knit – and we're literally family.”

In the future, Charlotte hopes to make it on to more Nations Cup teams. “We will see where we are at the end of WEF,” she points out. “Most of my horses are still developing, so I'm going to see where we finish and do a few shows post season down here and in Kentucky. I'm going to do the Major League circuit again this year, so we'll focus on that as well.”

Having my dad ride on teams, I always knew wearing the jacket would be an incredible honour

“It's something I've always dreamed of being a part of,” Charlotte tells about wearing the red jacket for Team U.S. “Having my dad ride on teams, I always knew wearing the jacket would be an incredible honour. I've had the chance to do it a few times, but never at home and I've never been on a winning team before. I have so much belief in my horse and my amazing team and being able to showcase that was something I'm very proud of. The way the four of us came together on Saturday night to deliver that win is something I’ll always remember. From Robert, Lizzie, Team USA, to each individual rider’s team – horses, owners, grooms, vets, farriers, physios, partners – you feel everyone come together for something bigger, and I think that's what makes team wins so special. I knew that we had a really good chance to win and to be able to go in and do it was really fun. Doing so with a strong team of all-female riders was even better.”

26.3.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.