Charlotte Jacobs Races to Victory in the $32,000 BrainJuice Two-Phase CSI 5*

By Jumper News on 2026-08-27

Bridgehampton, United States – August 27, 2026 – Many of the horse-and-rider combinations competing in Thursday’s $32,000 BrainJuice Two-Phase CSI 5* seemed to get faster as time went on, giving spectators an exciting taste of what’s to come at the 2026 Hampton Classic. In the end, it was Charlotte Jacobs (USA) and Cristiano Obolensky who stood atop the podium, claiming victory in a blistering double-clear time of 26.17 seconds.

Course designer Nick Granat (CAN) presented 62 entries representing 10 nations with a twisting 1.45m track that featured 13 numbered jumps in Thursday’s $32,000 BrainJuice Two-Phase CSI 5*. Jacobs went early in the order with her first mount, Playboy JT Z, then used her knowledge and Cristiano Obolensky’s footspeed to launch to the top of the leaderboard in 26.17 seconds. The class’s top three finishers were within half a second of each other.

“First I jumped the horse that I’m going to ride in the Grand Prix on Sunday, and I knew I had Cristiano coming later,” Jacobs said. “I really wanted to take a swing and win the class with him. I was very happy with the results with both.

“My horse is naturally very, very fast, is ultra careful in the air, and has a lot of experience going quick,” she continued about North Star’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “I think that came into play today, and it just fell into our lap. Nayel (Nassar) and Samantha (Schaefer) both had amazing rounds, so it was close. It was a great day today. My horses were great here last year, and we’re hoping for the best on Sunday.”

**Nayel Nassar** (EGY) & **Crislin van den Bosrand Z**

Second-place honors went to Nayel Nassar (EGY) for his faultless, 26.46-second score aboard Crislin van den Bosrand Z, Evergate Stables LLC’s 9-year-old Zangersheide mare.

**Samantha Schaefer** (USA) & **James Bond HX**

Samantha Schaefer (USA) landed third in 26.51 seconds aboard James Bond HX, Bonne Chance LLC’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

Now that the Hampton Classic’s FEI division has officially started, the standings for the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenges have been split. Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) leads the $20,000 Longines Rider Challenge for the 5* division with 194 points. Mark Bluman (ISR) is second with 140 points, and Peter Lutz (USA) sits third with 112 points.

Celebrating 51 years of world-class equestrian competition in Bridgehampton, NY, the Hampton Classic features FEI CSI 5* and CSI 2* show jumping and USEF Premier hunter competitions with more than $1 million in prize money, August 23-30.