Rauschenbach Shaves Time for Victory with Gillette B in $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix
The Saratoga Classic II Horse Show wrapped up on Sunday, June 21, 2026, and awards were presented to a variety of winners from the Pony Hunters to Grand Prix jumpers. Madison Rauschenbach of Newburgh, NY, and her own Gillette B shaved two seconds off for the winning time in the $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix. Jean Sheptoff and Let’s Wait and See HZ, owned by Redfield Farm, were victorious in the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championship, while Keirstin Scott and In the Moment, owned by Elizabeth T. Clark, topped the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby.
Madison Rauschenbach and Gillette B picked up their third grand prix win together on Saturday, June 20, in the $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix out of 20 entries. Their partnership of eight years showed in the jump-off, where they easily shaved time off with slicing jumps and inside turns. In an exciting, competitive jump-off where each entry went faster than the last, Rauschenbach was the only one of five in the jump-off to finish under 40 seconds in 39.779 seconds. Second place went to junior rider Scarlett Samuels on Confidence, owned by Channel Equestrian LLC, who stopped the timers in 41.546 seconds. Matt Heinzle and Kinky Boy van het Gildenhof, owned by Blue Trim LLC, were third with a jump-off time of 42.317 seconds.
“She felt a little bit quiet going in, and I had a lot of lucky rubs in my first round,” said Rauschenbach. “In the jump-off, she just kept getting better and better, and I just kept turning tighter and tighter. She is so quick across the ground that I never really have to worry about my speed. She’s something else.”
The pair won team silver medals in the 2019 North American Youth Championships (NAYC) in the junior division and 2021 in the young rider division. Since then, “Linda” has had a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, including an EPM diagnosis and recovery four years ago, giving birth to a foal by Hard Rock Z three years ago, and coming back to the show ring to compete in the .70m Jumpers with Rauschenbach’s cousin. When she realized that Linda was unhappy at that height, Rauschenbach took the time to get Linda fit to jump at the grand prix level again.
“I’ve done all of my firsts with her: my first 1.40m, my first 1.50m, she took me to young riders and jumped clear, and she was also my first grand prix win,” said Rauschenbach of the 15-year-old KWPN mare by VDL Glasgow van het Merelsnest x Ahorn. “She’s just a gift that keeps on giving. She always shows up, and she never disappoints. She’s always right there when I need her, and I’m beyond lucky to have her.”
The 23-year-old turned professional at the end of the summer in 2025 and has been learning to balance teaching clients and her own riding pursuits. She flew home from the USEF Junior Hunter Finals in Kentucky on Friday and drove more than two hours on Saturday morning to compete in Saratoga.
“I have a really good team, and my family is very involved, so I’m really lucky,” expressed Rauschenbach. “My team was able to have her here and ready, so I could just show up and compete. My whole barn family is so supportive. It’s been really fun to have such an amazing support group of people that are always there for you. It’s a real, real good life.”
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Rauschenbach Shaves Time for Victory with Gillette B in $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix
