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.”

Scott Goes 1-2 in National Hunter Derby

The $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby had 26 entries, and after two rounds of competition, it was Keirstin Scott of North Salem, NY, and In the Moment, owned by Elizabeth T. Clark, who led the victory gallop. They scored 90 and a class high of 94 to win with a total of 184. Scott and Copacabana, a 12-year-old Holsteiner mare by Cassini I owned by Hannah Scheuer, finished second with scores of 89 and 90.5 for a 179.5 total. Laura Bowery riding Incognito in third (87.5+90=177.5) and Monalisa (87+89=176) in fourth for owner Justine Ryan.

It was the handy round that pushed “Yogi” into the winning position in the class.

“As far as the handy round with Yogi, I felt like I had to go in and really gallop and show off, because Kimberly Witherspoon’s horse, Nanook, was on top,” recalled Scott. “I knew Yogi would deliver in the handy round, so I felt like I had to be extra brilliant if I wanted to move up because of Nanook’s great first-round performance.”
Scott and Clark found Yogi in the fall of 2025 and have been bringing him along in the Green 3’3” Hunter and Adult Hunter divisions. “He's really a super show horse,” said Scott of the seven-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Emerald van’t Ruytershof x Lord Z.

“When the class starts, he really steps up to the plate,” she said. “He is so scopey, brave, and willing that you can do classes like the derby, and he really will deliver in that kind of setting.”

Scott is a regular competitor at Saratoga Horse Shows and appreciates that management is always looking for ways to improve their show experience.

“I think they do a stand-out job, especially with special events like the hunter derbies,” she affirmed. “They hold the classes during an exhibitors’ party under the VIP tent, everybody sits together and cheers, and it really supports the camaraderie. Having regional championships here is so nice because we love this venue. This is one of our favorite shows all year. It feels like they really care that we have a nice experience, and that really shows.”

Sheptoff Sees Hunter Derby Blue Two Weeks in a Row

Let’s Wait and See HX, ridden by Jean Sheptoff and owned by Redfield Farm, had a total score of 358 thanks to rounds of 171 and 187 to win the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championship.

Second place went to Alexa Harris riding Como L for Jordan Kempisty. They scored 161 and 180 for a total of 341. Harris also picked up third place on Inca Car, owned by Heather Potrzeba, with scores of 168 and 165 for a 333 total.

Sheptoff and Let’s Wait and See HX also won the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Saratoga Classic I Horse Show the previous week. It’s an auspicious start for the 10-year-old KWPN gelding by Entertainer x Colman, who just started in the hunter classes at the beginning of the year after competing in the jumpers.

“The hunter ring seems to really suit him,” said Sheptoff. “I'd rather the horses have a job that they're happy doing. To me, it just feels more natural for him.”

With their new relationship together, Sheptoff does not see the USHJA International Derby National Championship in their future for this year. “This is setting for the future a bit,” she explained. “I didn't have ‘derby finals’ on our schedule for this year because I feel like that would be a little overwhelming for him. We would like to focus on some of these more local international derbies and keep doing the high performance hunters, and then maybe next year, we'll consider doing derby finals.”

The Saratoga Horse Shows return in July with the Saratoga Women In Business Spectacular on July 8-12 and the Summer Celebration on July 15-18.

JULY SERIES SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• $25,000 Grand Prix
• $10,500 Junior/Amateur Jumper Section
• $10,000 Jumper Classic
• $5,000 1.30M Welcome
• WCHR Week & USHJA $15,000 Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship
• $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
• $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
• NEW! $10,000 Thoroughbred Classic
• $17,500 Professional Hunter
• $10,000 A/O Hunter
• $14,000 Jr. Hunter
• $7,000 Children’s/Adult Hunter
• $2,000 Junior and A/O Classics
• $2,000 Non-Pro 2’3”/2’6” Derby
• $1,500 Low Children’s/Adult Hunter
• $1,500 Pony Derby
• $1,000 Pony Classic
• Northeast Pony Championship
• Classes/Divisions for all levels
• USHJA Outreach Shows