Rachel Schnurr has big week at Equestrian Festival in Palgrave!
Rachel Schnurr won two in a row last week during the Equestrian Festival at Caledon Equestrian Park, claiming top prize in both the $10,000 Modified Grand Prix Presented by Sprucewood Tack Shop and the $25,000 Grand Prix presented by Leon’s.
Schnurr beat out a starting field of 10 on Sunday (July 30) in the $25,000 Grand Prix — Presented by Leon’s riding PRINCE GARBO. The pair won in exciting fashion with all five entries making the jump-off going double clear.
Hilary Donaldson of Leon’s making the presentation of awards to Rachel Schnurr and Prince Garbo for their victory of the $25,000 Grand Prix Presented by Leon’s.
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi Photography.
Kim Farlinger and Stanley Stone led things off in the second round with an impressive time of 36.87. Tottenham’s Erynn Ballard followed that up with an equally impressive run that saw she and her ride Extra B shave 0.15 seconds off Farlinger and Stanley Stone’s time to move into first place.
That time stood until Schnurr and PRINCE GARBO — a 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood owned by Sara Tindale — posted the eventual winning time of 35.93 seconds. Jeff Brandmaier went last in the jump off posting a third-place finishing time of 36.85, moving Farlinger into fourth by 0.02 seconds.
“I watched the very first girl (Kim Farlinger) go, she’s the one who beat me on Friday and I thought to myself there’s no way I’m beating that (time),” said Schnurr. I I think on Friday I started a little slower than I did today, and I think what really helped me is getting to the first jump a little quicker because I always enter the timers a little slow. So that was my go-to strategy today.”
“I just got (PRINCE GARBO) in January. I haven’t had him very long but he’s a super-fabulous animal. He wants to win just as badly as I do, maybe even more, so he’s fantastic and I love him,” added Schnurr following Sunday’s win.
The Grand Prix win was Schnurr’s second big win in as many days after also coming out on top in the $10,000 Modified Grand Prix — Presented by Sprucewood Tack Shop on Saturday.
Rachel Schnurr and Daedalos Z negotiating the course of the $10,000 Modified Grand Prix presented by Sprucewood tack Shop. Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi Photography.
Saturday saw Schnurr and her ride Daedalos Z taking home the red ribbon after besting a starting field of 14 in the Modified Grand Prix. Both the Modified and the Grand Prix were held in the Jumper 1 ring,overseen for the week by Canadian course designer Dave Ballard.
Schnurr and Daedalos Z — a nine-year-old of Zangersheide breeding — advanced to the jump-off along with seven other competitors. The pair beat out runners up Rachel Cornacchia and VALKYRIE DE TALMA by nearly a half a second
.
Rachel Schnurr being presented with the winning award for the $10,000 Modified Grand Prix Presented by Sprucewood Tack Shop at the Equestrian Festival, July 29th.
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi Photography.
Natasha Smith Avery and Beam P rounded out the top three, with Jim Ifko and VERA DE LA ROQUE placing fourth followed by Jacqueline Steffens and Euro’s Chin Up in fifth.
“(Daedalos Z) is one of my own actually. I’ve had him since he was about four and he’s nine now. It’s taken a little while to get him to this point, but it’s exciting to actually see him do well now,” said Schnurr.
“He’s actually quite slow, so yesterday I was really trying to be efficient through my turns because he’s got a big stride but can turn really tight. He went in and turned like a professional yesterday, so that was exciting,” she added.
Schnurr and PRINCE GARBO also placed second in Friday’s $10,000 Open Welcome — Presented Maaax Equine Feed, losing by less than half a second to Farlinger and Stanley Stone.
As on Sunday, Farlinger, Schnurr, Erynn Ballard and Brandmaier battled it for top prize. All four made it through to the jump off and like Sunday all four went double clear.
Farlinger and Stanley Stone, last to go in Friday’s jump-off. The pair capped off an exciting second round with a flawless run after both Schnurr and Brandmaier posted times shaving nearly a full second off the rest eight-competitor field ahead of them.