Robert Blanchette and Chardonnay topped an eight-horse jump off to capture the $100,000 VOLVO Canada Cup at Thunderbird Show Park (tbird) in 91原创 on Saturday, Aug, 28.

The win marked the first for Chardonnay in international competition, and Blanchette sees a bright future ahead for the chestnut mare that joined his string just over a year ago.

鈥淪he鈥檚 just a top horse,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think for me, it takes a year to get to know them. It鈥檚 been a little over a year now, and we鈥檙e just getting there.鈥�

The 10-year-old Westphalian mare had only just stepped up to the three-star grand prix level a week prior at tbird, but she passed the test with flying colors, finishing third in the $100,000 ATCO Cup.

In the jump-off Saturday for the $100,000 VOLVO Canada Cup, Blanchette decided to try out some new gears.

The result was an emphatic victory.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Vanessa Mannix and Catinka 25 impress in $100,000 ATCO Cup win at 91原创鈥檚 tbird on Sunday

ATCO Cup victors Vanessa Mannix and Catinka 25 settled for second, with Conor Swail and Theo 160 third.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had a horse that could go that fast at that height and make it seem so easy,鈥� Blanchette said.

鈥淚鈥檝e never actually pushed her,鈥� Blanchette said. 鈥淚 was always thinking that she had a lot of scope and there was no reason to make her a lower-level speed horse, so I never went fast with her. My plan [today] was to go in and ride feels what [felt] right.

READ ALSO: Second win for Swail at tbird

Blanchette referenced a quote from Swedish Olympian Peter Eriksson, expressing that it wasn鈥檛 a rider鈥檚 job to win by 鈥渟ix seconds.鈥� One only needed to win by 鈥渁 sixth of a second.鈥�

RESULTS:

$100,000 VOLVO Canada Cup

Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Chardonnay / Robert Blanchette / IRL / RTS LLC / 0/0 39.95

2. Catinka 25 / Vanessa Mannix / CAN / Vanessa Mannix / 0/0 40.02

3. Theo 160 / Conor Swail / IRL / Conor Swail / 0/0 40.66

4. Baton Rouge / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / CAN / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / 0/0 41.13

5. Coupis / Robert Blanchette / IRL / Robert Blanchette 0/0 41.48

6. Livestream 2 / Lisa Carlsen / CAN / Lisa Carlsen / 0/0 41.63

7. Etalon / Kyle King / USA / Carlotte Maclean / 0/4 39.45

8. Buddy Bounce / Darrin Dlin / CAN / Dorothy Dlin / 0/8 43.26

9. EZ Ace / Justin Prather / CAN / Bradon Equestrian Ltd / 4 73.76

10. Beneficial / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / CAN / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / 4 75.85