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Thursday, May 3, 2018

RUS NY Announces Fair Series Schedule



The excitement of racing under saddle at New York State county fairs will continue this summer. 

RUS New York, an organization that helps promote the sport and the versatility of Standardbreds, is excited to announce its fifth fair series. Races will begin on Thursday, July 5 at Afton Fair and conclude with the final at Monticello Raceway Thursday, Sept. 6.

The series will include nine race legs and a championship final race, with points earned along the way to determine final entries.  Monticello Raceway has generously offered to to provide $2,500 for the final. A High Point Rider Award will once again be presented at the final to the rider who has earned the most points, regardless of horse(s) ridden throughout the series. Race conditions can be found on the RUS NY website, rus-newyork.com. Please note some rules and regulations to participate in RUS NY events have been changed so be sure to check that page out on the group’s website. 


Official dates and locations for the series are as follows:

Thursday, July  5 ------ Afton Fair 
Tuesday, July 17------ “Little World’s Fair" in Hemlock
Tuesday, July 24-------Oneida County in Boonville
Tuesday, July 31------- Otsego County Fair in Morris
Monday, Aug. 6 ------ Tioga County in Owego
Wednesday, Aug. 8 ----- Oswego County in Sandy Creek 
Monday, Aug. 13 ---- Wayne County in Palmyra
Tuesday, Aug. 14 ---- Steuben County in Bath
Tuesday, Aug. 21 ----- Tompkins County in Trumansburg
Thursday, Sept. 6—— Fair Final at Monticello Raceway

RUS is yet to be self sufficient in the United States particularly because of legislation that prohibits wagering. Hopefully one day that will change. But until then, finding sponsors and ways to fundraise has been the biggest challenge moving forward.

The series’ flagship sponsor, The New York Sire Stakes, has generously donated $5,000 as initial purse money. The goal is to have a purse of $750 or more per fair.  Members of RUS New York are working hard and have held several fundraisers with more planned for the future. RUS New York is currently looking for sponsors and donations such as tickets to places and events, gift certificates, gift baskets and other items that can be used to raise money at various fundraising events. A PayPal account has also been set up where people can make secure donations.

What you get for your buck:

  • For as little as $100 you will be provided advertisement on our website. 
  • For just $200 or more you will get mention in all promotions such as race programs. 
  • For $500 or more you will be provided everything above as well as a feature spot on our homepage.(we will link our website promotions to your website or Facebook page if provided)

Become a part of the winning experience and sponsor a race by having your logo or business name printed on a cooler. Sponsors will have the opportunity to present the cooler or the group can have someone do it on the sponsor’s behalf. Our organization must have a completed  sponsorship form three weeks before the date of the race. See our race schedule for race dates to inquire about possible race sponsorships. 

To learn more, visit http://www.rus-newyork.com/become-a-sponsor.html.  RUS NY will be coordinating races with parimutuel tracks soon.

What is Racing Under Saddle: 

Also known as Monte Racing, RUS, is a hybrid between harness racing and thoroughbred racing. The sport consists of a rider atop a Standardbred (generally a trotter) in a saddle instead of pulling a sulky.  RUS is an exciting part of international standardbred racing and is conducted daily at most European tracks as part of their regular pari-mutuel wagering programs.

The Fair Series is organized by RUS NY, an organization that helps coordinate and promote under saddle races across the state. The main goal is to promote the unique sport,  educate about the versatility of the Standardbred breed as both a racing and a riding horse and to help Standardbreds find great homes after they finish their days on the track.

To keep up on RUS NY happenings follow the group at:

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