The
excitement of racing under saddle at New York State county fairs will continue
this summer and looks to be bigger than ever.
RUS New
York, an organization that helps promote the sport and the versatility of
Standardbreds, is excited to announce its sixth fair series. Races will begin
on Sunday, June 16 at Goshen Historical Track and conclude with the final at
Monticello Raceway Thursday, Sept. 5.
Thanks
to the series’ flagship sponsor, The
New York Sire Stakes, at least 10 race legs will be held with a culmination
of a championship final race. Points earned along the way will determine final
entries.
“The
goal is to have higher purses this year in hopes of getting more
participation,” RUS NY President Michelle Miller said. “We have worked hard at
getting sponsorships and conducting fundraisers to try and get funds where we
can confidently provide purses that are more comparable to the harness program.
We want to get more horses on the track.”
Miller
said there is another significant incentive to boost participation this season.
She said three sponsors, Oneida Veterinary Associates, PLLC, Tioga and Vernon
Downs, pulled together to offer a $4,000 rider award challenge and funds will
be distributed based on points earned at the end of the series. Points will be
awarded to riders regardless of horse(s) ridden throughout the series.
“Riders
will need to participate in at least five races leading up to the final to
qualify so it will hopefully help fill fields, “ said Miller. “We cannot thank
these sponsors enough for providing this opportunity to our riders because
owners get purse money so this may help riders get involved and cover
costs.”
More
information about the challenge will be released by the group.
The
series will be for trotters only this year as it has been in the past,
according to Miller.
“The
hope is to offer some pace races this year since the USTA officially approved a
rule allowing this,” Miller said. “We could eventually possibly have races with
horses of both gaits, chose to do a separate series or continue to offer just
pace races on their own; we just have to figure out what will work best. We
hope to use this season to see how much interest there will be. It will
also give those not yet licensed who want to get involved time to do so and
become members of our organization. Having more races means more funds which
takes more manpower.”
Fair
Series conditions can be found on the RUS NY website, rus-newyork.com. Membership is free and open
to anyone as being a resident of New York is not a requirement. For more
information visit, http://www.rus-newyork.com/membership.html.
RUS New
York is also working on organizing some demonstrations to promote the
versatility of the breed and have some fairs on board to add to the race days.
The group’s website is the best resource for event dates and information.
Official dates and locations for the series are as follows:
- Sunday,
June 16 ----
Goshen Historical Track (1p.m. post)
- Thursday, June
20 ---- Afton
Fair (noon post)
- Tuesday,
July 16 --- “Little
World’s Fair" in Hemlock (noon post)
- Tuesday, July
23
--- Oneida County in Boonville (11AM Post)
- Tuesday,
July 30
--- Otsego County Fair in Morris (noon post)
- Monday,
Aug. 5 --- Tioga
County in Owego (noon post)
- Tuesday,
Aug. 6 --- Schoharie
County Sunshine Fair in Cobleskill (noon post)
- Monday,
Aug. 12 ---
Wayne County in Palmyra (noon post)
- Tuesday, Aug.
13 --- Steuben
County in Bath (noon post)
- Tuesday,
Aug. 20 ---
Tompkins County in Trumansburg (noon post)
RUS New
York is offering a sponsorship opportunity that will allow supporters to be a
part of the winning experience. For $300 a sponsor can get a business logo or
saying on a cooler and will be invited to present it as an award to each fair
winner. The group needs at least a three week notice to make this happen so if
interested contact Miller at mnmiller84@gmail.com.
Sponsors
can advertise in every fair program for as little as $200. There is a June 1
deadline for maximum sponsorship benefits. For other sponsorship opportunities
contact Cathy Gearwar at fourgears@shoreham.net
or by phone at (802) 537-2145. A PayPal account has been set up where people
can make secure donations. To learn more, visit http://www.rus-newyork.com/become-a-sponsor.html.
Other
ways to support the group is 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.
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 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:
- Facebook.com/RUSNYSeries
- Twitter.com/RUS_NewYork
- http://rus-newyork.blogspot.com
- Rus-newyork.com
