by CJ Millar, Horsefly Group

Monticello, NY — The official conditions for the RUS New York 2014 Fair Series have been published and are available on the website.

Conditions differ slightly from some of the other RUS events such as the Hambletonian Series, to allow a wider selection of horses and riders to participate, in keeping with traditional fair racing. Some of the key differences are a more lenient qualifying time of 2:20 on a half or larger for horses, and the allowance of horses over the age of 14 to participate in the Fair Series. Rider requirements, however, remain the same and all riders must hold a current, active RUS license on file with the USTA. Full details in the NYSS Fair Book can be found at RUS New York’s website, including entry deadlines and draw dates.

RUS New York is thankful to flagship sponsor New York Sire Stakes and to two nationally recognized brands, Draper Therapies and Horse Quencher, in conjunction with series sponsors Crawford Farms and Eric Abbatiello Racing. Thanks to their generous support, RUS New York has put together an estimated purse schedule for each of the races. The following purses are tentative with the minimum purse listed below as of June 25. As more sponsors come on board, purses may increase, so we encourage everyone to consider becoming a sponsor.

• 7/3 Thurs – Goshen Meet, Goshen, NY – $1,000 est., plus winner prizes from Horse Quencher and Draper Therapies
• 7/10 Thu – Afton Fair, Afton, NY – $1,000 est.
• 7/14 Mon – Seneca County Fair, Waterloo, NY – $500 est.
• 7/29 Tues – Otsego County Fair, Morris, NY – $500 est.
• 8/5 – Chenango County Fair, Norwich, NY – $500 est.
• 8/12 Tues – Steuben County Fair, Bath, NY – $500 est.
• 8/19 Tues – Tompkins County Fair, Trumansburg, NY, Series final race – $2,000 est. plus 20 pound bucket of Horse Quencher and embroidered championship cooler from Draper Therapies. Rider gift bags from our sponsors for all participants.

In addition to the Goshen and Tompkins County Fair races, many of the legs will have prizes awarded to the winner from our sponsors, Draper Therapies and Horse Quencher, and some races will also have rider gift bags for all participants.

Sponsorship is a great way to support the world of Standardbred Racing and RUS, while also gaining exposure for your company and brand. Benefits vary by level of sponsorship, and include mention in fair programs, across the web, and ongoing mention in all publications online and off — including social, blogging, press releases and in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of each race.

All marketing is being handled by Horsefly Group, an international marketing agency. Horsefly Group’s digital director, CJ Millar, is also the marketing director for RUS New York and RUS Nation, and a licensed RUS rider as well as an avid equestrian. All sponsorship inquiries can be directed to her at cj@horseflygroup.com or 973.626.3673.