NYSS to donate purse money to RUS NY

from RUS NY

The New York Sire Stakes will once again generously donate initial purse money for another Racing Under Saddle season at New York fairs.

Members of the Agriculture and New York State Breeding Development Fund Board approved a grant of $5,000, which is $1,000 more than what was given last year. However, additional sponsorship and help will be needed to make a 2015 season possible.

The goal is to make the second season even bigger and better than the first. In order to do that we need to start organizing a more formal committee and perhaps create subcommittees within that committee. We need more people involved. We do not only need committed owners, trainers and riders, but we need people who will help get sponsors, write blogs, promote the sport etc.

There are already more fairs that want to get on board and host a race. Our biggest challenge is getting enough sponsorship funds to have reasonable purses at each fair.

While the racing season may seem far away, it will be here before we know it. Now is the time to start organizing and planning!

The first step is to see who we can get on board and to see if we can find a central place to host meetings. We will also work on a way to get people involved via internet chat such as Skype or something similar if people are too far to attend personally.

If you are interested in getting involved please contact Race Coordinator Michelle Miller at mnmiller84@gmail.com or 607.643.8047. Also keep an eye on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RUSNYSeries, and webpage, rus-newyork.com, for upcoming meetings and plans as we move forward.

We would also like to get some idea of how many horses/riders we might get this summer so we can plan on raising more money for multiple divisions if needed. Interest seemed to get greater as the season went on last year and we want to be prepared and not be scrambling for purse money at the last minute.

If you plan to ride, expect to participate in at least one fundraiser and get involved with the committee at some level.

Last season the RUS NY 2014 Fair Series featured six legs and a championship final race. The series ran throughout the months of July and August, giving participants the opportunity to earn points towards the final.

In order to be eligible for the final, horses needed to compete and finish in any two of the six legs. Eleven horses participated in the series with seven qualifying to race in the final. Six horses competed to be named the first RUS NY Fair Series champion.

Excitement and participation got greater throughout the summer. By mid-season horses were split into two divisions — allowing fans to get to see more than one race at certain fairs.

The main goal is to promote Racing Under Saddle and the versatility of the Standardbred breed as both a racing and a riding horse, to help Standardbreds find great homes after they finish their days on the track. Fair races have different conditions to allow horses that are not as competitive at the bigger tracks a chance to race and perform.

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