New International Show Jumping Event to Provide an Unparalleled Experience
The Split Rock Jumping Tour, a new concept in how Show Jumping is presented in the U.S., will premiere at Split Rock Farm in Lexington, KY in 2015.
The Split Rock Jumping Tour is planned as a truly entertaining sporting event to provide competitors, sponsors and spectators with an unparalleled Show Jumping experience. The stage is set for two action-packed international competitions in the spring and fall of 2015. Plans call for adding additional events over the next several years, shifting to various venues throughout Lexington, KY, widely recognized as the “Horse Capital of the World.” 
The brainchild of international Show Jumping rider Derek Braun, the Split Rock Jumping Tour seeks to revolutionize the way competitors, sponsors and spectators can benefit from an international event in the U.S.
“We are so excited to offer a series of this caliber and to officially launch the Split Rock Jumping Tour,” said Braun. “With international competition on a pristine grass jumping field, top prize money, extravagant awards, and our unique full-service ‘Rider Hospitality Experience,’ we anticipate drawing the absolute top level of riders from the U.S. and abroad.”
Competing on the Split Rock Jumping Tour will be unlike any other American horse show experience. Competitors will have the luxury of choosing from one of five All-Inclusive Entry Packages, each with one flat cost. “No detail will be overlooked as far as the amenities provided to riders and horses,” Braun said. “Each entry package is designed to custom-fit riders’ and horses’ needs, as specifications will be tailored to span entry fees, nominating fees, stall fees, initial stall bedding costs, hotel rooms, VIP hospitality packages, Gala tickets, shuttle services, and unique concierge amenities.”
The Split Rock Jumping Tour Hospitality Experience will include numerous first-class amenities starting with a breathtaking viewpoint from private ringside tables overlooking The Rock Jumping Field. The rustically elegant setting will provide ideal networking opportunities along with top-of-the line dining. Tables and tickets for each Friday evening’s Gala at The Rock, lounge seating, music, dancing, access to the VIP Spa Indulge Zone, and exclusive boutique shopping will enhance the hospitality experience.
Sponsors of the Split Rock Jumping Tour will find one-of-a-kind opportunities and offerings unlike any other Show Jumping competition in the United States. “Our team is dedicated to working with each sponsor to create a custom plan that best suits each sponsor’s goals and vision,” Braun said.
“We will be the only horse show to offer our sponsors the one-of-a-kind opportunity of All-Inclusive Entry Packages that allow sponsors to invite their sponsored riders and clients to compete at our international show jumping competitions with all expenses covered as part of the sponsorship.”
Along with watching the highest level of Show Jumping in either stadium-style or “action” seating, spectators will also enjoy an “Unparalleled Experience” including a variety of boutique shops and food vendors, a Children & Family Zone, a Beer Garden and Beer Garden Stage, as well as giveaways and surprises.
“We are committed to providing an unparalleled experience for all competitors, sponsors and spectators,” said Braun whose global experience as an international competitor combined with his experience as a horse show producer has given him a unique insight into the sport of Show Jumping. “We invite everyone to join us next spring and fall for what will be the start of a whole new Show Jumping experience in the U.S.”
Braun has spent virtually his entire life in the sport of Show Jumping. He began competing at age seven, and became one of the nation’s premier junior jumper riders. He earned two of the nation’s most prestigious junior jumper honors, winning the USET Talent Search Equitation Finals in 2001 and a Team Gold Medal at the National Junior Jumper Championships and Prix De States at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg in 2002.
Braun then attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida where he continued his dedication to the sport. He traveled abroad during the summer of 2003, winning the Amateur Grand Prix of Valkenswaard in Holland. Upon graduation in 2007, Braun turned professional and founded Split Rock Farm. He has numerous grand prix wins and placings at some of the nation’s most prestigious horse shows including the Hampton Classic, Winter Equestrian Festival, American Gold Cup, Pennsylvania National Horse Show, HITS Ocala, National Horse Show and New Albany Classic, as well as at Bromont and Angelstone in Canada. Braun has also represented the United States internationally, riding on the US team at the Porto Alegre CSIO4* in Brazil in 2013.
For further information on the Split Rock Jumping Tour please e-mail [email protected]
For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Derek Braun at [email protected] or call 859-252-3247.
