Rich Fellers & Tracey Wade Lead The Way in Rock Jumping Tour’s Inaugural Sonoma International CSI2*

West coast riders got their first taste of the Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) as competition began Wednesday at the inaugural Sonoma International CSI2* with FEI competitors presenting their horses for an inspection by the Ground Jury. Held at the picturesque Sonoma Horse Park in the heart of California’s wine country, Sonoma International anticipates an exciting week of competition with sold out entries.

National classes took center stage Wednesday afternoon, with Rich Fellers topping the $2,500 1.40m Speed class. With two entries, it was Fellers’ second ride, Valor Farm LLC’s Burghlington, who shot to the top of the standings after posting a time of 66.643. Jeffrey Fields came in second, stopping the clock at 68.764 aboard Katrina Montinola’s Cooper GT, and Sophie Simpson was third with Will Simpson Stables’ A Picasso de Vie who finished in 69.635 seconds.

Rich Fellers and Burghlington © GrandPix

Tracey Wade sped to win the $1,000 1.30m Speed class aboard Big Bay City’s Poker Face in a blazing time of 59.797, just narrowly edging ahead of second-placed Kaitlin Campbell and her own Rocky W who led for much of the division on a time of 60.274 seconds. Raymond Texel finished third aboard Ashley Bewick’s Sarah Anlait in a time of 63.507 seconds.

The opening day concluded with the Hyaluronex® FEI horse inspection, in which the Ground Jury of Leslie Brown (USA), Charlotte Robson (USA), and John Rush (USA) evaluated horses to ensure they were sound and fit to compete. All 66 horses presented were accepted.

Karl Cook and Caillou 24 at the horse inspection
© Shelby Allen

Since 2015, the Split Rock Jumping Tour has been revolutionizing the sport of show jumping in the United States, creating an “unparalleled show jumping experience” for competitors, sponsors and spectators, and now those incredible experiences extend from coast to coast with the addition of the Sonoma International CSI2* in 2018.

“It’s great to be out here in Sonoma. The facility and the layout work perfectly for my type of event,” said SRJT founder Derek Braun. “The main thing I’m trying to create through this is that riders of all levels, whether it be top riders or lower level riders, that when they hear Split Rock is running the show they know exactly what they’re going to get. They know that all the things that matter are going to be taken care of. Hopefully this week is something that they enjoy and they will come back again in the future.”
The “unparalleled show jumping experience” extends outside the arena with the party of the year on Friday, September 7: The Split Rock Gala Presented by Big Bay City. Chaired by Kaley Cuoco and sponsored by her Big Bay City, the gala will take place in the VIP tent at the Sonoma Horse Park, starting with Cocktails at 7:30 p.m. and followed by Dinner at 8:00 p.m. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship, a non-profit organization that provides adaptive riding and therapy services to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. To purchase tickets, please visit www.splitrockjumpingtour.ticketleap.com/splitrockgala/.