September 20, 2016 
Sure, he’s got that laid-back air of a man at ease with his fit body.
And, okay, that charming smile isn’t hurting anyone. At all.
And it’s true his eyes may just be the color of dreams.
But make no mistake: Derek Braun isn’t just a pretty face.
He has ideas.
Good ideas! And he’s putting them to work for the Split Rock Jumping Tour in Lexington, Kentucky.
“I developed the Split Rock Jumping Tour specifically for a need,” explains Braun. “I saw, many years ago, traveling to horse shows across North America that there were so many details left out of the management system. I thought that I could develop a show that was really for the riders, for the spectators, for the hospitality aspect, and that I could put all those details together in one show and create a really incredible event that did not exist here in the States.”
The result proved so successful, Split Rock made the 2015 NARG Top 25 list of the best horse shows in North America—after only its first season! Braun is committed to honing the concept. If that means looking impossibly handsome whilst doing it, so be it.
“The great part about Split Rock is that we’re always tweaking it, we’re always looking for ways to be more creative and making it so everyone is as comfortable here as I am,” says the easy-on-the-eyes rider. “By no means is this a gold plated farm. This is a working farm that we all live and work on. I want everyone to be comfortable on it.”
For riders, that means flat rate entry packages, move-in valet services, and pre-built stallion stalls. In addition, Split Rock provides breakfast, lunch, and beverages to not only to the international riders and owners but also their grooms in the FEI Concierge Tent.
“The biggest part of the competitor experience is that it begins in the stable,” continues Braun. “It starts with the details that go into making their entire team comfortable.”
For the spectators, it’s fresh food trucks, live music, a beer and wine garden, and, of course, top level show jumping.
“No matter where you are on the facility you are going to be entertained. There is always something to do,” says Braun.
And, as it turns out, always attractive sights to take in.
