March 2, 2020 
“True luck consists not of holding the best of the cards at the table; luckiest is he who knows just when to rise and go home.”
– John Milton Hay
Split Rock Jumping Tour has opted out on the $1.5 Million “Ante Up” Grand Prix.
Scheduled to debut Apr. 7 at Karl Cook’s Pomponio Ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, the innovative Grand Prix required riders pony up the prize money for a high stakes, winner takes (almost) all, 15-horse showdown. The buy-in to play was set at $125,000.
Turns out, riders prefer to roll the dice with other people’s money.
Said SRJT Founder and CEO Derek Braun:
“From the start, SRJT has tried to push the envelope and try new things for the betterment of our sport. This particular idea, something that’s never been done, just was not taking hold and we think it makes the most sense to call it off rather than hold something that will be less than what we believed it could be.
“I want to thank the USEF for believing in us and going out on a limb with this innovative concept we proposed. They are to be commended for their boldness in being open to new ideas that can help grow the sport in the U.S. We will continue to work with them to expand interest in show jumping, trying new ideas and doing everything we can to run horse shows that are in the sport’s best interest.
“I also want to thank Karl Cook for his support and generous offer to host this event at his farm.”
Split Rock Jumping Tour will host seven events in 2020, starting with the Kentucky Invitational CSI3* in Lexington next month and ending with the Ft.Worth International CSI-W 4* in Texas this December.
