The PRO Tour Series starts up this week at the Southern Pines Horse Trials in Raeford, N.C. This is the third year that the advanced division of the horse trials has led off the PRO Tour Series. “We are very proud of our association with The Carolina Horse Park, which has done so much to improve the venue over the last few years,” said Samantha Lendl, PRO Executive Director. “We are also thrilled to announce that we will add both The Event at Rebecca Farm and Woodside International Horse Trials to the 2012 PRO Tour Schedule.” 

Phillip Dutton, President of PRO, said that addition of two new competitions to the PRO Tour Series was in response to PRO’s West Coast members asking for more competitions to be included in the schedule in the western half of the country. “Our members are from all over the United States and Canada and it’s important that we grow the series where there is demand by riders.” PRO has had a great relationship with the Event at Rebecca Farm and has organized the H.E. Sutton Forwarding “Air Horse One” charter for the last two years with the support of the Broussard family. This has allowed many more riders from the East Coast make their way out to Kalispell, Montana and experience the quality of the competition. “Rebecca Farm is very excited to become part of the PRO Tour Series,” said Sarah Broussard Kelly, Organizer of the Event at Rebecca Farm “We feel that this relationship will benefit both parties and we are looking forward to being partners in the future.”

The SSG “Go Low For The Dough” promotion will return to the PRO Tour Series again this year with $27,000 in contingency Bonus Award money available to riders wearing SSG Digital or SSG Eventer gloves who produce the lowest score in each of the three phases of competition. In addition, the Multi Radiance Challenge will also be running at the Intermediate/two-star level at PRO Tour competitions. The year-end Multi Radiance Challenge leader board champion will receive a MR4 ACTIVet Portable Laser System ($4,895 value).

Robert Kellerhouse, organizer of Galway Downs and Woodside International has been supportive of PRO’s efforts: “The most important thing PRO does is to show up with their energy and vision for the sport, and they bring with them some really fun and unique new programs.”

The 2012 PRO Tour Series schedule includes:

• Southern Pines II Advanced ~ Raeford, NC ~ March 23-25
• The Fork CIC3* ~ Norwood, NC ~ April 4-8
• Bromont CCI3* ~ Bromont, Quebec ~ June 7-10
• Event At Rebecca Farm Advanced ~ July 11-15
• The Millbrook Horse Trials Advanced ~ Millbrook, NY ~ August 2-5
• Plantation Field International CIC3* ~ Unionville, PA ~ September 21-23
• Woodside International CIC3* ~ October 5-7
• Dansko Fair Hill International CCI3* ~ Elkton, MD ~ October 17-21
• Galway Downs CCI3* ~ Temecula, CA ~ November 1-4

PRO would like to thank all of the following sponsors for their support of the 2012 PRO Tour Series: HAYGAIN, SSG Gloves, Multi Radiance Medical, Martin Collins USA, Finish Line Horse Products, SmartPak, H.E. Sutton Forwarding, Midlantic Ltd, Mythic Landing Enterprises and B.W. Furlong & Associates.