Petaluma, California – Macella O’Neill and Catherine Harvey were the first two winners in the SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion held during the 2012 show season at Sonoma Horse Park in Petaluma, CA.

Macella O’Neill of Calistoga, CA, claimed a $2,000 bonus for wearing SSG ‘Digital’ riding gloves on her way to victory in the $15,000 Triple Crown Nutrition Grand Prix on Sunday, June 17, during the HMI June Classic competition.  O’Neill took the win aboard Coya, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by one of her students, Haley Schwab.

“I love the SSG marketing concept and their participation in the show,” said O’Neill, who runs Diamond Mountain Stables with partner, Charles White.  “The SSG ‘Digitals’ are such great looking gloves!”

Catherine Harvey of Menlo Park, CA, also walked away with $2,000 in bonus money courtesy of SSG Riding Gloves after winning the $1,500 Draper Therapies Children/Adult Amateur Classic on Saturday, June 16, while wearing her SSG ‘Digitals’.  The adult amateur rider, who trains with Nicole Bloom of Round Meadow Farm in Atherton, CA, topped a field of 14 entries to claim victory with Allessandro, owned by Rhys Farms, LLC.

“I love them!” exclaimed Harvey of her SSG ‘Digital’ riding gloves.  “Rein length is a huge issue for me and I had no slippage with the ‘Digitals’.  The gussets on the back are great and allow a full range of motion.  I also have very long fingers and the ‘Digitals’ gave me plenty of room.  I’m going to buy two more pairs with my winnings!”

In its California debut, SSG Riding Gloves is offering a total of $12,000 in bonus money to competitors through its innovative ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion at the Sonoma Horse Park.  Sonoma Horse Park joins the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, Kentucky Horse Shows and Thunderbird Show Park in offering the SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ incentive promotion.

Designed to reward competitors for their loyalty to the SSG Riding Gloves brand, SSG is offering a bonus of $1,000 to the winning rider in designated grand prix events at Sonoma Horse Park if they are wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves with the horse head logo clearly visible.  If the winning rider is not wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves, the bonus money is carried forward to the next event, increasing from $1,000 to $2,000, etc.  The same format applies in the designated Junior/Amateur-Owner, Children’s Jumper and Children/Adult Amateur Classics where a $1,000 bonus is on offer.

The following events are still to come in the 2012 SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ bonus promotion at Sonoma Horse Park:

HMI Equestrian Classic I - July 24 - 29, 2012

$30,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services Grand Prix

$5,000 Children’s Jumper Classic

Giant Steps Charity Classic - August 1 - 5, 2012

$30,000 Giant Steps Grand Prix

$10,000 Children/Adult Amateur Jumper Classic

HMI August Classic (A) - August 22 - 26, 2012

$15,000 Grand Prix

$1,500 Draper Therapies Children/Adult Amateur Jumper Classic

Strides & Tides (A) - September 12 - 16, 2012

$20,000 Grand Prix

$1,500 Children/Adult Amateur Jumper Classic

SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves are available for purchase on-site at Sonoma Horse Park at Cross Creek Tack Shop and The Equestrian's Concierge.

For more information on the SSG Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion, please visit www.ssgridinggloves.com or contact program manager Jennifer Ward of Starting Gate Communications at contactus@startinggate.ca.

For more information on Sonoma Horse Park and its competitions, please visit Sonoma Horse Park or contact Sally Hudson at 831.594.1719.