The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has accepted 482 trainers, including both individuals and team members, to the 2022 class of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA). The Makeover returns to its single-year format in 2022 after the postponement of the 2020 event led to a “double” Makeover in 2021, with two competition years running simultaneously. The 2022 Makeover will take place Oct. 12-15, 2022 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
Open to professionals, juniors, amateurs, and teams, the Thoroughbred Makeover is a retraining competition for recently-retired ex-racehorses. Competition is available in 10 disciplines, with trainers choosing to compete in up to two: barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunter, polo, ranch work, show hunter, show jumper, and freestyle (a free-form discipline to demonstrate skills of the trainer's choice). All horses compete in preliminary rounds in their respective disciplines, with the top five in each discipline returning for the Finale Championship on Saturday to determine final placings. A panel, including all discipline judges, will determine the overall Thoroughbred Makeover Champion and a $10,000 cash prize; a popular vote by in-person and online spectators will determine the People's Choice Award who wins the right to direct a donation to an equine charity of their choosing. Accepted trainers can register their horses at www.TBMakeover.org. Registrations, which closes July 29, will appear on the entry list at www.tbmakeover.org/entries-2022. A total of 505 horses have already been registered.
Individuals who missed the initial round of applications are welcome to apply to the waitlist and can do so at www.TBMakeover.org/trainer-portal.
New for 2022, the Makeover will also host The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) Western Championships and Central Region Dressage Championships. After a successful implementation of the inaugural T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships in 2021, the RRP and T.I.P. are adding more opportunities for Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred enthusiasts.
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