Jen Roytz

Riley Mott, a longtime assistant to his Hall of Fame father, Bill Mott, recently announced he was going out on his own. The 30-year-old will hang his own shingle after taking out his training license. Jen Roytz sat down with the younger Mott for this Q&A. JR: What has it been like coming up under your father? RM: To be honest, it's been like going to Harvard for horse training. Not only learning from him but from everyone involved in our operation, all the way up and down the ladder....

From the moment a newborn foal enters the world, it has a bevy of hopes and dreams riding on its back. Ideally a newborn overcomes life's first few challenges in short order--it is delivered without incident, gets to its feet and nurses for the first time, consuming the colostrum and receiving the vital antibodies necessary for the foal to develop its immune system. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. Whether due to dystocia, a lack of milk production or a mare who is simply not the motherly type and...

Kirsten Green, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP)'s managing director who served as interim executive director following the departure of Jen Roytz near the end of last year, has been named the new executive director of the organization. A national search by a hiring committee comprised of board members was conducted only to turn to Green, who is the RRP's longest-serving staff member. "The hiring process made us hopeful for the future of Thoroughbred aftercare based on the quality of applicants who applied and their passion for the mission," said RRP...

Edited Press Release Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit promoting education and careers in the Thoroughbred industry to youth and young adults, has reopened its mentorship program application for 2022. The program formalizes the process of pairing young adults interested in pursuing a Thoroughbred industry career, with experienced industry professionals who can offer guidance. The initial pilot program, launched in 2021, matched 12 individuals from eight different states with industry mentors. The pairs worked together for three months to develop their knowledge of the Thoroughbred industry, and create an educational...

Thoroughbred Charities of America will honor Jen Roytz with the Allaire du Pont Leadership Award and Our Mims Retirement Haven with the Ellen and Herb Moelis Industry Service Award at the 32nd annual Stallion Season Auction 'Tis the Season Celebration Sunday, Jan. 9 at Grand Reserve in Lexington, Ky. The Allaire du Pont Leadership Award is presented annually to an organization or individual whose philanthropic endeavors are consistent with TCA's mission. A native of Cleveland, Roytz is a marketing and communications specialist based in Central Kentucky. Over the past 10...

After serving for four years as Retired Racehorse Project's executive director and five years prior to that as a board member, Jen Roytz will be stepping down from her leadership role at the end of the year. Longtime staff member and current managing director, Kirsten Green, will serve as interim executive director while the organization conducts a national search for the role. Under Roytz's leadership the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has expanded in both size and scope. The Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium has become the largest and most lucrative...

The third annual Thoroughbred Aftercare Summit will take place Tuesday, Oct. 12 as part of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The aftercare summit will included four panel discussions: "Proper Financials and Reporting"; "Best Practices for Rehabbing and Marketing Horses Retired Due to Injury;"; "How the Pandemic Has Changed the Face of Fundraising"; and "Navigating Common Challenges Aftercare Organizations Face."  Confirmed panelists include Dr. Stuart Brown, DVM, Vice President of Equine Safety at Keeneland; Anna Ford, program director at New Vocations...

Keeneland will return as the sponsor of the Arrival Exam and Finale Jogs at the combined 2020 and 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover, the Retired Racehorse Project announced Wednesday. First instituted at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, the Arrival Exam requires each horse to have proof of current vaccinations, vitals (temperature, respiration and heart rate) within a normal range, be scanned for a microchip that has been registered with The Jockey Club, pass a walking soundness exam, and score a four or higher on...

Edited Press Release The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has welcomed 484 accepted applications, representing 480 unique trainers and teams, to the 2021 class of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The Thoroughbred Makeover is the world's largest and most lucrative retraining competition for ex-racehorses, and the 2021 class combined with 322 trainers from the postponed 2020 competition year will make this the biggest Makeover yet. "After the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover, it was important to us to preserve the...

Owing to a grant from the ASCPA, the Retired Racehorse Project will continue to produce the Makeover Marketplace as a means to promote transitioned Thoroughbreds as premier sport horse prospects online. The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog will once again be offered in print as well as digitally. Sign-ups are now open to receive the catalog, which will be printed in the Fall 2020 issue of Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine. "The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace has become one of the country's premier horse shopping and adoption opportunities for equestrians looking for well-started sport...

The board of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has made the unanimous decision to postpone the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), until 2021. The RRP plans to host an expanded Thoroughbred Makeover Oct. 12-17, 2021 that will offer separate classes in all 10 disciplines for both 2020 and 2021 entries. Put on each year by the RRP, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, the Thoroughbred Makeover typically draws hundreds of competitors from 40+ states and multiple Canadian provinces, each of whom has taken on...

Keeneland will be a sponsor of prominent equine safety and welfare initiatives at the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover this year: the Arrival Exam and the Finale Jog. The Arrival Exam was instituted last year at the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, and required each horse to have proof of current vaccinations, vitals within a normal range, be scanned for a microchip that has been registered with The Jockey Club, pass a walking soundness exam and score a four or higher on the Henneke...