Retired Racehorse Project

More than 6,700 awards and classes at more than 1,400 shows in 43 states and six Canadian provinces will be offered for off-track Thoroughbreds in 2023, The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P) announced on Tuesday. Awards are available for multiple disciplines, including eventing, dressage, Western and English pleasure, ranch riding, hunter/jumper, endurance, barrel racing, polo, and polocrosse. T.I.P. Championships in hunters, jumpers, combined test, dressage, English pleasure, and English in-hand will return this year to Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, from Oct. 5 through Oct. 8. T.I.P. Western...

Applications for the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, are now open for submission, the Retired Racehorse Project announced Tuesday. The application period closes at 5:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 20. Accepted trainers will be announced no later than Feb. 15. Interested applicants can start the application process now by logging on to Retired Racehorse Project website. Entering its ninth year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, horses and trainers will compete for more than $110,000 in total prize money, plus the coveted...

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today its First Footing Silent Auction, sponsored by OCD Pellets, is open for bidding starting at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on Dec. 30 and runs through January 6, 2023 at 11 p.m. (EST). Named for a Scottish tradition, the First-Foot is the first person to enter the home of a household on New Year's Day and is seen as a harbinger of good fortune for the coming year. This year's auction features horse shoes worn by some of racing's most elite stars, including Justify, Monomoy...

Richard Lamb has been elected the new board chair of the Retired Racehorse Project and Jodie Vella-Gregory has been elected the organization's new vice chair. The RRP also added new board members Dr. Shannon Reed and Sissy Wickes. Lamb, the former vice chair, has stepped into the leadership role to take the place of outgoing chair, Sue Smith. Lamb begins his service as chair at the beginning of his second term on the RRP board, having joined in January of 2020 after several years officiating at the Thoroughbred Makeover. "Having...

Claiborne Farm will be the title sponsor of the Former Broodmare division in its first year at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, the Retired Racehorse Project announced Tuesday. First announced in November of this year, the Former Broodmare division will welcome recently retired broodmares to compete alongside traditional retiring racehorses in all 10 offered disciplines, with broodmares pinned and recognized separately and competing for a separate pot of $10,000 in prize money. "Claiborne is pleased to be the title sponsor of the...

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) will include a pilot program for broodmares to compete in the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. Recently retired broodmares will compete alongside traditional entrants in all ten offered disciplines, but will be recognized separately and have a separate $10,000 in prize money. "As the Thoroughbred Makeover has made a proven impact on the population of horses retiring from racing, we've gotten an increasing call in recent years for a channel for Thoroughbred broodmares who are ready for their...

She's a Bold One (Midshipman), trained by junior Jenna Denver of Imlay City, Michigan, was crowned the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover Champion Saturday following three days of competition at the Kentucky Horse Park. The unraced She's A Bold One recorded her last timed work Jan. 12, 2021. The 4-year-old filly finished fifth in the preliminary eventing round, netting Top Junior honors as well. The pair also finished fourth in Dressage and took home the Top Junior prize in that discipline as well. Entering Saturday's finale on a blank slate, She's A...

In this new TDN column, Christie DeBernardis will tell the stories of accomplished and/or popular former racehorses who are now enjoying second careers as show horses, track ponies, etc. Champion sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) and Laura Moquett's relationship goes back to when he was just a 2-year-old who refused to go around the racetrack without some coaxing. Fast forward seven years and that cantankerous juvenile is now an Eclipse winner and Breeders' Cup winner and has been retired from racing as Moquett's personal riding horse. On Thursday, less than 13...

Edited Press Release The Thoroughbred Aftercare Summit, a joint effort of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), and Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), returns to the Thoroughbred Makeover Oct. 11, 2022 at the Kentucky Horse Park. The summit will be held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM in the TCA Covered Arena Lounge, one day prior to the start of preliminary competition at the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The 2022...

With a little less than a month to go before the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover kicks off Oct. 12 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, connections of retired racehorse entries planning to attend may be wondering how to find more information on their particular horses. With that in mind, Erin O'Keefe, Development Director for the Retired Racehorse Project, spoke about a new feature at this year's event: Connections Corner. "Former connections of competing horses will be able to come to the booth, located in the TCA Covered Arena, to find...

Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) will again serve as the title sponsor of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP)'s Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium. The Thoroughbred Makeover is a retraining competition and showcase, featuring trainers from across North America who have worked throughout the year to prepare recently retired Thoroughbred ex-racehorses to compete for more than $100,000 in a variety of equestrian sports. TCA has worked to support Thoroughbred aftercare, as well as programs that provide health and human services for backstretch and farm workers, for more than three decades. TCA...

Each year since 2010, as Thoroughbreds across the country face the end of their racing careers, the team at the Maryland-based Retired Racehorse Project step up with one purpose: "furthering founder Steuart Pittman's vision to increase demand for Thoroughbreds after racing and restoring their prominence in the equestrian world." With this goal in mind, the RRP created the inaugural 'Thoroughbred Trainer Challenge' in 2012--an event which gave four trainers just 100 days and an opportunity to showcase what a recently retired racehorse could do in a potential second career. That...