Thoroughbred Makeover

Thoroughbred Charities of America has extended its support of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium through 2021. RRP will host a "double Makeover" for both 2020 and 2021 entries at the Kentucky Horse Park Oct. 12-17, 2021. Some aspects of the 2020 TCA Thoroughbred Makeover will be offered virtually this year, including seminars (presented as webinars), the Thoroughbred Aftercare Summit, a virtual 5K, the vendor fair, and the innovative Makeover Master Class training demonstration and discussion. "The work of the Retired Racehorse Project is an integral part...

Kim Smith grew up in Prospect, KY and has ridden horses her whole life. Her already wide network in the Thoroughbred industry grew considerably while she was managing the stable at the Kentucky Derby Museum and exercising the resident Thoroughbred on the track at Churchill Downs. Smith founded Second Stride, Inc. in 2005 with the goal of helping horses and people in racing by building on those relationships. The Crestwood, KY nonprofit usually maintains 15-20 horses at a time and is located at Moserwood Farm, a full-service boarding and training...

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...

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), formed in 2010 under the banner of the "Retired Racehorse Training Project," is a non-profit organization with a mission to boost the presence of and demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the show and recreational riding world. Its founder, Stuart Pittman, recognized the need for retraining clinics and ideas to help owners and adopters of Thoroughbreds to advance their horses. He also saw ways to showcase the attributes of the Thoroughbred in the show world. In 2009, the organization conducted the first Retired Racehorse Training Symposium...

A total of 616 entries, representing 604 unique trainers and teams, were accepted Friday for the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover Oct. 7-10 at the Kentucky Horse Park. The application process for the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover required trainers to demonstrate their skills and expertise through competition results, videos and references, as well as a letter from a vet stating that the applicant had the necessary skills and knowledge to appropriately care for a horse transitioning off the track. The RRP's selection committee took into consideration both candidates' ability to effectively retrain an...