Two non-competition awards, the T.I.P. Thoroughbred of the Year Award and the T.I.P. Young Rider of the Year Award were awarded Monday by the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program.
The Thoroughbred of the Year Award recognizes a Thoroughbred that has excelled in a non-competitive career, such as equine-assisted therapy or police work, and includes a $5,000 grant to the non-profit organization associated with the horse or, if no organization is associated with the horse, to a horse-related charity chosen by The Jockey Club.
The 2024 Thoroughbred of the Year is Rockaway (Rockport Harbor), a 14-year-old gelding that retired from the racetrack in 2014 and was initially used as a lesson horse before beganing his career as a police horse for Coral Gables Police Department where he has become a loyal partner to Officer Ashley Sheran.
“We are honored that Rockaway has been chosen for this recognition in his post-racing career,” said Sheran. “In reinstating the presence of a police horse for our department after almost a century, he has been become an extraordinary community policing asset. When patrolling, Rockaway offers the department a vantage point for subject recognition, and a strong visible presence that serves as a deterrence to criminal activity.”
The young rider award, which recognizes riders 18 or younger who own or lease a Thoroughbred for use in 4-H, Pony Club, or other activities, has been awarded to both 14-year-old Madison Hightower and 16-year-old Ashlyn Tate.
Created in October 2011, T.I.P. recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high point awards at sanctioned horse shows, year-end performance awards, a recreational riding program, and non-competition awards.
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