The Retired Racehorse Project and Thoroughbred Charities of America jointly announced Aug. 3 that TCA will be the title sponsor of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, which will be held Oct. 5-8 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
The TCA Thoroughbred Makeover features 578 trainers from across North America who are working throughout the year to prepare recently retired Thoroughbred racehorses to compete for more than $100,000 in ten equestrian disciplines.
"The TCA board strongly believes in retraining," said TCA president Mike McMahon. "The efforts to enhance the market for Thoroughbreds in other disciplines outside of racing is important. We believe this investment will not only impact the demand for Thoroughbreds immediately but for years to come."
"When it comes to strategies for rehoming retired racehorses, nobody has more experience than the staff and board of TCA," said RRP president Steuart Pittman. "Their ongoing support for this market-based approach to securing the futures of these horses is a wise investment that rewards racing owners, equestrians, and the sport we love so dearly. Having TCA as our title sponsor is an honor."
The Thoroughbred Makeover includes trainers and horses from 46 states, three Canadian provinces, and Great Britain. Each will perform in one or two disciplines and be scored on performance. Barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunter, freestyle, polo, show hunter, show jumper, and working ranch will be featured. Top scorers will compete in a finale Oct. 7, and an overall champion will be crowned America's Most Wanted Thoroughbred.
The weekend includes training clinics by top names in each of the 10 disciplines, a full schedule of seminars, a sponsor fair to include both organizations and vendors, and special demonstrations. Many of the horses will be available for sale by their owners at the end of the weekend. Horse shoppers are encouraged to attend and to take time on Sunday for trial rides and veterinary pre-purchase exams.
RRP is seeking sponsors and volunteers for the TCA Thoroughbred Makeover. For more information, visit www.retiredracehorseproject.org.