The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), a 501(c)3 charity working to increase the demand for Thoroughbred Racehorses beyond horse racing, today announced format changes for its flagship event, the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Seminar, beginning with the 2025 competition year. The world’s largest retraining competition, the Thoroughbred Makeover is designed not only to showcase the trainability and athleticism of the hundreds of horses that enter each year, but also to inspire more riders to consider a retired racehorse as their next competition or recreation companion.
Beginning in 2025, which also marks the 10th anniversary of the Thoroughbred Makeover’s move to Kentucky, the Finale Championship will be replaced by a divisional championship, welcoming back the top ten horses from the qualifying competition. The divisional championship will take place at the same location as the qualifying competition and will call back twice as many horses as the current Finale format; horses will enter the finals with clean scores. The prize money previously awarded to the overall Thoroughbred Makeover Champion will be split evenly across all ten disciplines, allowing RRP to pay out prizes up to sixth place.
“Over the past decade, Thoroughbred Makeover has directly supported the transition of over 5,000 horses. While our Finale format has served us well, we felt it was time to refresh things in a way that enhances the experience for our trainers,” said RRP Executive Director Kirsten Green. “We have always been aware of the commitment it takes to bring a horse to the Thoroughbred Makeover, and we wanted to honor that commitment by opening up the path to the top to more participants. Logistically, this change also allows us to better showcase a larger number of talented horses to the public than we have previously been able to through Finale. We are excited to launch this new format in our 10th anniversary year in Kentucky.”
The 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, will be the final year of competition in its current format. This year’s event takes place from October 9 to 12 at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, with 353 horses competing in the finals. The event is free and open to the public: learn more about the Makeover at theRRP.org.
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