280+ horses competed over two days of preliminary competition at the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover. Photo by Captivation Media

Celebrating its ninth year at the Kentucky Horse Park since 2015, the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, took place October 9-12 and welcomed just over 280 Thoroughbreds who demonstrated how effectively and efficiently the breed can channel its athleticism into new sports. The banner event of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing demand for Thoroughbreds beyond racing, the Thoroughbred Makeover is the most visible aspect of the organization’s work and is meant to inspire more equestrians to get involved with the breed.

Showcasing the athleticism, trainability and versatility of recently-retired racehorses, as well as former broodmares, the Thoroughbred Makeover offered competition across 10 equestrian sports, with entrants selecting one or two disciplines in which to compete. All competitors participated in preliminary rounds of competition across two days, with the five top-placed horses in the retiring racehorse division returning to compete in the Finale Championships for top honors and a share of $100,000 in prize money.

“As we move towards the 10th anniversary of the Thoroughbred Makeover in 2025 and reflect on the event’s evolution and refinement, it becomes clear that the competition itself is only the culmination of the true value of the Thoroughbred Makeover program overall,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “The structure, the goal to work towards, the community support and resources: these are the aspects of the program that, facilitated by the RRP, are giving hundreds of riders the confidence they need to find success with the breed each year.”

Attendees got the opportunity to expand their education through free seminars. Photo by Captivation Media

Before competition began on October 9, all horses underwent an Arrival Exam, sponsored by Keeneland with additional support from After the Finish Line and official veterinary partner Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. The Arrival Exam set a benchmark for the basic health of equine competitors at the Makeover, requiring trainers to show necessary health paperwork including vaccination records before veterinary teams recorded vital signs, looked horses over for blemishes and swellings, noted body condition, and assessed basic soundness at the walk to ensure horses could move about the Horse Park comfortably. This year’s Arrival Exam was once again led by RRP board member and consulting veterinarian Dr. Shannon Reed, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS (LA) of Texas A&M, with support from Hagyard veterinarians. The Arrival Exam also continued as a mentorship experience for vet students, facilitated by Dr. Reed and welcoming 25 students selected from hundreds of applicants to participate in the process.

Competition avenues included barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunter, polo, ranch work, show hunter, show jumper, and freestyle (a free-form discipline in which trainers can demonstrate skills of their choosing). Preliminary competition took place over two days all over the Horse Park, with rankings awarded at Friday night’s Awards Party, made possible by University of Louisville and Wasabi Aftercare Fund. Winners of each discipline along with the top broodmares, juniors, amateurs, and teams were honored, as well as special award winners, sponsored by individuals and organizations to support their own causes and initiatives.

The top five in each discipline qualified for the Finale championship, and presented on Friday afternoon for a jog-up assessed by a panel of veterinarians to ensure fitness to compete. The Finale itself took place on Saturday, October 12 with all 10 disciplines performing in the TCA Covered Arena; a panel of judges from all 10 disciplines ranked discipline champions to select the overall Thoroughbred Makeover Champion, sponsored by Churchill Downs. That honor went to Big Fame (Mr. Big – Adopted Fame, by Western Fame), trained for Eventing and Show Jumper by Angela Carmitchel.

The Thoroughbred Makeover also serves as a horse shopping opportunity through the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace. Photo by Captivation Media

The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace and ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn welcomed horse shopper and adopters all week long; both opportunities allowed shoppers and adopters to watch horses perform, take trial rides on property, and easily vet horses with veterinarians from Hagyard on call for pre-purchase exams. The Marketplace featured Makeover graduates competing that week, while the Adoption Barn included horses from Right Horse partner organizations with adoptable Thoroughbreds at all life stages.

With education a cornerstone of the RRP’s work to increase demand for Thoroughbreds in careers beyond racing, the Thoroughbred Makeover offered two free seminars to event attendees: Equine Ocular Emergencies, presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, and Body Condition Scoring Demo & Presentation, presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. New for 2024, the Thoroughbred Makeover also included clinic and guided schooling opportunities for participating trainers on Friday, with judges from preliminary competition offering additional insight and feedback. Clinics were sponsored by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

The Thoroughbred Makeover will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in Kentucky in 2025; formal event dates and an updated rulebook for the 2025 edition of the competition will be released later this fall at theRRP.org.