Photo by Captivation Media

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today the list of participating trainers accepted to compete at the 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, taking place on October 7-10 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Thoroughbred Makeover is the largest and most lucrative retraining competition in North America for recently-retired racehorses and former broodmares, awarding $135,000 in prize money. 

The Thoroughbred Makeover is the banner event of the RRP, providing a showcase competition that also serves to inspire more equestrians to get involved with the breed. Open to professionals, amateurs, juniors, and teams, all accepted trainers compete on an equal footing with Thoroughbreds who raced or trained to race within the past two years with no more than 15 retraining rides prior to December 1, 2025. The Former Broodmare division offers competition alongside the Retiring Racehorse division and is designated for mares exiting the breeding industry; Former Broodmares compete for a separate pot of prize money. 

“We’re excited to get to know a new class of accepted trainers for the 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover,” said Erin Halliwell, executive director of Thoroughbred Charities of America. “These trainers are doing important work not only to develop Thoroughbreds for new careers, but to inspire more equestrians to partner with the breed. We’re looking forward to celebrating their achievements in October.” 

Trainers do not select a competitive discipline for their horses until August, allowing them plenty of time to assess their horses’ strengths and talents. Competition is available at the Thoroughbred Makeover in ten disciplines, with horses able to compete in up to two: barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunter, polo, ranch work, show hunter show jumper, and freestyle (a free-form discipline to showcase skills of the trainer’s choice). The top 10 horses in each discipline will be called back for the Championships on Saturday of the Thoroughbred Makeover, a format which debuted in 2025. 

Late applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis now through June 26, 2026. Participants are encouraged to register their horses as soon as they acquire them, with horse registration closing on July 31, 2026. As of this writing, a total of 314 trainers have been accepted, signing up to bring a total of 314 horses; these numbers are expected to grow as late applications are processed. 

“Welcoming a new class of trainers each year and watching them progress with their horses in a community with like-minded Thoroughbred enthusiasts is possibly the most rewarding part of this work,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “The Thoroughbred Makeover illustrates the importance of supporting the people involved when it comes to improving outcomes for the horses. Participating in the Makeover process not only impacts the horses in this first year of transition, but builds a foundation that benefits the horses for years to come.” 

The Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium is a gathering for North America’s aftercare industry, with networking opportunities for both non-profit and for-profit entities. The event includes a horse sale, vendor fair, clinic opportunities for competitors as well as Makeover graduates, and entertainment and educational events.  

The Thoroughbred Makeover is the banner event of the RRP, a 501(c)3 non-profit committed to increasing the demand for Thoroughbreds beyond racing. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover; contact Christian Ackman at cackman@therrp.org for more information.