Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography

The first day of preliminary competition at the 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, has concluded and scores are now posted. The banner event of the Retired Racehorse Project, the Thoroughbred Makeover is the largest retraining competition in North America for recently-retired racehorses and former broodmares, showcasing the athleticism and trainability of the Thoroughbred and inspiring more equestrians to partner with the breed. 

Over 250 horses are competing over two days in one or two of ten sport disciplines, including Barrel Racing, Competitive Trail, Dressage, Eventing, Field Hunter, Freestyle, Polo, Ranch Work, Show Hunter and Show Jumper. Competition took place in eight of those disciplines today; Freestyle and Polo will take place on Thursday. Ranch Work concluded today with Our Girl Flint (Flintshire – Sugarandice, by Dixie Union) emerging as the provisional winner . Our Girl Flint is a 2021 mare bred in Kentucky by Randy Bloch and John Seiler. She made 16 starts, earning $22,097 in her racing career, and trained for the Makeover by Maximiliano Castro.  

The top ten horses in each discipline will return to compete in Saturday’s Championships on blank-slate scores for $135,000 in total prize money. Top-placed Former Broodmares and Graduates will also be highlighted during mounted awards at the conclusion of each discipline championship. Additional awards for top-placed amateurs, juniors, teams and special award winners will be presented during the Championship Awards Party on Saturday night, presented with support from McIntosh Group and Wasabi Aftercare.  

Scoring will finalize for the day in other disciplines throughout the evening and can be viewed here. 

Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography

Prior to competing, all horses must pass the Arrival Exam, a process designed ensure all entries enter their competition venues in appropriate soundness and body condition. A a dozen teams comprised of licensed veterinarians and veterinary students volunteered their time to staff the exams, which include positive identification by microchip scan, verification of health paperwork, vitals, body condition assessment using the Henneke scoring method, and a soundness evaluation at the walk. Arrival Exam Hospitality was provided by Zoetis. 

Horse shoppers and adopters will find plenty to love in the Makeover Marketplace, sponsored by Churchill Downs, Incorporated. The Marketplace is an optional sale for horses entered in the Thoroughbred Makeover, granting shoppers the unique experience of watching horses perform in competition, taking trial rides in a designated arena, and scheduling pre-purchase exams with on-call vets from Lexington Equine Medical. The Marketplace catalog is available in print at the show office, as well as online.  

Preliminary competition resumes Thursday morning, with the Field Hunter Mock Hunt beginning at 7:30 a.m. and Freestyle at 8 a.m. Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumper, Show Hunter and Competitive Trail resume later in the morning at 9, followed by Polo at 4 p.m. and Barrel Racing Run II at 5:30 p.m. 

Thursday’s schedule also includes Plaidcast Live at 5:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center Auditorium. 

See additional event coverage throughout Makeover Week on Retired Racehorse Project social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.