2026 Trainer Acceptance Letter
February 23, 2026
Congratulations!
You are one of over 300 talented trainers and team members who are on track to show the world what a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse can do at this year’s Makeover.
Would you like to announce your acceptance on social media? Download the official 2025 Accepted Trainer Badge here and share it on your socials with #TBMakeover!
DON’T STOP READING HERE!
What follows is all the essential information you need to set forth on your journey to Kentucky.
We will have a “Welcome Webinar” ON THURSDAY which you can access via Zoom Video Conferencing (passcode 854624) at 7:00 PM EST, Tuesday, February 18th. In this webinar, our staff will review much of this email, provide you with information needed to be successful throughout the Makeover process, and answer any questions.
Communications and Resources
The RRP sends all formal communications by EMAIL and will be utilizing the Trainer Newsletters bulletin board to relay important information between now and October. Please read emails and newsletters thoroughly and be sure to check that they are not landing in your spam folder. NOTE: If you choose to unsubscribe from the RRP’s emails, you will be unsubscribed from trainer emails. We also utilize text notifications on occasion and more heavily during the weekend of the event. You will receive text updates if you opted in on your trainer application. Please ensure your contact information is correct or you risl missing out on reminders.
These communications, along with our Rulebook and Trainer Portal, are designed to be essential resources for you. The RRP has a small staff, and we create these resources in an effort to anticipate and address as many questions as possible and thus serve you better. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the information that’s been made available to you. The more informed you are, the better experience you will have!
How to Contact the RRP
While the entire RRP staff are all available to support and assist you, as a competitor, your primary points of contact are the Program Manager/Makeover Show Secretary, Rayna Erasmus. Rayna works a 9 AM to 5 PM EST, Monday through Friday schedule. The best way to reach them is by email at secretary@therrp.org. Phone calls must be scheduled in advance as Rayna often works virtually and keeps a written record of all trainer communications. Facebook messages to staff are not an appropriate way to contact us. The Facebook group is also not meant for rule-related questions; please contact the office or secretary directly.
Schedule of Critical Dates
Below is a list of deadlines throughout the year. All paperwork deadlines close at 5pm EST on their due date, which will always fall on a business day. We will not contact you if you are missing paperwork and missing paperwork jeopardizes your Makeover entry. If we choose to accept late paperwork, we have the right to assess a late fee of up to $100.
| Form/Action | Applicable Dates | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptances announced | February 17, 2026 | Approves individuals to participate in the Thoroughbred Makeover. All candidates must complete a new application regardless of prior acceptance. Application and horse registration fees are due upon submission, and invoices are not sent. Entries with unpaid fees or missing documentation as of January 23 will be waitlisted and assessed a late fee. |
| Horse Registration Form Closes | July 28, 2026 | Enters an eligible horse into the Thoroughbred Makeover with an approved trainer or team captain. Horse registrations may be submitted along with the trainer application or at any time through close of business on July 28. Trainers may manage or change their entries throughout the year online in the Trainer Portal. Trainers with no horse registered as of horse registration close are automatically withdrawn. |
| Earliest Date for EHV-1 Compliance | April 5, 2026 | EHV-1 vaccines administered before this date will not be in compliance with Makeover vaccination policies (no more than six months prior to move-in). |
| Late Applications and Entry Type Changes Close | June 26, 2026 | Applicants who miss the winter application period may submit an application until June 26 at a rate of $300. Team members applying to join an already-accepted team are subject to the $300 late application rate but will not be waitlisted. This is also the last date for trainer replacements, team member changes, entry type changes (from individual to team or vice versa), and video submissions for limited non-jumping restriction reconsiderations. |
| Final Entry Form | August 4-28, 2026 | Finalizes the entry for the Thoroughbred Makeover including discipline choices, jump heights, horse sale status, microchip reporting, and stabling needs. Final Entry fees vary based on selections made (full details below) and are due upon submission. Invoices are not sent. Entries with unpaid fees as of August 28 are considered a scratch. Late Final Entry submissions cannot be accommodated. |
| Final Entry Edits | Close September 4, 2026 | Marketplace entry, stabling needs, and jump heights may be updated from Final Entry close until September 4. Any changes requested after this date are subject to a change fee. Discipline selections may not be changed after Final Entry close on August 28. |
| Latest Date for EHV-1 Compliance | September 21, 2026 | EHV-1 vaccines administered after this date will not be in compliance with Makeover vaccination policies (no less than 14 days prior to move-in). |
| Clinic Registration | October 9, 2026 | Clinic Registrations for 2026 Makeover horses will be in-person beginning at 7 AM on Friday, October 9. Interested participants will pay the steward at the in-gate of the relevant clinic venue. |
Horse Registration and Entry Management
Trainers are to register their horses as soon as they are acquired and must have a horse registered no later than July 28th, 2026. If you do not register a horse by 5pm EST on July 28th 2026, you will be assumed a scratch, and your entry will be withdrawn.
You may access the Makeover Horse Registration Form by selecting “Register a Thoroughbred” from the actions column dropdown menu next to the appropriate entry in the Trainer Portal. When completing any form in this section you must be logged in to the website using the account that you used when you submitted your trainer application. Once your registration is submitted it is reviewed and formatted to create a public profile on the website. It may take several days (or even longer as we work through the initial influx) before your horse is published on the website. We will contact you if there is a problem with your registration. If you registered your horse before February 17th, please give our staff some time to review and update your horse’s registration status.
Once your Horse Registration is submitted it will show up in the My Entries grid. From here you can check on the status of your registration, report your horse as sold or withdrawn, and add photos to your horse’s profile.
Team Captains are responsible for registering their team’s horse, uploading health documents, and completing the final entry form. These actions cannot be done through a team member’s Trainer Portal.
ASPCA Right Horse Scholarship
The ASPCA Right Horse Scholarship offers reimbursement of stabling and first discipline fees for up to 50 eligible horses competing in the 2026 Makeover that have been adopted from Right Horse partner organizations. Accepted Makeover trainers must register their eligible horses and identify the qualifying organization that they acquired their horse from on the registration form. Horses that meet the hard-to-place criteria will be prioritized and any additional scholarship funding will be awarded to eligible horses in order of when the trainer submitted the horse’s registration form.
Sale Horses
You will notice that some horses will have a green horse head logo next to their name on the entries list. This icon indicates that the Makeover trainer selected that the horse will potentially be for sale on the registration form. After the final entry period closes, only those that are entered in the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace will have this icon displayed next to their profile.
Discipline Championships
Beginning in 2025, the Finale event format was replaced by individual discipline championships, welcoming back the top ten highest-placed horses in the Retiring Racehorse division after preliminary competition. Most discipline championships will take place in the same locations as preliminary rounds, and all will call back twice as many horses to participate as the former Finale format; horses will go into the championship round on a clean slate score. Prize money will be paid out through tenth place in the Retiring Racehorse division. The Former Broodmare division does not have discipline championships and will be awarded prize money based on the preliminary competition results.
Clinics
The Thoroughbred Makeover Clinics will take place on Friday, October 9th, 2026, following the conclusion of preliminary competition. The clinics serve as an opportunity for horses and trainers that did not qualify for the division championships to receive additional education from the judges. Clinic opportunities will be available in a select number of disciplines and will be taught by the discipline’s preliminary competition judges. Registrations for clinics will take place day of and in-person, beginning at 7AM.
Code of Conduct
By participating in the Thoroughbred Makeover, trainers become ambassadors not only for the RRP and the event but also for the Thoroughbred breed; therefore, the RRP expects trainers and those associated with them to conduct themselves with the highest degree of horsemanship and sportsmanship before, during, and after the Thoroughbred Makeover. An acknowledgement of this code of conduct was included within the participation agreement which you signed and submitted with your application.
Microchips and Health Requirements
The Thoroughbred Makeover has become known for industry-leading policies regarding horse identification, as well as soundness and wellness. In addition to current Coggins and health certificates, the Thoroughbred Makeover requires each horse entering a competition ring in Kentucky to pass an Arrival Exam which verifies that the horse meets the following standards:
- Is in a minimum body condition score of 4 according to the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System,
- Is microchipped with a Jockey Club-registered chip (available for purchase here),
- Is vaccinated for EHV-1,
- Is sound in-hand,
- And has normal vitals and is free of any major swellings or blemishes that would impede performance.
It is also strongly recommended that horses are vaccinated in accordance with the AAEP core vaccination guidelines. Trainers should familiarize themselves with these policies and the Arrival Exam procedure, which are all found in the rulebook, and engage their veterinarian to help them make sure their horses are appropriately prepared for the competition. The RRP staff is always available to support trainers in achieving these requirements.
Lodging and Other Reservations
Competitors are encouraged to make lodging arrangements sooner than later, as options fill up quickly. Information about our host hotel and KHP camping is under the “Travel” tab on the general event information page.
Stabling arrangements are not made until August and will be handled through the RRP. It’s going to be a long week. If turnout is essential for your horse, there are ample layover facilities in the area that you could stable at overnight and ship into the Horse Park during the day.
Round pen rentals at the Kentucky Horse Park are not reserved through the RRP. Trainers are responsible for making their reservations directly with Dever, not with KHP or the RRP. Call 859-233-9702 for reservations.
Make the Makeover Fundraiser
Make the Makeover will be back this year! This is a peer-to-peer fundraiser for the RRP that allows Makeover trainers to earn a $350 refund on their registration fees by raising money for the organization to help produce this year’s Thoroughbred Makeover.
Stay tuned for the information on how to get started and details on additional prizes.
RRP Thoroughbred Makeover Trainers Closed Facebook Group
We maintain a Facebook group for Makeover trainers past and present to share news, discuss their work, and get to know one another. This group is administrated by the RRP staff and volunteers who work to make sure it stays on topic, positive, and family friendly. Group admins have the right to remove posts or comments that they believe are not in the spirit of, or distracting from, the intent of the group.
If previous years are any indication, you are likely to encounter some like-minded new friends who share your passion. The Facebook group can help make that happen and is an excellent resource for advice and encouragement from experienced trainers.
Please review the rules posted for this group regarding horse sales, advertising of additional services, and other important notes. You will need to answer all group questions correctly when you request to join.
Webinars
The RRP organizes several webinars on key subjects for Makeover trainers throughout the year. Webinars are accessible via Zoom Video Conferencing and are also posted to YouTube for viewing after the fact.
“Welcome Webinar” ON THURSDAY which you can access via Zoom Video Conferencing (passcode: 669178) at 5:30 PM EST, Thursday, February 19th. In this webinar, our staff will review this email, opportunities for Makeover Trainers, provide you with information needed to be successful throughout the Makeover process, and answer any questions.
Promotion and Press
The Thoroughbred Makeover gets lots of press, and that’s a good thing. The RRP’s mission is to increase demand for these horses, and promotion is a big part of that. You will notice that the stories we pitch to the press tend to have some type of unique or noteworthy angle, whether it’s about the horse or the trainer. If you feel you or your horse have a newsworthy angle, please let us know, as we can only promote stories of which we are aware! If you and your horse are not well known, it doesn’t mean we’re not rooting for you. The official hashtag that we monitor for content is #TBMakeover. Please be sure to use this hashtag if you would like us to see, and possibly share, your posts.
It serves the RRP’s mission when your work with Thoroughbreds is promoted. Whether you are an amateur that trains and sells a horse from time to time or a professional with a large training operation and a herd of students, you are the bridges to second careers that the racing industry and future horse buyers need to meet.
Welcome!
When the RRP began in 2010, our goal was to get more Thoroughbreds into the hands of great trainers who could demonstrate their quality. The Makeover continues to make that happen in a big way! Enjoy the process over the next eight months, listen to your horses, make good friends, and learn something new. This is about so much more than one weekend in October. You are an impressive bunch, and we are proud to welcome you to the Class of 2026!
All the best,
Rayna Erasmus | Show Secretary
3357 Hazelwood Road, Edgewater, MD 21037
Increasing demand for Thoroughbreds beyond racing.
Social Media and Important Links
Our Website
2024 Rulebook
Trainer Portal (restricted, must be logged in to access)
RRP Store
RRP Facebook Page
TB Makeover Public Facebook Group
TB Makeover Trainers Closed Facebook Group
TB Makeover Volunteers Facebook Group
Instagram: @RetiredRacehorseProject
Twitter: @RRP_TBMakeover
TikTok: @retiredracehorseproject
