The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today the list of participating trainers accepted to compete at the 2025 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The world’s largest retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses and former broodmares takes place on October 8-11, 2025 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington and will award over $135,000 in prize money.

The flagship event of the RRP, the Thoroughbred Makeover not only provides a showcase competition for participating horses, but serves as an inspiration event to encourage more equestrians to get involved with the breed. The competition is open to professionals, amateurs, juniors and teams, all competing on an equal footing with racehorses that raced or trained to race within the past two years with no more than 15 retraining rides prior to December 1, 2024. The Former Broodmare division offers competition alongside the Retiring Racehorse division and is designated for mares exiting the breeding industry; Former Broodmares will compete for a separate pot of prize money.

“We are thrilled to congratulate the trainers who have been accepted for this year’s Thoroughbred Makeover,” said Erin Halliwell, executive director of Thoroughbred Charities of America. “Their dedication, skill, and passion for transforming retired racehorses into versatile athletes is truly inspiring. We look forward to watching the culmination of their efforts at the Makeover.”

Competition at the Thoroughbred Makeover is available in ten disciplines, and trainers can choose to compete in up to two per horse: 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). Trainers do not select competitive disciplines for their horses until August, allowing them plenty of time to assess their horses’ strengths and talents.

While trainers did not declare their entry intentions on their applications, they did provide a horseman’s resume that detailed their training and competition experience, including riding video in their disciplines of declared expertise. Applicants also furnished letters from their veterinarians stating that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to appropriately care for a horse transitioning from the track. An independent application committee considered each applicant’s ability as described in their application to bring along a recently-retired Thoroughbred to compete at a national venue in a big environment.

Accepted trainers are encouraged to register their horses with the RRP as soon as they acquire them; horse registration closes on July 31, 2025. As horses are registered and approved, they will appear on the entry list at theRRP.org/entries. The 322 accepted trainers have signed up to bring a total of 319 horses; late applications are also considered through June 27, 2025 so this number is expected to grow.

“Heading into the 10-year anniversary of the Thoroughbred Makeover in its current format, we have a lot more to be proud of than just the sheer volume of horses served,” said Kirsten Green, executive director of the RRP. “In the past decade, we have seen the level of knowledge and appreciation around the breed elevate in a way that has made a marked impact on the effectiveness of the aftercare industry and overall outcomes for Thoroughbreds transitioning on from their racing careers.”

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 the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace horse sale, a vendor fair, a hands-on seminar series, and clinics and guided schooling opportunities for participants after preliminary competition. New for 2025, the Thoroughbred Makeover will culminate in the Championships on Saturday, with the top 10 horses in each discipline called back for final rounds of competition.

The Thoroughbred Makeover is the flagship event of the RRP, a 501(c)3 non-profit committed to increasing the demand for and value of Thoroughbreds in careers beyond racing. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2025 Thoroughbred Makeover: contact Megan Garlich at mgarlich@therrp.org for more information.