Photo by Bethany P Photography

While the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, had a dark day as far as competition on Friday, competitive action heated up for the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) Western Championships, as well as the T.I.P. Central Dressage Championships.

The Thoroughbred Makeover continued to offer plenty to keep attendees engaged, with two educational events as well as ongoing shopping opportunities. Read on for more!

Stage Set for Saturday’s Finale

The top-placed horses from preliminary competition will be returning for one more round of competition on Saturday, competing for Finale Championship standings. The Finale Champions of each discipline will then be ranked by a panel of judges from all disciplines to determine the Thoroughbred Makeover Champion, sponsored by Churchill Downs. Voting will also be open at the conclusion of the ten disciplines for the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Achieve Equine.

The Finale will be livestreamed for free at TheRRP.org/livestream. Tune in to watch your favorite disciplines perform!

Educational Opportunities Continue at National Symposium

The TCA Covered Arena saw plenty of action on Friday morning as the Makeover Master Class, sponsored by Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF), kicked things off at 9 AM with clinician Jorge Vasquez. Vasquez is the USPA Midstates Circuit Governor, co-founder of the Commonwealth Polo Club, and the Gainesway Farm Polo Manager. He guided four participating riders and their mounts through flat work exercises that, while intended to support a transition to a career in polo, had applicable value for riders of all disciplines. Jen Roytz provided additional commentary.

The Makeover Seminar Series, sponsored by TheHorse.com, took place in the afternoon and welcomed both in-person attendees as well as online participants. Featured sessions included the following:

• Complementary & Alternative Therapies for the OTTB, sponsored by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital
• Latest Developments in Joint Therapies, sponsored by Godolphin Lifetime Care
• Optimizing the Management of the Sport Horse, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim

All sessions — the Master Class and all three seminars — have been recorded and will be available for on-demand viewing following the Thoroughbred Makeover.

Photo by Bethany P Photography

Shopping Opportunities Abound

From horses to all the tack, feed, and supplies that horses need, the Thoroughbred Makeover shopping opportunities continue through Saturday. Successful sales are being made through the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace, and adoptable horses are also in the process of finding new homes via the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn.

The Makeover Vendor Fair is full of shopping opportunities to find a special piece of tack or apparel, or discover new feeds or supplements. The Vendor Fair runs through the Finale Championships on Saturday, giving attendees plenty of time to find a great deal. Make sure you vote for your favorite vendor at the Info Desk for the Vendor of the Show Award!

If you’re shopping from home, don’t forget to place your online bid in the Silent Auction, sponsored by Thor-Bred Stables: the auction closes at 2 PM EST on Saturday and there’s an incredible array of unique items, experiences and racing memorabilia. Bid now at https://www.32auctions.com/TBMakeover2022

Makeover Awards Party Returns

The Makeover Awards Party, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim with support from 1/ST Racing and Redmond Equine, made a return in 2022 and welcomed competitors, supporters and sponsors to the Big Barn at Kentucky Horse Park. Competitors enjoyed live music and local food trucks from Lexington before the awards portion of the evening; each discipline winner and the top amateur, junior, team and best conditioned were honored plus special award winners. The bar was sponsored by The McIntosh Group.

Photo by Captivation Photography

T.I.P. Championships Continues

Western, dressage and halter competition took place today for the T.I.P. Championships, including western pleasure, ranch riding, competitive trail, and both western and classical dressage. Champions will be named for these divisions tomorrow. Halter winners are listed below:

• War Horse Halter A: Lil B Quick with Haley Kenevan
• War Horse Halter B: Risky Guy with Megan Healy
• Mares Halter Performance Type A: B F F Abbey with Rebecca Elkins
• Mares Halter Performance Type B: Here Comes Jones with Alesia Singer
• Geldings/Stallions Halter Performance Type A: Crazy Man with Reba Merritt
• Geldings/Stallions Halter Performance Type B: Get It In Ink with Lottie Crawford
• Geldings/Stallions Halter Performance Type C: Haunted Mesa with Halle Rust
• Geldings/Stallions Halter Ranch Type: Floo Powder with Layne Shaffer
• Mares Halter Ranch Type: Straighttotheheart with Allison Andrews
• TAA/TCA Aftercare Organization Graduate Halter: Wildest Dreams with Natalia Alvini-Moore

Here Comes Jones and Alesia Singer. Photo by CanterClix