302 recently retired Thoroughbreds from 62 racetracks across North America are heading to Lexington, Kentucky for the 2016 Retired Racehorse Project’s (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium. The Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, will be held Oct. 27-30 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Each horse has spent the past ten months in training
The retired racehorses have been working with horse trainers of various disciplines for the past ten months in preparation for the four-day event, which serves to demonstrate the capability of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses to excel within their particular riding disciplines. The event also features a $100,000 purse.

The event will feature competition in the following ten equestrian disciplines: barrel racing, competitive trails, dressage, eventing, field hunters, freestyle, polo, show hunters, show jumpers, and working ranch. The top three in each discipline will compete in the Saturday afternoon finale, where America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred will be crowned.

The event will be live-streamed on the RRP website.

“For anyone interested in training horses, this is as good as it gets,” said event organizer and RRP President Steuart Pittman. “The horses all started knowing only what they learned in the sport of racing, and each trainer applies his or her own methods to the process. You can’t help but learn something new.”

The Symposium will also feature five “Bridges to Second Careers Roundtables,” five seminars, and 13 training demonstrations to help improve the quality of training and care that off-track Thoroughbreds receive from their post-racing owners. Several top riders, trainers, veterinarians, and educators will be on hand to visit with attendees, including Rosie Napravnik, Bernie Traurig, Chris McCarron, Elisa Wallace, and Lance Graves.

106 of the horses entered in the competition will also be featured in the 2016 Makeover Horse Sale. The online catalog is available in advance for review, and offers prices, photos, and videos. During the event, potential buyers can watch horses compete and request trial rides with the seller’s consent.

Details and a full schedule of events are available online here.