Category: ASPCA Makeover Marketplace

Thoroughbred Makeover Marketplace Expands in Partnership With the ASPCA

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Thanks to the continued generous support of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today that the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, will include for the first time the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, in addition to the returning ASPCA Makeover Marketplace. The ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, open through the Makeover on October 12-15 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, will include Thoroughbred horses of varying ages and backgrounds who are up for adoption from partner organizations of the ASPCA Right Horse program.

“Our continued partnership with the Retired Racehorse Project has been a fantastic avenue to support placing retired racehorses in new careers and loving homes,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of ASPCA Equine Welfare “We are thrilled to launch the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn this year to help even more Thoroughbred enthusiasts find their right horse through equine adoption.”

Participating horses will be identified closer to the event and a list of participating organizations will be published in the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog, available both digitally and printed as an insert to the Fall 2022 issue of the RRP’s award-winning publication, Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine. The Fall magazine issue also doubles as the Thoroughbred Makeover program. Leading up to the event, prospective adopters can visit www.myrighthorse.org, the ASPCA’s online adoption platform for equines, to search for adoptable Thoroughbreds.

In addition to the horses available through the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog is expected to include over one hundred transitioned, restarted and competition-experienced Thoroughbreds who will compete at the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover. Interested shoppers and adopters have the unique opportunity to watch horses perform, take a trial ride in a designated arena, and vet prospects on-site, all in one location, in one weekend. The trial arena and ability to schedule pre-purchase exams are also open to the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn participants, as well.

“We’re grateful for the ASPCA’s continued support of the Makeover Marketplace and their commitment to the RRP’s work,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “Through their Right Horse program, the ASPCA has fostered a new level of collaboration and innovation within the equine welfare community. The ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn is just one example of that, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to expand the scope of the Marketplace to serve more Thoroughbreds.”

The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace has become an adopter’s or buyer’s trusted source for Thoroughbreds for sport and pleasure. Makeover graduates available through the Marketplace have undergone extensive preparation for the event, with emphasis placed on a healthy transition from the track and appropriate training and exposure to a big show environment. Past ASPCA Makeover Marketplace graduates have gone on to successful careers in eventing, hunter/jumper, field hunter, western performance, pleasure, and trail riding.

Organizations wishing to participate in the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn are encouraged to sign up by August 15th, 2022, as space is limited. More information is available on the RRP website.

Sign up to receive your free copy of the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog, including the list of organizations participating in the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn as well as Makeover graduates available for sale and adoption. The digital catalog will be released at theRRP.org after August 15 and the print version will be mailed in late September.
About the Retired Racehorse Project

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the world’s largest and most lucrative retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, produces the Master Class retraining clinic series, and presents programming at major horse expos and events around the country. The RRP maintains an educational library of content to empower more equestrians to ride a Thoroughbred.

 

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first animal welfare organization to be established in North America and today serves as the nation’s leading voice for vulnerable and victimized animals. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA assists animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources. For more information, visit www.ASPCA.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Retired Racehorse Project’s ASPCA Makeover Marketplace Transitions to Virtual Event

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While the in-person horse shopping and adoption experience at the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium may no longer be possible this year with the postponement of the event to 2021, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), thanks to a generous grant from the ASPCA, will continue to produce the Makeover Marketplace and promote transitioned Thoroughbreds as premier sport horse prospects online.

Expected to feature dozens of restarted Thoroughbreds, the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog will once again be offered in print as well as digitally. Sign-ups are now open to receive the catalog, which will be printed in the Fall 2020 issue of Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, the RRP’s award-winning quarterly publication. The catalog will be printed in color and feature each horse’s Jockey Club name and basic details, price or adoption fee, home location, description and photo, as well as trainer contact information. Each advertisement will also include a QR code that will direct smartphone users to the horse’s full online listing, which may include additional information and video.

“The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace has become one of the country’s premier horse shopping and adoption opportunities for equestrians looking for well-started sport horse prospects,” said Jen Roytz, Executive Director of the RRP. “Traditionally, horse shopping includes extensive travel, often going to multiple farms in different states in order to consider horses, but changing mandates and travel restrictions during the pandemic are limiting those opportunities. The Marketplace lets you browse from the comfort of your couch and peruse dozens of photos, videos and descriptions of equine athletes for adoption or sale who have had the proper care, nutrition and training to make a successful transition to a competitive or recreational career after racing.”
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Dewey Square, 2015 Thoroughbred Makeover Marketplace graduate, now owned by Nicholas D’Amore and in training with Kate Chadderton. Photo by Amy Dragoo

The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace has become an adopter’s or buyer’s trusted source for Thoroughbreds for sport or pleasure. Though the Thoroughbred Makeover competition will not be taking place this year, each horse entered in the Marketplace catalog will have undergone preparation for the event, with emphasis placed on a healthy transition from the track and training for a big show environment. Past ASPCA Makeover Marketplace graduates have gone on to successful careers in eventing, hunter/jumper, field hunter, western performance, pleasure and trail riding.

“Creating opportunities for more equine enthusiasts to find their Right Horse is a vital component of our work,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, Vice President of ASPCA Equine Welfare. “The RRP continues to support us in shifting the perspective of who a retired racehorse is and showcasing the incredible potential they will bring to their next homes. While we will miss seeing all the event-goers and talented competitors this year, we celebrate this innovative virtual Marketplace experience that will help transition more great horses to their next chapter.”

The digital catalog will be released at tbmakeover.org the week of August 10, and individual horses will be featured on the RRP’s social media. Watch the RRP’s Facebook page for additional virtual spotlights of Marketplace horses this fall.

Sign up now for the print catalog at tbmakeover.org/catalog. Catalogs will be printed and mailed in mid-September.
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RRP logo

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to putting on the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, hosts off-track Thoroughbred retraining clinics and programming at major horse expos and events around the country, and maintains the online Thoroughbred Sport Tracker (the internet’s only user-driven database tracking second career talent and accomplishments of registered Thoroughbreds). Visit the RRP online at RetiredRacehorseProject.org.
ASPCA MadePossible stack

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.