Nov 22, 2024
The USPA is proud to support the polo division of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, which returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky from Wednesday, October 8 to Saturday, October 11, 2025.
The Retired Racehorse Project’s mission is to facilitate placement of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in second careers by increasing demand for them in equestrian sports and serving the farms, trainers and organizations that transition them. The Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium is a training competition designed to showcase the versatility and athleticism of the Thoroughbred horse.
The most lucrative of any training competition of its kind, the event offers at least $100,000 in prize money, distributed across top finishers across multiple equestrian disciplines. Riders (referred to as “trainers” regardless of professional status) first apply to participate based on their demonstrated riding ability. Once accepted, trainers then register a recently retired racehorse and prepare it over the course of the year, culminating in the competition designed to test the quality and progress of each horse’s training in October in Lexington, Kentucky — the heart of the Thoroughbred racing industry.
The Retired Racehorse Project is encouraging all interested participants to begin drafting applications which can be viewed and edited as a saveable draft starting on Monday, December 16, in the Trainer Portal. The application window for submissions will open from Monday, January 6, until Friday, January 24, 2024.
The 2025 Rulebook is in final revisions and will be available online no later than December 16.
Training opens for 2025 Makeover: December 1, 2024
Applications open for drafting: December 16, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Applications open for submission: January 6-24, 2025
Application acceptance day: February 18, 2025
Retired Racehorse Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium: October 8-11, 2025
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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