July Trainer Newsletter: Horse Registrations & Discipline Selections

July 22, 2025

2025 Trainers,

Let’s cut to the chase: The horse registration deadline is closing and the Final Entry period is looming. Both are mandatory for all Makeover trainers and failure to meet these deadlines will result in withdrawal from this year’s competition. This newsletter will cover the upcoming deadlines and other important updates.

If your coach, parent/guardian, horse’s owner, etc. wishes to receive the trainer newsletters, they may sign up for the mailing list here.

If you missed the May newsletter, catch up here.

Upcoming: Final Entry Webinar

When: Aug 4, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Completing Your Final Entry

The final entry process is the last step trainers must complete in order to compete in the Makeover. This step includes discipline selections, stabling reservations, Marketplace listings, clinic sign-ups, and more. You will want to make sure it gets done correctly! RRP Co-show secretaries, Rayna Erasmus and Molly Hutchison, will walk you through the final entry process and answer your burning questions as we get closer to the event.

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85180214983
Passcode:913492
Phone one-tap:
+13017158592,,85180214983#,,,,*913492# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,85180214983#,,,,*913492# US (Chicago)
Webinar ID: 851 8021 4983
Passcode: 913492
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoEqIuGpu

Horse Registration Deadline

All trainers must register their horses for the Makeover through the Trainer Portal by 5pm EST on July 29^th. Access the horse registration form by logging into the portal, scrolling down to the section titled My Entries, and selecting “Register a Thoroughbred” from the dropdown menu in the Actions column.

Please note:

All trainer entries without actively registered horses as of 5pm on July 29^th will be withdrawn. Do not wait until the last minute to register your horses.
Individuals and team captains are responsible for registering the horses for their entries. Team members will not have access to the horse registration form for team entries.
Trainers may withdraw horses and register new ones through the portal as many times as needed until the July 29^th. After the deadline, trainers will be unable to swap or register new horses.
Once your registration is submitted, it is manually reviewed by one dedicated staff member before being published to the website. It may take several days, or even longer as we work through the last-minute registrations, for your horse’s status to change. We will contact you if there is a problem with your registration. Please give our staff some time to review and update your horse’s registration status. No news is good news.

What is Final Entry?

Trainers will select their horse’s discipline(s), reserve stabling, record microchip numbers, and register for the Makeover Marketplace on their Final Entry form. The Final Entry form is open August 5 through August 29^th. All entries without a Final Entry form or unpaid fees as of August 29^th will be withdrawn. Individuals and team captains are responsible for submitting this form; team members do not have access to the Final Entry form. Tune into the Completing Your Final Entry webinar on August 4^th for more information. Clinic sign-ups will also be open during the same period, but through a separate form in the Trainer Portal.

Discipline Selections

This is your reminder that you have NOT YET entered your horse in a discipline. The Final Entry form is where you will enter your horse in up to two of the ten disciplines we offer. Please enter your horse in the discipline(s) they are adequately prepared for at the time of Final Entry submission. Once the Final Entry form closes, you CANNOT change your discipline.

A common mistake we see trainers make is entering a discipline their horse is not yet ready for in hopes that they will make enough progress in the final 6 weeks leading up to the Makeover. There is really not as much time between Final Entry close and the start of preliminary competition as we like to think. Rather than having to scratch because your plans to prepare your horse in the final month of training did not come to fruition, enter your horse in the discipline(s) they are prepared for at this stage. (For example: If you planned to enter in Show Hunter, but they are not yet jumping 2’6″ courses, plan to pivot to Dressage.) You are much more likely to find success in fine-tuning your horse’s current skills in your final weeks of Makeover preparation than you will in attempting to introduce new skills. The Makeover is just the beginning of your horse’s new career and the discipline you compete in at this event does not need to reflect your ultimate goals for the horse’s future.

FIELD HUNTERS: Trainers entering the Field Hunter division at Final Entry are required to submit a letter from a Masters of Foxhounds Association-recognized hunt certifying that the trainer has hunted first or second field at least twice in one formal hunt season within the past two years. The letter is due by August 29^th and must be signed, dated, and on letterhead. A new letter must be provided each year for all participating individuals, team captains, and team members.

POLO: Trainers that enter Polo on their Final Entry form but did not originally indicate polo as their primary discipline on their application will be required to submit video demonstrating polo-specific skills such as short work and stick and ball work.

Microchips

All horses competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover must have a Jockey Club-registered microchip number recorded on their Final Entry which will be validated during their Arrival Exam. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the horse’s dismissal from competition. Trainers need to know their horse’s valid (registered and scannable) microchip number before completing the final entry form August 5^th-29^th as they will not be able to submit the form without the microchip number.

Please follow these steps to ensure your Makeover horse has a valid microchip number:

Scan your horse thoroughly with a microchip reader. This can be done by a veterinarian, or by the trainer themselves, with a microchip reader. Most North American horses will have their microchip inserted in the nuchal ligament on the left side of their crest. Some other countries (including Canada) insert the chip in the horse’s upper lip. Microchips can migrate so it is very important to scan the whole horse for any existing microchips.
If a microchip is found, use the Jockey Club’s microchip lookup tool to confirm whether or not that number is registered to your horse.
1. If it is, you are all set! Be sure to save the microchip number.
2. If it is NOT registered with the Jockey Club, use the Jockey Club’s microchip reporting tool to complete this step. A how-to video can be found here.
If a microchip is NOT found, and your horse was born BEFORE 2017, purchase (and insert) a compliant microchip and register it with the Jockey Club.
1. Trainers needing to purchase a microchip may do so from whatever source they choose, as long as the serial number is 15 digits (ISO 11784/11785 compliant). The RRP shop and The Jockey Club both sell compliant microchips. Note that microchips, from whatever source, are not pre-registered to any databases. It is the responsibility of the owner to register them with the Jockey Club once inserted.
2. Once the microchip is inserted, use the Jockey Club’s microchip reporting tool to register the microchip to your Makeover horse. A how-to video can be found here.
If a microchip is NOT found, and your horse was born IN OR AFTER 2017, please email secretary@therrp.org right away.

If you encounter any issues with your horse’s microchip number, email secretary@therrp.org and inquiries@jockeyclub.com immediately. Do not wait until August to complete this process.

Save $350 on Makeover Entry Fees: Fundraise with Make the Makeover

We get it: everything feels really expensive right now (we’re feeling the pinch too!). Let us help: through our Make the Makeover fundraiser drive, any individual trainer or team captain that raises $1000 for the Retired Racehorse Project through their personal networks will have their $350 registration fee for the 2025 Makeover refunded.

There are also some awesome additional prizes for our top fundraisers, including a brand-new zero turn lawn mower, a PEMF machine, and cash! Get started now at Give Lively.

Important to note: Only those entered as team captains or individuals are eligible to create a Make the Makeover fundraising page; team members are encouraged to share their team captain’s fundraiser to help achieve the team’s fundraising goal. Additionally, fundraising for Make the Makeover MUST be done through Give Lively.

Another Money Saving Tip: Acquire a Scholarship Eligible Horse

If you haven’t found your Makeover mount yet, you still have one week to do so! Check out the ASPCA Right Horse Scholarship. Makeover horses acquired from Right Horse Adoption Partners are eligible for a scholarship valued at a minimum of $405 in Final Entry fees.

You will find some scholarship eligible horses listed on our website’s Scholarship Listings page. Other eligible horses can be found on the Right Horse listings, or by checking out your nearest Right Horse Partner.

If you adopted your horse and are unsure if they are from a scholarship eligible organization, check out the list of Right Horse Adoption Partners here to confirm. If so, make sure to register your horse with us ASAP! Scholarship spots are awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Volunteer Sign-Ups Open

Our volunteer sign-up is live! The Makeover has always run off a small but dedicated army of volunteers; will you be one of them? Shift and positions are available to suit all schedules and experience levels. Please encourage any friends or family members that are coming to cheer you on to pick up a shift. Volunteer shifts can be scheduled around your ride times too!

All volunteers receive a hat, t-shirt, refreshments, lunch for all-day shifts, a discount in the RRP booth, and more! Sign up for your shift here.

Silent Auction Donations Needed

Do you have something you would be willing to donate to the silent auction? Our Makeover silent auction has become a meaningful fundraiser for the RRP and each year it has expanded its unique and diverse offerings of gifts, experiences, art, memorabilia, and more. We very much appreciate any donations you can offer or solicit from your community. More details about the silent auction are available here.

The Retired Racehorse Project staff is here to help you have a successful and positive experience preparing your horse for the Thoroughbred Makeover and beyond. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing secretary@therrp.org.

All the best,

Rayna