Lucky Milady and Stephanie Potter compete in Show Hunter through the 2023 Former Broodmare division. Photo by Kacy Brown

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today that Claiborne Farm and Lane’s End Farm have committed to a co-sponsorship of the Former Broodmare division at the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America.

First run as a pilot program in 2023, the Former Broodmare division is now an official competition avenue at the Thoroughbred Makeover, welcoming recently-retired broodmares to compete alongside the traditional retiring racehorse division in all ten offered disciplines. Broodmares will be pinned and recognized separately, and compete for a separate pot of $10,000 in prize money.

“Claiborne is happy to once again be one of the lead sponsors of the Thoroughbred Makeover’s Former Broodmare division,” said Claiborne president Walker Hancock. “With so much recent and warranted attention directed towards aftercare, we think this is a brilliant concept that gives those broodmares more purpose and helps to highlight their achievements outside of the breeding shed.”

The RRP’s Thoroughbred Makeover has made a measurable impact on Thoroughbred aftercare, with prices for horses retiring off the track steadily increasing each year since the event began and more first-time participants turning to the breed as their next partner for sport or recreation. The addition of the Former Broodmare division was a response to the recognition that retiring broodmares are an underserved population within the Thoroughbred industry in need of efforts to increase demand to aid in the transition to third careers.

“Lane’s End is proud to participate as a sponsor of the Former Broodmare Division at the Thoroughbred Makeover,” said Bill Farish of Lane’s End. “Since its inception, the RRP has helped raise the profile of aftercare and showcase the diverse talents of the off-track Thoroughbred. The new broodmare division is another unique opportunity as an avenue for second or even third careers to showcase the athletic abilities of the Thoroughbred.”

The pilot year of competition in 2023 saw former broodmares represented in nine of ten offered Thoroughbred Makeover disciplines, with a total of 26 mares registered for competition. The majority of those mares were retired due to reproductive issues, rather than advanced age or commercial performance of offspring; the average age of registered former broodmares was 12.

“The response we received when we announced this pilot program back in 2023 made it so clear that our industry was in need of appropriate outlets for retiring Thoroughbred broodmares,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “We’re proud to contribute to improving outcomes for this special population of horses, and commend Claiborne and Lane’s End for their leadership and commitment to these horses.”

The Former Broodmare division is also made possible by a grant from the ASPCA. Eligible broodmares will have produced a foal or have been bred in the 2022 breeding season or after, as reported by The Jockey Club, and need to have had one lifetime start or published work. They may not have had prior shows or competitions before December 1, 2023, when training for the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover officially opened across all divisions. Late applications are still being accepted through June 28 for the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover; learn more about the Former Broodmare division, eligibility requirements and the Thoroughbred Makeover at TheRRP.org.