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The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today that its banner event, the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, will add a day of clinics and guided schooling opportunities to Makeover participants on Friday, October 11 during the largest retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses.

Clinics and guided schooling will be offered at the conclusion of preliminary competition for horses and their trainers that did not qualify for the Finale Championships, and will be offered in the disciplines of dressage, show hunter, show jumper, and ranch work. Clinics will follow a traditional format of a small group working with the clinician, who will be a judge from preliminary competition, while guided schooling will be short individual sessions allowing trainers and horses the opportunity to ride the course with input from the judge.

“Giving riders and owners the tools and resources to be successful with Thoroughbreds is essential to the RRP’s mission,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “We have always been cognizant of the commitment of resources that trainers make when they sign on to participate in the Makeover, and the addition of these clinics represent our commitment to delivering value to our participants, and creating opportunities for success.”

Prior to preliminary competition, all horses and trainers have the opportunity to school in competition spaces; the new clinic and guided schooling options offer the opportunity for additional education from judges as well as a route to end the week on a good note for horses whose preliminary rounds may not have gone to plan.

All clinics and guided schooling rounds are free to audit for the general public, offering a rare chance to enjoy educational opportunities in multiple disciplines in one location on a single day. The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace runs concurrently, allowing clinic spectators the opportunity to try multiple Thoroughbreds offered for sale at one time.

Registration for clinics and guided schooling for Makeover participants will open in September, and a detailed schedule will be available by the end of September at TheRRP.org.