Increasing demand for thoroughbreds beyond racing

ImageImageImage

The RRP's Impact

The RRP's educational programming along with its signature event, the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, have made a significant impact on the Thoroughbred aftercare industry by jump-starting demand for retiring racehorses and serving as a complement to other aftercare organizations and initiatives.
$41.1
Million Dollars

Dollars Leveraged

Makeover trainers invest in their horses through feed and routine care as well as training, equipment, competitions and complementary therapies. This figure represents the total estimated cumulative amount invested since 2013.
5,825
Entries

Makeover Entries Accepted

The Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover is the organization's flagship event that has become both a "bucket list" goal for equestrians as well as a regular event on the calendar for others. Since 2013, 4,048 entries have been accepted from 46 American states and four Canadian provinces.
4,710
Horse Impacted

Horses Impacted

While not every accepted entry will register a horse, and not every horse registered will compete in Kentucky, the number of horses impacted through the Makeover process has grown steadily since 2013.

Average Off-Track Price

Tracking the prices for horses coming off the track is one of the RRP's key metrics to determining the success of its mission to increase demand for ex-racehorses. Prices for horses coming off the track have been on a steady increase since we first started tracking this figure in 2016.
2016
$1,570
2017
$1,590
2018
$1,710
2019
$1,960
2020
$2,028

2021

$2,440

2022
$2,863
2023
$3,050

Average Makeover Graduate Sale Price: $10,650

The sale price for Thoroughbred Makeover graduates is another important metric to gauge the demand for horses who are already transitioned to a second career and who have entered retraining and competition. While not every graduate is sold at the end of the Makeover process, the average for those who do sell indicates that the retraining process does increase their value.

Makeover Attendees and LivestreamViews: 121,980 (2019)

Over 120,000 individuals witnessed the display of Thoroughbred trainability, versatility and athleticism by attending the Thoroughbred Makeover in person or watching via livestream. The Makeover's impact is much larger than just the participants and horses who enter -- it serves to inspire a new generation of equestrians to try a Thoroughbred.

RRP Reach

  • 48,000 web visitors annually to the RRP Education Library
  • 25,000+ email subscribers
  • 40,000+ weekly reach on social media platforms
  • 383+ Thoroughbreds listed with the RRP's Horse Listings service since 2022
* Statistics through December 2023

SEARCH


Sign up for our education newsletter