This blog has been a little hard to write, because actually typing it out means that we have made a hard decision, but we know it is the right one. We have decided to withdraw from the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover.

The author with Ginger. (Dehlia Sutton photo)

There are a couple different reasons for this conclusion, but the biggest one is that Ginger just won’t be ready in time. Sure, we could go into double time and push it, and some horses might do well with that, but not our Ginger. She learns quick and is willing to try anything, but not in a pressure-cooker situation. We have only been able to do about five rides on her due to the weather that I have mentioned in the past blogs and the abscess that is taking a bit longer to really heal. We want to do what is best by her and more importantly, we want her confident in her new career as a ranch horse. 

I am sure everyone has noticed the cost of fuel lately as well. If that trend continues, it will be extremely expensive to travel there. What would normally be $700 round trip in just fuel, will more than double what we originally set aside for the trip. It would be one thing to still go with the cost of fuel being the way that it is currently, if you had a horse that you felt knew their job and was ready for the atmosphere of Makeover week, but Miss Ginger won’t be at that point in October.

Our goal is to get Ginger healed up and let her be a horse for the remainder of the year. If the eligibility dates stay in the same guidelines for 2023, she will hopefully be eligible to compete next year. If that is the case, Jake and I will toss our hats into the ring for next year. If not, that is OK too! We have an amazing little mare that will make a great ranch horse addition to the string! 

I wish everyone the best on this journey – there are ups and downs, but in the end, it’s all about these wonderful athletes and helping them transition into new careers… it just might not be on the timeline we hope for. 

Until next year (fingers crossed)… good luck everyone on your road to the Makeover 2022!!

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.