The average Thoroughbred has the potential lifespan of 25-35 years. If the horse races from age 2 to 4, he or she then has another 20-30 years beyond that, a whole other lifetime which for some could be spent as a stallion/broodmare or as a paddock pet for a loving owner. Beyond the racetrack or a backyard paddock is the show ring, another venue for the Thoroughbred to show off their athleticism and work ethic in partnership with riders of all ages and levels.

The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) hosts a series of shows across North America where horses and their humans can earn points. Top competitors will qualify for the annual championships, taking place at Stable View in Aiken, S.C., this October.

Encourage, Recognize, and Reward

Over the last quarter-century, the sport of horse racing has focused significantly more effort on caring for Thoroughbreds beyond the racetrack. Whether they never see the inside of a starting gate or they compete in a hundred races, the goal is for each to find a second life beyond the oval. Programs like the T.I.P. incentivize riders who partner with Thoroughbreds over jumps, around trails, and in the dressage ring.

Founded in 2012, T.I.P. rewards riders with an eligible Thoroughbred in affiliated horse shows and other events where they earn points toward prizes, including ribbons and money. Eligible horses include those registered with The Jockey Club or a foreign Thoroughbred stud book that The Jockey Club recognizes. Owners can register for a T.I.P. number for their Thoroughbred and then compete in shows with T.I.P. classes or awards. Riders can then qualify for the T.I.P. Championships held each fall, where these Thoroughbreds put the versatility of the breed on display.

Thoroughbreds are athletic and versatile (Courtesy of Stable View)

“We started T.I.P. for two reasons: one, to encourage people to retrain Thoroughbreds, and then two, to recognize and reward those people that have chosen to ride a Thoroughbred,” said Kristin Werner, The Jockey Club’s administrator of the Thoroughbred Incentive Program.

Last year saw more than 1,500 sponsored horse shows in 40 states and five Canadian provinces with prizes and rewards in nearly every imaginable discipline. In 2026, “we're going to have about 1,600 shows with T.I.P. Awards,” Werner said. “In the last 10 years or so, we average between probably 8,000-13,000 horses participating in T.I.P. shows every year. Now, that could be the same horse at multiple shows, and a lot of times it is because they've participated a whole series.”

Since The Jockey Club started T.I.P. in 2012, “we've had at least 40,000 horses that have applied for a T.I.P. number,” Werner said. “So, we know that they're involved in some way in a second career, whether that's competition, recreational, therapeutic services, any of the things that would cause them to apply for a T.I.P. number to participate in our program.”

In October, T.I.P. participants will gather for the program’s annual championships and celebrate the Thoroughbred in a thoroughly horsey scene, Stable View in Aiken, S.C.

World-Class Hospitality

Located in southwestern South Carolina, about 20 miles from Augusta, Ga., and about 60 miles from the state’s capital, Columbia, is Aiken, a historic haven where the horse is an essential part of the community. Before Florida became a winter haven for the Thoroughbred, names like Whitney, Vanderbilt, and Astor made the area a destination when late year’s chill and snow drove them south in search of milder weather. The area has been a hub, not just for pleasure riders but for flat racing, steeplechasing, and more.

“Aiken is probably one of the most horse-friendly places I've ever been. There's a road crossing [Whiskey Road] with a button for the light change at horse level so that riders can push it. They have a training track there. They run a steeplechase. There is a culture of Thoroughbred there, historically,” Werner said.

Aiken’s historic connection with the Thoroughbred made the area the perfect place to hold the T.I.P. Championships. Since 2021, Stable View, an equestrian-focused event center, has played host to the championships, providing everything that T.I.P. participants need, from stabling to accommodations to refreshments and more. Barry and Cindy Olliff bought a former quail hunting lodge and turned it into a retreat replete with riding trails, cross-country courses, arenas, barns, and a schooling field. Stable View also features accommodations for up to 75 people, a restaurant, a pub, event spaces, and more.

World-class facilities (Courtesy of Stable View)

 “We came down in 2010 for six weeks on Friday through Sunday. We went around all the properties of Aiken because there were so many that were for sale,” said Barry Olliff. “We stumbled across Stable View, which at the time was actually a quail hunting lodge. We just gradually developed it, and we've continued to develop it since we've lived here. We built a house in 2018. And we've done a major addition to the facility every year. Either a barn or a house, or the pavilion, or the bistro, or something or other we've done that was significant to take the property onto the next step.”

The Olliffs’ connection to horse comes from Cindy, who would work with horses coming off the track in the Philadelphia, Pa. area and retrain them for second careers. Working with her trainer, Cindy then would sell these off-track Thoroughbreds to eventers looking for a new partner. Her trips to Aiken led to the couple’s relocation to the area and the chance to build Stable View, a place built for horses and riders.

“It's an equestrian training center that is also becoming a resort spa. We can put up 100 people. We've got a pavilion. We've got a commercial kitchen. We've got a pub. We've got four rider lounges with wi-fi, food, coffee, and such. We sit on a thousand acres with over a hundred acres committed to cross country,” Olliff said. “The hospitality that we put on, I think I'd like to highlight, because that's one of a kind. There isn't anything like it anywhere.”

Stable View’s amenities as well as its location in a horse-lovers paradise like Aiken made it the perfect place to hold the T.I.P. Championships, a relationship that enables all parties to celebrate the Thoroughbred in stye.

A Special Experience

The partnership between Stable View and the Thoroughbred Incentive Program came about thanks to “a fortuitous set of circumstances. Kristen was looking to change it up. She wanted support with administration and with the entries,” Olliff said. “Stable View, we are a horse facility through and through. We have events every week of the year. We cater to horse people, so people will be at home here. And T.I.P. is one of our biggest, if not the biggest event of the year.”

A perfect match for the T.I.P. Championships (Courtesy of Stable View)

“We really needed someone who would just manage the show for us. We can walk in with ribbons, prizes, and prize money, and everything else is done for us there,” Werner said. “We also have the benefit that they have all of their equipment there, so we're not having to rent jumps or anything like that. And because they do so many events, they've got lots of great contacts for judges, staff, and officials.”

The T.I.P. Championships come to Stable View Oct. 1-4, 2026, with horses and riders competing in 40-plus divisions, including hunters, jumpers, dressage, Western pleasure, and more. The 2025 edition saw more than 200 horses compete for $2,000 in prize money in each division. The Jockey Club will offer the same $2,000 per division again in 2026, awards designed to honor the Thoroughbreds who come to Stable View to strut their stuff. The championships are designed to celebrate these equine athletes in their pursuits beyond the racetrack and breeding shed. They are also part of a continuing effort to show riders at all levels why a Thoroughbred makes a great partner in the show ring.

“When it comes to Thoroughbreds, we have these horses that we breed for racing 95% of the time. And when they're done racing, they can go on to do all kinds of other competitive, non-competitive, and therapeutic careers successfully,” Werner said.

“What we're trying to do with T.I.P. is make sure that they're getting the recognition that they deserve for that new career. It’s about broadening the definition of success for the Thoroughbred.”

Ultimately, T.I.P. and Stable View provide a chance for Thoroughbred and their owners and riders to commune and bond over their shared love for the breed.

“This is the one time a year they see each other, and they remember each other's horses, and they hang out,” Werner said. “Thoroughbred owners are usually a passionate bunch. They like to share and have good fellowship around their Thoroughbreds. It's really a special experience.”

With Stable View and Aiken as the backdrop, who can ask for anything more?