The Real Rider Cup brings the racing world together for a cause that connects the racing and sport horse communities.

Created by Anita Motion in 2017, the charity show-jumping competition and event invites racing industry professionals, including trainers, jockeys, breeders, owners, media members, and aftercare advocates.

Each rider partners with an off-track Thoroughbred to compete while raising money for aftercare by pledging to raise at least $1,000. The proceeds benefit organizations such as Beyond the Wire, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, and the Retired Racehorse Project.

Since its inception, the Real Rider Cup has raised more than $800,000 while showcasing the Thoroughbred’s athleticism, heart, and versatility beyond the track.

Ryan Keefe aboard OTTB Point Nemo. (Courtesy of Ryan Keefe)

Real Rider Cup rider Ryan Keefe’s connection to the Thoroughbred runs deep. The daughter of Maryland-based trainer Tim Keefe is now an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

“I’ve known both sides of the racing industry my whole life,” Keefe said. “My dad was a racehorse trainer, and my mom has always taken Thoroughbreds off the track and retrained them, mostly as eventing horses, but some have gone on to do other things too — whatever they’re happy doing.”

Point Nemo, the OTTB Keefe will compete with, had a connection to her family before his racing career even began. An owner in Tim Keefe’s barn purchased the gelding as a yearling, but after four starts, it became clear racing might not be his calling.

“He liked watching everyone pass him on the track,” Ryan Keefe said.

Fortunately, Tim Keefe recognized his potential and brought him home.

“My dad is pretty good at figuring out which ones are good prospects to bring home,” Keefe said. “He grew up riding Thoroughbreds too, so he’s always had a good feel for which horses might be happier doing something different. He brought Nemo home, and my mom restarted him. He ended up being fairly straightforward to retrain.”

Ryan Keefe with OTTB Point Nemo. (Courtesy of Ryan Keefe)

Keefe’s mother first evented him through training level before Ryan took over the ride. When Keefe attended the University of Kentucky, Point Nemo accompanied her, and the pair continued to advance through the levels together.

“He’s a special horse — I evented him up to the two-star level,” Keefe says.

Eventually, Point Nemo became an important partner for Keefe’s younger sister, who was ready to move on from experienced schoolmaster-type horses and develop a younger event horse.

“She got along with Nemo really well, and she loves him,” Keefe said. “She’s had him for about four years now, and they’ve gone up to the three-star level in eventing together.”

Now 13, Point Nemo has become exactly the kind of horse the Real Rider Cup was created to celebrate — a Thoroughbred whose racing connections helped him find a second career in which he could thrive.

Keefe had seen the Real Rider Cup’s mission firsthand through her father, who competed in one of the event’s early years aboard his former runner Eighttofasttocatch, a million-dollar earner on the racetrack.

“I remember my dad took it very seriously and practiced for it, so I had seen what it was about,” Keefe said. “But it hadn’t even crossed my mind until a friend suggested I compete in it a couple weeks ago. I’m in Lexington, and I have access to a nice Thoroughbred, so I decided why not try and raise money for a good cause? When I do things, I take it seriously. So once I committed, I wanted to really put in the effort and raise some money for this.”

Keefe’s fundraising effort also received meaningful support from the Green family’s D.J. Stable.

“I’m extremely lucky because I work for Mark Casse, and D.J. Stable owns horses with him,” Keefe said. “They gave me a very generous donation, which was such a big help to the cause.”

D.J. Stable’s support of Keefe’s Real Rider Cup effort reflected what she sees as a broader commitment to Thoroughbred aftercare and staying involved in horses’ lives beyond the track.

Ryan Keefe riding OTTB Point Nemo. (Courtesy of Ryan Keefe)

“They’re so good about their aftercare,” Keefe said. “Right now, I’m based out of Keeneland, and the track pony I’m using is one of D.J.’s old racehorses. They’ve claimed back multiple horses that are now at the farm as track ponies for Mark. They have a lot of racehorses, and very successful ones, but even the ones that aren’t as successful, or if they need a home later in life, they’re very good about taking them back. It wasn’t even a second thought for them to donate, and I’m super grateful for their support of aftercare and the Real Rider Cup.”

Part of what makes the Real Rider Cup special is the way it brings the racing and sport horse communities together around a shared appreciation for Thoroughbreds and the second careers they can build beyond the track.

“I think the whole team aspect of the Real Rider Cup is fun,” Keefe said. “Everyone is coming together for the same cause, and I think that’s one of the best parts about it. I also like the idea of everyone wearing racing silks — I think that’s such a cool thing.”

Learn more about the Real Rider Cup

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.