Advice For First-Time Thoroughbred Makeover Competitors
Last week it was announced that nearly 800 equestrians were accepted into the Retired Racehorse Project’s 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover and will compete on a retired racehorse with 10 months or less of post-race training for their share of the more than $100,000 in available prize money.
With less than a third of the entries for this year returning after competing in previous years, “alumni” trainers have been quick to lend support, guidance and advice to their fellow Thoroughbred enthusiasts.
One such competitor, Lindsay Gilbert, who hopes to compete in her third Thoroughbred Makeover this October, recently penned a column for Eventing Nation offering words of encouragement and advice to first-time competitors based on what she has learned and heard from others.
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Gilbert’s takeaway: “Stay in your lane.”
“In 2016 I struggled with comparing myself to the other trainers, even when there were a mere 488 of us,” said Gilbert. “That year, I didn’t purchase my horse until April and watched as the other trainers hit milestones and found success while I remained horseless. But, by keeping my head down and staying in my lane, I was able to find a wonderful Makeover mount in Rebel Annie and successfully completed the Field Hunter division, a discipline I had absolutely no experience in.”
Read more at EventingNation.com.
