The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program's (T.I.P.) inaugural Barrel Racing Championships ended Thursday, Oct. 14, after two days of competition from more than 40 horses that traveled from 16 states.
The championships were conducted Oct. 13-14 as part of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
The championships offered $6,620 in prize money and additional prizes for top horses. The division and high point winners are below:
| Division | Horse | Rider | Overall Average Time (Seconds) | Junior Award | Adopted Horse Award (Adoption Facility) |
| 1D | Floo Powder | Layne Shaffer | 17.071 seconds | Lost Shakerof Salt and Kloe McCormick | Lost Shakerof Salt and Kloe McCormick (Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program) |
| 2D | Just in Flash | Hadley Jumps | 17.662 | Just in Flash and Hadley Jumps | N/A |
| 3D | Nucks | Megan Hems | 18.648 | Girl Crush and Addyson Szawronski | Nucks and Megan Hems (Second Chance Thoroughbreds, Inc.) |
| 4D | Justa Jester | Christy Drent | 19.166 | Cape Kimbo and Zoey McNees | Noble Hope and Taylor Toris (Thoroughbred Retirement, Rehabilitation and Careers |
High point awards were sponsored by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Thoroughbred Charities of America. The full results can be found at tjctip.com/About/CSF.
“The performances by Thoroughbreds during our first barrel racing championships demonstrated yet another discipline in which these horses can excel,” said Kristin Werner, senior counsel of The Jockey Club and administrator of T.I.P. “Thoroughbreds are not traditionally associated with barrel racing, but our barrel championships, as well as our larger championships held last weekend in Aiken, showcase the versatility of Thoroughbreds to pursue a wide range of careers in both English and Western riding styles.”
“It was a really long road, and I had [Floo Powder] for three years before I started running him,” said Layne Shaffer, division 1D champion. “This really means a lot. It means a lot for me, it means a lot for the farm, because we'll be able to show what these guys can do. It's really cool to have a barrel racing championships. There are still people who think they can't barrel race and be successful, and that's not the case. The whole atmosphere of this show is a whole other level!”
The T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships were sponsored by The Western Thoroughbred, a grassroots organization that recognizes the contributions of the Thoroughbred to the Western horse industry and celebrates the achievements of Thoroughbreds in Western sports.
To qualify for the championships, a T.I.P.-eligible Thoroughbred must participate in a show offering T.I.P. high point awards, classes, or divisions in the applicable discipline beginning August 1 of the prior year through July 31 of the championships year or participate in the T.I.P. Performance Awards in the applicable discipline. Horses shown at a horse trial or combined test can also qualify for the championships through the show jumping phase.
To be eligible for T.I.P. shows, a Thoroughbred is defined as any horse that has been registered with The Jockey Club or a foreign Thoroughbred stud book recognized by The Jockey Club.
Created and announced in October 2011, T.I.P. recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high point awards at sanctioned horse shows, performance awards, and non-competition awards. In addition to the complete schedule of T.I.P.-sponsored shows, other information about the program is available on the T.I.P. website, tjctip.com. Those interested in T.I.P. can follow the program at facebook.com/tjctip.
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America's Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, hosts off-track Thoroughbred retraining clinics and programming at major horse expos and events around the country, and maintains the online Thoroughbred Sport Tracker (the internet's only user-driven database tracking second career talents and accomplishments of registered Thoroughbreds). Visit the RRP online at TheRRP.org.
The Western Thoroughbred's mission is to promote the Thoroughbred as an athlete for Western sports. The Western Thoroughbred is a virtual-based community that encourages more horsemen and horsewoman to ride Thoroughbreds by showcasing success stories, maintaining a database of Thoroughbreds in western sports creating and sharing educational content, and displaying the talent and willingness of the breed to equine enthusiasts worldwide. Learn more about The Western Thoroughbred at its website thewesternthoroughbred.com and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.
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