Jen Roytz To Step Back From Retired Racehorse Project Leadership

After serving for four years as Retired Racehorse Project's executive director and five years prior to that as a board member, Jen Roytz announced this week that she will be stepping down from her leadership role at the end of the year. Longtime staff member and current managing director, Kirsten Green, will serve as interim executive director while the organization conducts a national search for the role.

Under Roytz's leadership the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has expanded in both size and scope. The organization's flagship event, the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, has grown into the largest and most lucrative retraining competition for off-track Thoroughbreds in the world, hosting hundreds of equestrians competing on Thoroughbreds in their first year of retraining after racing for well over $100,000 in prize money. The event also includes a robust vendor fair, racehorse retraining clinic, seminars, health and soundness exams for all horses competing and more. Since 2019 the event has also played host to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Summit, a joint effort between the RRP, Thoroughbred Charities of America, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.).

In 2018, the RRP launched its now-popular Master Class series. These clinics, held throughout the country, showcase the various approaches professional trainers from various equestrian backgrounds take when working with Thoroughbreds transitioning to new careers after racing. This past year, the RRP partnered with OTTB United to create a mobile app specializing in the adoption and sale of off-track Thoroughbreds.

“It has been one of my life's greatest honors to head up an organization that is making such a profound difference in how Thoroughbreds are received and repurposed by the equestrian community. In my opinion, the RRP's focus on expanding the market of equestrians who are willing and able to transition racehorses to sport horses is a critical part of the aftercare equation,” said Roytz. “As someone who is active in both the racing and equestrian worlds, this organization is close to my heart, and its mission speaks to my soul. I look forward to staying engaged with the organization and its leadership team and supporting them in whatever ways I can.”

In addition to serving as the executive director for the RRP, Roytz is a partner in Topline Communications, a marketing and communications agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. She and her fiancé also own and operate Brownstead Farm, where they focus on Thoroughbred breeding, selling, breaking of young horses and post-racing retraining. Roytz's board affiliations include the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's Advisory Board, the Kentucky Horse Council, the National HBPA's Aftercare Committee and Saddle Up Safely, among others.

This past October, the RRP hosted the largest event in its organization's history. When the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover was forced to postpone due to COVID19 restrictions, the organization made a commitment to its competitors that the time and investment they had made into the hundreds of horses pointing to that year's competition would be rewarded and that they would have the opportunity to compete once pandemic-related restrictions were lifted. This year, the RRP hosted the “Mega-Makeover,” which hosted both the 2020 and 2021 classes of competitors and offered more than $135,000 in prize money for each year's entries.

The week-long event, held at the Kentucky Horse Park on October 12 through 17, also included the inaugural T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championship, one of several collaborations between the two organizations in recent years.

“Jen's efforts on behalf of the RRP over the term of her leadership have continued the organization's remarkable growth trajectory and expanded its network, opening doors that have created strong working relationships with racing institutions and aftercare organizations alike,” said Green. “We're so thankful for Jen's tireless enthusiasm, collaborative spirit, and thoughtful stewardship of our charitable mission and I look forward to supporting the board in their search as we transition into the next chapter in the RRP's work.”

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Founded in 2010 by Steuart Pittman in response to the Thoroughbred breed's decline in popularity in the sport horse world and residual adverse impact on viable homes and career opportunities for them after racing, the RRP set out to shine a spotlight on the breed for new and old audiences alike. The organization began by putting on demonstrations at equine expos and equestrian events that showcased off-track Thoroughbreds in various equestrian disciplines. In 2011 the RRP hosted the 100-Day Trainer Challenge, an invitational retraining competition. The following year, thanks to seed money from longtime supporter, lead benefactor and current board president, Dr. Carolyn Karlson, the organization hosted the inaugural Thoroughbred Makeover the following year with 26 competitors.

“It's been the greatest honor to support RRP and the Makeover from its infancy to where it stands today as a nationally-recognized brand of excellence for Thoroughbred aftercare,” said Karlson. “Working alongside both Jen and Steuart to facilitate this growth over the last decade has been a true privilege. The RRP Board extends their profound thanks for Jen's leadership and commitment to the RRP mission.”

The RRP has gained national recognition in recent years for increasing demand and value for Thoroughbreds after racing and helping them regain their prominence in the sport horse world. The RRP was the recipient of the ASPCA's Equine Welfare Award in 2021 and previously has been similarly honored by the Equus Foundation. Roytz has represented the RRP on stages throughout the racing and equestrian world, including as the keynote speaker at the 2018 United States Hunter/Jumper Association Annual Convention. She has also been a featured speaker and/or panelist at the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program's Global Symposium on Racing, the Grayson Jockey Club's Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, the ASPCA's The Right Horse Summit, Equestricon, the National Conference on Equine Law, U. S. Pony Club Festival, Equitana and more.

“The team behind the RRP is the reason this effort has been so successful. Their loyalty to the organization, its mission and to each other are why the RRP has accomplished all it has in a relatively short period of time,” said Roytz. “Kirsten Green, the RRP's longest-serving employee, has played a pivotal role in both the RRP's evolution and my success at its helm. I'm incredibly grateful to her, and to the staff and board, for their support and excited for what the organization's future holds, as it is surely bright.”

The RRP board of directors is conducting a national search for Roytz's successor. Interested candidates are invited to send their resume and cover letter to rrpapplications@gmail.com. A full job description can be found here.

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Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: In Memory Of A One-Eyed Wonder

The biggest week of the year for retired racehorses is what helped me grieve the lowest moment I've had with horses.

The Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover has always had a significant impact on my life, starting with the first time I announced the event during the first year it was held at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2015. I had only begun riding horses a few months earlier, and seeing the supportive and talented community that was brought together by a love for OTTBs inspired my passion for eventing and has changed my life.

Now, in 2021, the Thoroughbred Makeover took place right after we lost Uno (JC: The Gray Man; USEA: Rocketman) to colic on Oct. 10. My wife, Ashley Horowitz, and I flew to Kentucky that night for a week of producing stories about participants and broadcasting the event. We arrived with heavy hearts, trying to process the sudden death of a horse with whom I developed a truly special bond.

As unexpected as losing Uno was, having him come into my life and the moments we shared together were just as unexpected.

Uno was foaled on May 3, 2017, in Indiana, and he raced twice at Indiana Grand under the name The Gray Man. At eight days old, he lost his left eye, although I've never confirmed which of the two stories that I've been told about it was the cause — either from a pasture accident or his mother's stepping on him.

Uno's one eye gave him a special personality. For Halloween this year, I was planning to have him be a pirate, while I would ride him wearing a parrot costume. With one sense limited, another was heightened, and Uno relied on processing his surroundings through smell more than I've seen in other horses. He also relied on people to guide him when he was unsure, and you could tell from this trait that he was always treated well by the humans in his life.

The grey son of sire Unbridled Express and dam Majestic Isle made his racing debut in the eighth race at Indiana Grand on June 16, 2020, a maiden special weight for Indana-breds over five furlongs. He finished 12th of 12, beaten 44 lengths.

The Gray Man ran one more time on July 6, 2020, this time going one mile on turf in an Indiana-bred maiden, and finished eighth of 11 beaten 18 3/4 lengths.

With racing not in the stars for the lanky 16.3 hh gelding, The Gray Man began a new chapter of life with Brit Vegas' Royal Fox Stables in Milford, Nebraska. Vegas has built a great reputation rehoming Thoroughbreds from the racetrack, and through Vegas, The Gray Man would make his way to Colorado to Kim Wendel, an upper-level eventer who is also the wife of our veterinarian, Dr. Tom Wendel.

Jonathan's two horses come together in the final photo he would ever take of Uno

Kim Wendel bestowed the barn name of “Uno” on The Gray Man because of his one eye. She had plans to compete him at the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover. Those plans changed when she imported the Irish Sport Horse MBF Gambler from Ireland and decided to focus her eventing goals on reaching the upper levels of the sport.

My wife responded to a Facebook post Kim made in December 2020 that Uno was for sale. I told Ashley that I did not want to buy another green OTTB after what had been a roller coaster year with the first horse I started retraining straight off the racetrack, the bay Illinois-bred filly Cubbie Girl North. However, I agreed to a test drive.

The Wendels trailered Uno over to our farm in Parker, Colo., on December 13, 2020. Uno was understandably jittery coming to a new place, as well as being in an indoor arena for the first time. He hadn't been ridden or turned out in a week.

However, Uno settled down and got over his initial nerves. I appreciated how eager he was to respond positively to human guidance and direction. I decided that night to buy him.

The themes of that first ride — Uno's eagerness to please, my desire to develop a partnership with a horse, and the serendipity of how we came together — defined our time together.

We competed in our first event at the Spring Gulch Horse Trials on Aug. 8 on a whim. Uno was sidelined for the month of June with a minor injury and illness but didn't miss a beat when we started training again in July. So, we replaced another horse and rider that couldn't compete at Spring Gulch during the week leading up to the show. Uno was unfazed in his first show environment, his first dressage test, and his first full cross country course.

From there, we competed at the Sunrise Equine Mini Trial six days later. That was originally supposed to be our first show, but with Spring Gulch under our belt, we moved up from the Intro-level height of 2-foot-3 jumps to the Beginner Novice height of 2-foot-7.

Uno was a joy to ride on cross country. He was also a joy to be around, as he spent the next couple hours walking the showgrounds with me, grazing, rolling in the dirt, eating a Pop-Tart, and being pet by others while Ashley's other students were competing.

Because of the experience at Sunrise, we entered our first USEA recognized event at Beginner Novice at The Event at Skyline in Utah on Sept. 17, 18, and 19. I also announced the show. We finished sixth of 12 in our division, and I announced the ribbon ceremony on horseback. He was unfazed as I held a microphone and papers of the results while a green ribbon attached to his bridle on his blind side blew in the wind. The Elton John song Rocketman, the inspiration for Uno's show name registered with USEA, just so happened to be playing in the background.

That one recognized event we got to do together would not have happened had we not taken advantage of the experiences from the previous two shows the month before.

I felt like Uno and I took advantage of every moment we could together. When the Retired Racehorse Project asked me to model a new jacket for their website, I took the pictures with Uno. When Ashley went out for New Year's Eve 2021 and I decided to stay home, I went into his paddock and hung out.

 

Uno was the first horse I truly bonded with. I owned my chestnut mare Sorority Girl (JC: Grand Moony) for three years prior to Uno and wrote about how their personalities have affected the experiences I've had with each. Even in writing this, I find it difficult to express the significance Uno had for me.

Going through my phone, the last picture I took of Uno was on September 30, and it's of a brief moment where my two horses crossed paths near our barn. As I was leading Uno back to his paddock, he stopped and put his head next to Sorority Girl's. They took a moment to get to know each other, and it was a significant few seconds for me, made all the more significant now by the fact that it was the final moment that I captured an image of him.

“I have never seen a horse and human so similar—truly kind souls who simply want to love and bond with all those around them,” Ashley wrote in a Facebook post, reflecting on Uno's life. “The connection between the two was undeniable. Everyone noticed and commented, and on top of that Jonathan truly deserved to understand that special connection that can happen between horse and human.”

However, just as unexpectedly as things came together for Uno and me is also how it ended. The love I experienced when he was here is matched by the grief now that he's gone.

Being around the inspiring horses and their trainers at this year's Mega Makeover helped Ashley and me get through that first week after losing Uno. We produced stories about a race trainer that now competes with her horse Town of Towns in show hunters, a Maryland-bred rivalry on the track between Talk Show Man and Phlash Phelps that now continues off it, and more. We announced the two finales with NBC Sports' Donna Brothers.

The work and the Makeover gave us a sense of purpose. However, it would still hit us at times, the hardest for me coming when I announced Forthegreatergood as the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover Champion. Forthegreatergood reminded me of Uno, a young grey gelding full of talent and personality. His dam happens to be named No Peeking. Elton John's “Your Song” happened to be playing in the background.

The author and his heart horse share a moment at their first USEA recognized event together at The Event at Skyline in Utah on Sept. 17

The time I spent with Uno coincided with the time period trainers are allowed to work with their horses in new disciplines for the Thoroughbred Makeover—from the December of the year before to the October of the Makeover. Those 10 months are full of highs and lows, and that's what I got to experience with Uno.

“What short time Uno had with you was more than many get in a lifetime,” Kathy Smoke, the former president of the Arabian Jockey Club and my former boss, wrote in one of the many kind messages I received after Uno's passing.

Before I ever started riding six years ago, I spent 15 years announcing horse races and talking about thousands of horses in my race calls without ever really getting to know them. Going from broadcasting to riding to running a farm with Ashley has made me a more compassionate member of the Thoroughbred community.

I've learned so much from horses. But Uno was the horse that taught me about that special bond you can have with horses that I didn't know was a real thing. The experiences people have with their heart horses are inevitably extreme, and I feel like I got them all in just 10 months. Those extreme experiences are what ultimately bring the horse community together. We seek the highs and we keep coming back after the lows. I hope I can carry on the valuable lessons Uno has taught me as I continue my journey.

 

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Study Shows Owners Of OTTBs Discount Breed Stereotypes

A new study has shown that owners of retired Thoroughbred racehorses feel that many stereotypes of the breed are ultimately untrue.

Dr. Lillian Hellmann and colleagues from the University of Sydney, Auburn University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences created a study to try to better understand why those outside the racing industry often hold preconceived notions that many Thoroughbreds are dangerous or behave erratically. The team was interested in determining if these stereotypes affect the transition of retired racehorses into new homes and second careers.

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The researchers hoped the information gleaned from the study would help develop and modify programs that transition horses into careers after racing. The researchers surveyed 313 horse owners, requesting information about breed, sex, birth year and discipline, as well as owner-perceived information about their horse's behavior.

The results included four main disciplines: eventing, dressage, show jumping, and pleasure riding. Owners of retired racehorses generally felt that their horses are more social than other sporthorse breeds. They also believed their horses possess greater self control, but that their horses also appeared to be more dominant and aggressive. Overall, they felt their horses behaved better than other breeds. The researchers conclude the belief that Thoroughbreds are not well-suited for specific disciplines because of their temperament is not supported.

Read the abstract here.

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New Vocations Charity Show Raises $150K

The New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show, Presented by Iris Smith Stables, LLC, raised a record-breaking $150,000 in sponsorships. All proceeds from the event will go directly to support New Vocations' efforts to rehab, retrain and rehome retiring racehorses.

The 18th annual show–held for the first time at Highfields Event Center, in Aiken, SC, Sept. 3-5–marked a return to live events for New Vocations after a quiet past 18 months due to COVID-19. The competition brought together nearly 100 Thoroughbreds from 10 different states to compete in a variety of disciplines including dressage, hunter, jumper, western and pleasure classes.

“We were thrilled that we were able to far surpass our goal of raising $100,000 through the support of our generous long-term and new sponsors,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “The new venue meant that we were able to put on a more intimate event, which allowed exhibitors extra opportunities to connect and share their love for Thoroughbreds. It was so rewarding to look across four competition arenas full of horses knowing that while they have rich racing bloodlines and histories, they now have new skills, new careers, and new purposes.”

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