One Big Thing: Nominations Open for 2026 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award, recognizing a Thoroughbred Makeover graduate horse that exemplifies the athleticism, versatility, and trainability of the Thoroughbred beyond racing. Named in memory of chief steward Bill Kraatz, the award celebrates horses that continue to make an impact after the Makeover, serving as ambassadors for the breed in a wide range of disciplines. Whether they’re excelling in competition, introducing new riders to the breed, or simply changing minds about what Thoroughbreds can do, we want to hear their story.
Eligible horses include any Thoroughbred Makeover graduate, defined as any horse who was registered for the retraining competition even if he or she did not ultimately compete, regardless of who now owns the horse. There will be fields available on the form to describe any post-Makeover competitive career results, notable achievements, and general updates.
Nominations may be submitted online through this form on the Retired Racehorse Project website.
Major International Events This Weekend
Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*: [Website] [Tickets] [FEI Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times/Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [H&C+ Live Stream] [CCI5* Form Guide] [Ultimate Guide] [EN’s Coverage]
US Events This Weekend
Fox River Valley Pony Club HT (IL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Midsouth Pony Club HT (KY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Summer HT (VA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
Stable View Summer HT (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Round Top HT (CO): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Valinor Farm HT (MA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Bucks County Horse Park HT (PA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]
Other Links and Reading
Sponsor Corner: Stable View
Taking care of the grass surfaces at Stable View is much more than a simple “water-and-pray” — their maintenance program is about as complex as an elite horse’s training one!
With global warming on the rise, Stable View has plans in place to keep all the rain they can, whenever they get it. As a result, the grounds crew has been experimenting with their equipment to create an optimal porous soil environment –and they intend to remain ahead of the curve in terms of knowledge, interpretation, and planning.
Step 1: Fertilizer
Industry-leading fertilizer is dropped on the grass surfaces by Harrell’s five times per year.
Step 2: Aeration
Loosening the soil encourages deeper grass root growth, water retention, and fertilizer capture — vital for all steps in the process! When the Aerator spikes are set at 4 inches, that creates a new “base” that’s 4 inches below the surface. Water and fertilizer can now flow down into that 4″-lower, cooler, and looser layer to create an environment that retains moisture and encourages fertilizer effectiveness.
Step 3: 24/7 Irrigation
Without Aeration, the soil goes hard and water cannot penetrate the surface — when it rains, the water will “sheet off” to lower land or pool in spots, changing the texture, encouraging weeds, and reducing grass growth. With Aeration, water has a nice ecosystem 4″ below to soak in and create an optimal growing environment.
Step 4: Cutting
Keeping grass cut to the correct level keeps the sun off the plants and the water where it belongs: feeding new growth.
Training Tip of the Day
During Royal Ascot week, William Fox-Pitt shares some advice on jumping ex-racehorses and what to focus on when approaching their new career:
Go Eventing
The first Flanders Foal & Embryo Auction took place this past weekend, and we’d say €386,000 for this spotty baby was quite the record price tag (and for a heart-warming “life goals” moment, watch the stunned reaction from Joppe’s breeder here).
