The Retired Racehorse Training Project (RRTP) board of directors announced May 23 its selection of the 26 horse trainers who will participate in the RRTP Thoroughbred Makeover.

Each trainer will chronicle online the training of a Thoroughbred that has raced, but had no training for a second career. All will appear at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. on the first weekend of October to show what the horses have learned. The event is called the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium and will include seminars, demonstrations, entertainment, and vendors.

RRTP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing demand for off-the-track Thoroughbreds, received 142 applications from 29 states and Canada. The applicants included professionals, amateurs, and juniors who specialized in 10 different equestrian disciplines.

"We were overwhelmed not only by the number of applicants, but also by the high quality, the diversity, and the passion of these trainers," said RRTP president Steuart Pittman. "These are the people who work hard every single day educating these magnificent animals to ensure their futures are secure