OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Humans often find themselves transitioning from one career to another.

But what about horses, specifically those who have spent their lives on the racetrack?

Retired Thoroughbreds will demonstrate their versatility and talent at the 8th Annual Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo from Dec. 12 to Dec. 15 at the Florida Horse Park. This event celebrates the athleticism of off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) as they excel in new equestrian disciplines, offering them a fresh start after their racing careers.

With over 70 thoroughbreds entered, the expo features $15,000 in prize money and includes seven disciplines: show hunters, show jumpers, eventing, dressage, working ranch trail, freestyle, and western dressage. Each discipline will have two divisions: restricted, for horses off the track three years or less, and open, for horses retired longer or those who never raced but are Jockey Club registered.

“Every year we get to do this event, it’s rewarding in so many ways, for the horses and the people that choose to take on a thoroughbred after racing and give these horses a second chance,” says Laurine Fuller-Vargas, organizer of the expo and founder of Run for the Ribbons, which supports retired Thoroughbreds.

A Special Division for Emerging Stars

This year’s event introduces the Ring the Bell division, designed to ease recently retired horses into the show world. Open to horses that ran at the 2023–2024 Tampa Bay Downs or Oaklawn Park meets, the division includes in-hand, walk-trot, and walk-trot pleasure classes, allowing young or inexperienced horses to acclimate to a three-day show environment.

“It’s exposure for a young horse, who’s not quite ready for another discipline but they want to be part of the expo, and they want to expose their horse to the feel of a three-day show without overwhelming them,” says Fuller-Vargas.

Event Highlights

The expo kicks off Dec. 12 with a clinic led by Lindsey Partridge, a champion trainer in trail and freestyle disciplines at the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. Partridge’s expertise will set the tone for a weekend filled with competition and inspiration.

The event’s goal is to showcase the adaptability of thoroughbreds while encouraging equestrians to embrace OTTBs as partners in a variety of disciplines.