RIVER FALLS – Jessica Hanneman, of River Falls, will travel to Kentucky, the heart of horse country, to compete in the Retired Racehorse Project’s $100,000 Thoroughbred Makeover Oct. 11-14, 2023. The event, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), is the largest retraining competition in the world for retired racehorses.

Designed to showcase the versatility and athletic potential of Thoroughbreds beyond the racetrack, the 2023 event welcomes 512 trainers who have signed up to bring a total of 536 horses. This year’s class of trainers come from 39 states and Canadian provinces, along with an ever-growing waitlist of additional applicants. Trainers will be working with retired racehorses that have less than 10 months of retraining for a new career since their retirement from racing. New for this year, the Thoroughbred Makeover also includes a division for recently-retired broodmares who are exiting the breeding industry.

Hanneman will be competing with her horse, Dom, in the Competitive Trail and Dressage disciplines. The Competitive Trail course will be comprised of approximately ten obstacles and the competitors will have to complete the course within the maximum time that has been set based on the course design. Obstacles traditionally found in Competitive Trail classes include, but are not limited to, water crossing, dragging/pulling tarps or logs, challenges to visual perception, brush simulations, bridges, teeters, checking mail, carrying a flag, backing, and sidepassing. For the Dressage discipline, competitors perform either the 2023 US Equestrian Federation Training Level Test 2 or the Western Dressage Association of America 2022 Basic Level Test 1 and a five-minute demonstration ride at the walk, trot/jog, and canter/lope. The demonstration ride will be judged on six categories: rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness, and level of development.

Dom is a 5-year-old gray/roan gelding and was bred in Kentucky by W.S. Farish & Catherine Parke. He is sired by Liam’s Map, who stands at Lane’s End and leads all North American third-crop sires by cumulative Grade 1 winners. Dom’s dam is Champagne Sue. As a yearling, Dom sold for $145,000 at the Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale 2019; and although Dom never raced, he has several published workouts with his last being at Churchill Downs on June 29, 2022. He was purchased by Hanneman from Sewickley Stables, LLC., which is owned by Dr. Carleigh Fedorka and Luke Sullivan, and specializes in raising, retraining, and rehabbing thoroughbreds. Dom then made the journey from Kentucky up to Wisconsin and has been loving his life at Sky Horse Farm, which is owned and operated by Linn Ekvern. He has been affectionately referred to as a “sweet lazy baby,” is kind to all creatures big and small, loves taking long walks through the woods, and his favorite treats are peppermints and salty licorice.

Hanneman grew up with horses at her mom’s hobby farm in Prescott. In her early teens she took riding lessons and during the summer helped her instructor, Cathy Goveronski, train young horses. She was also a member of the St. Croix Rider’s Saddle Club, showed at local WSCA and fun shows, and participated in the Pierce County 4-H Horse Project. With her horses, Willie and Sweetie, she qualified for district and state competitions in multiple disciplines. In 2016, Hanneman moved to Lexington, Ky. to attend graduate school at the University of Kentucky. At the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center at UK she earned her Master of Science degree in Veterinary Science, in Dr. Amanda A. Adams’ lab.

Also while in graduate school, she worked in the Yearling and Broodmare Divisions at Airdrie Stud Inc. During her years at Airdrie, she saw the hard work that went into developing Thoroughbreds into amazing athletes. It opened her eyes to how many people care for Thoroughbreds on a daily basis, how smart they can be, and how in so many ways they are similar to other horses she had worked with in Wisconsin. Thoroughbreds, she found, need a job, consistency, and someone who would take the time to care and work with them, so their high energy and power could be put into something constructive. It is Hanneman’s hope that by participating in the Thoroughbred Makeover with Dom that the two of them will be able to demonstrate how off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) can have successful second careers, make great partners for people in rural Wisconsin, and educate others in the area about the retraining process.

The application process for the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover required trainers to complete a “horseman’s resume” that detailed their training and competition experience and included riding video, allowing the application committee the best possible look at applicants’ experience levels and their ability to bring along a recently-retired Thoroughbred and compete at a large venue with a big environment. Applicants also furnished letters from their veterinarians stating that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to appropriately care for a horse transitioning off the track.

“The 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover marks ten years since the event’s pilot, a showcase of 23 horses on the homestretch of Pimlico Racecourse in 2013,” said Kirsten Green, executive director of the RRP. “While the Makeover still serves as a showcase for the breed, it has evolved to become an integral part of the Thoroughbred aftercare industry, driving demand for horses who are completing their racing careers and offering participants the community and support needed to ensure they’re successful along the way.”

The Retired Racehorse Project exists to facilitate placement of retired Thoroughbred racehorses in second careers by increasing demand for them in equestrian sports. The creation of the Thoroughbred Makeover, which offers more than $100,000 in prize money, is designed to showcase their equine athletes in second careers. For more information and statistics, visit TheRRP.org.

Those interested in following Hanneman and Dom’s journey to the Thoroughbred Makeover can follow their monthly blog posts on America’s Best Racing (https://www.americasbestracing.net). For more regular updates, they can be found on Instagram and TikTok at @jessicahanneman. 

About the Retired Racehorse Project

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 world’s largest and most lucrative retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, produces the Master Class retraining clinic series, and presents programming at major horse expos and events around the country. The RRP maintains an educational library of content to empower more equestrians to ride a Thoroughbred.

Submitted by Jessica Hanneman