Preliminary competition in all ten offered disciplines at the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, is now complete and the stage is set for Saturday’s Finale Championship.
This year marks a new format for preliminary and Finale competition: the five top-placed horses in each discipline will proceed to the Finale, but will start on a fresh score, rather than combine scores with preliminary marks. Preliminary placings for the top 10 in each discipline overall as well as in the amateur, junior and team divisions will be awarded on Friday evening at the return of the Awards Party. Special awards, sponsored by state breeder associations and private individuals, will also be awarded at this time.
The Thoroughbred Makeover continues on Friday with the TERF Makeover Master Class, featuring polo professional Jorge Vasquez working with participants through flat work exercises to introduce green horses to the sport of polo. The Master Class will livestream for free at TheRRP.org/livestream starting at 9:00 AM. The Makeover Seminar Series, sponsored by TheHorse.com, begins at noon with webinar format available for free at TheRRP.org/seminars.
Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) Championships kick off on Friday and run through Saturday in western disciplines plus dressage. Learn more at tjctip.com.
Let’s get to know the preliminary winners of each discipline. Full results and scores for all disciplines can be found at TheRRP.org/makeover-results.
Eventing: Sapphire Surprize and Cynthia Faherty Napravnik
Weigelia – Leroys Jewel, by Leroidesanimeaux (BRZ)
2018 mare bred in Pennsylvania by Jean Mary Walter
Unraced
Family traditions run a little bit different in the Napravnik family: Rosie won the discipline in 2019, Jazz won it in 2020, and now Cynthia Faherty Napravnik, a professional from Monkton, MD, has won the preliminary eventing in 2022. With strong performances in all three phases, Faherty Napravnik piloted Jean Walter’s Sapphire Surprize to the preliminary victory.
“Jean Walter is a wonderful lady and a very good horsewoman,” said Faherty Napravnik. “Sapphire Surprize is super smart and super scopey. She has just gotten better and better, and I’m just so proud of how she’s turned out. I had hip surgery this year, and I was out for a couple of months, so when I came back we got strong together. She’s a great horse to train — I can’t ask for more from a horse in training for just a few months.”