Friday, January 20, 2017 | Contact: Shannon Luce (859) 224-2716 |
T.I.P. Increases Shows and Offerings in 2017 | |
The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) today announced that it will offer awards and classes at more than 1,000 shows in 42 states and six Canadian provinces in 2017. The number of shows has grown every year since T.I.P.s inception, said Kristin Werner Leshney, The Jockey Club senior counsel and T.I.P. coordinator. Its a testament to how popular the Thoroughbred is as a sport horse and how many opportunities are offered to them when their careers in racing and breeding have ended. Awards are available for multiple disciplines, including eventing, dressage, Western and English pleasure, hunter/jumper, Western performance, games, polo, and polocrosse. Awards are also available at some events for Thoroughbreds within their first two years of showing or for Thoroughbreds within two years of their last start. T.I.P. is continuing its Youth Ambassador Program in 2017 with four returning ambassadors (bold below) and eight new. The ambassadors range from 10 states and Ontario and cover multiple disciplines, including hunters, jumpers, eventing, Western, dressage, and equitation.
Additional information about the youth ambassadors is available at tjctip.com/Default.asp?page=youth. T.I.P. also has two new offerings in 2017: the Thoroughbred Recreational Riding Incentive Program (TRRIP) and championships for certain divisions. Announced in November 2016, the TRRIP is designed for Thoroughbred owners who spend most of their time outside of the show ring, whether on trails (including competitive trail rides), endurance rides, or even driving. Many owners just want to enjoy their horses out on the roads and trails, which is another area in which Thoroughbreds excel, Leshney said. The TRRIP enables them to become involved with T.I.P. and benefit even more from owning a Thoroughbred. Multiple awards are offered depending on the number of hours spent riding or driving, ranging from a T.I.P. patch for 25 hours to a T.I.P. fleece jacket for 10,000 hours. To receive awards, riders must record their riding time in one-hour increments, rounding down to the whole hour. Arena riding, lessons, and show hours are not eligible for awards. For more information and to download reporting forms, click here: tjctip.com/Default.asp?page=17. The T.I.P. championships have divisions for hunters, jumpers and English pleasure. To qualify for the championships, a Thoroughbred must participate in a show offering T.I.P. high point awards, classes or divisions in an applicable discipline between September 1, 2016, and July 31, 2017, or participate in the 2016 T.I.P. Performance Awards in an applicable discipline. After qualifying, owners and riders must declare their horse for the championships by submitting a horse declaration form: http://tjctip.com/Champ.asp. Created and announced in October 2011, T.I.P. recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high point awards at sanctioned horse shows, performance awards, and non-competition awards. Additional information about T.I.P. is available at tjctip.com and on the T.I.P. Facebook page at facebook.com/tjctip. |