LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding, today announced the winners and other placings from its 2021 performance awards program and the T.I.P./USPA annual polo awards.
The performance awards recognize Thoroughbreds that have accumulated the most points at all horse shows and cover a wide variety of disciplines and experience levels. In 2021, 726 Thoroughbreds from 42 states and four provinces competed in more than 15,000 classes, divisions, and events. Division awards were calculated in 14 discipline categories as well as 92 discipline divisions and eight junior rider divisions. Category and division awards included the Green OTTB category for Thoroughbreds that last raced in 2019, 2020, or 2021, with generous sponsorship for these awards provided by Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA). Winners will receive ribbons, prize money, and a variety of prizes, including coolers, halters, bags, keychains, and apparel. The complete list of winners and participants is available at tjctip.com/PerformanceAwardsWinners.
In addition to the category and division awards, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) sponsored a performance award for horses adopted from TAA-accredited organizations, and the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) provided awards for top-placing RRP Makeover alumni.
The winners of each category can be found below:
| Category | Name (state bred) “Show name”Pedigree | Rider Name (State) |
| Dressage | Hickeys Creek (FL)2002 dk bay/brown geldingAfternoon Delites – Slewadore | Ashley Miller (FL) |
| Hunter | Henry Eight (KY) “Leisurely”2011 bay geldingHenrythenavigator – Piconeach (NZ) | Sabina Chambers (KY) |
| Jumper | Super Garces (FL)2012 bay geldingRock Hampton – Desdemona’s Dream | Jessica Brittain (NJ) Owner: Megan Mulvey |
| English PleasureWesternHalter/Model/In-Hand | Crazy Man (NY) “Chocolate Delight”2005 bay geldingWestern Borders – Big Fat Moose | Reba Merritt (VA) |
| Eventing/Combined Test | Hard Work (KY)2014 dark bay geldingBroken Vow – Bend | Natalie DePinto (MD) |
| Equitation | Crypt’s Wisper (MD) “Crypt’s Maei Star”2000 bay geldingCryptoleen – Whisper to a Star | Khilia Giacobone (VA) |
| General | Holy Brass (MN)2009 chestnut geldingPolished Brass – Conversations | Meaghan Zeiner (IL) |
| TCA Green OTTB – Last Raced 2021 | Sharp Clark (LA)2013 chestnut geldingTiz the One – Cheese Dipper | Kaisa Gifford (WA) |
| TCA Green OTTB – Last Raced 2020 | Always Lucky (KY)2016 chestnut mareFirst Samurai – Palm Beach Story | Kara Hertz (KY) |
| TCA Green OTTB – Last Raced 2019 | Bass Boat (IN)2016 dk bay/brown mareE Z’s Gentleman – Gritty | Leanne Kohler (PA) |
| Endurance/Competitive Trail | Light Weight (NY)2010 dk bay/brown mareJ Be K – Candleglow | Logan Williams (NY)Owner: Lillian Becker |
| Online Horse Shows | Kisstheothercheek (MD)2012 bay mareOutflanker – It’s in His Kiss | Kelly Hart (GA) |
To recognize Thoroughbreds that have excelled in a career as a polo horse, T.I.P. and the United States Polo Association (USPA) created the T.I.P./USPA Thoroughbred Polo Awards in 2020. Applicants for the award must demonstrate how the Thoroughbred has successfully transitioned into and exceled in its career as a polo pony. The winners of the second annual polo awards are as follows:
| Category | Name (state bred) “Current name”Pedigree | Owner Name (State) |
| High Goal Horse | Shel B Quick (BC) “Disney”2006 gray mareOrchid’s Devil – Vying Princess | Jesse Bray (CA) |
| Medium Goal Horse | Evil Fairydust (WV) “Hi-Top”2007 dark bay mareRun Softly – Ersatz | Kerri Kerley & Family (CA) |
| Low Goal Horse | Sugar on the Grass (TX) “Pata Blanca”2012 bay mareGrasshopper – Expecting Sugar | Robin Sanchez (TX) |
| Arena Polo Horse | Itsa Fullmune (IN) “Carly”2009 dark bay mareEishin Masamune (JPN) – Rewind | Brady Williams (TX) |
| Lesson Horse | Tonality (AR) “Panela”2013 gray mareMr. Nightlinger – Touch Tone Gray | Ignacio Estrada (TX) |
“The USPA is proud to partner with the Thoroughbred Incentive Program to promote and honor the Thoroughbreds that are such an important part of the sport of polo,” said Chris Green, chief operating officer of the USPA. “Thoroughbreds make great polo horses. They’re amazingly athletic and intelligent, and they have tremendous agility, quickness, top-end speed, and stamina. In lesson programs, interscholastic and intercollegiate polo, in the arena or on the field, from low-goal to high-goal, Thoroughbreds are an integral feature of the polo ecosystem worldwide.”
Performance awards will be available once again in 2022 and will be based on results in shows from December 1, 2021, through November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2022. Forms are available at tjctip.com/About/TBPAF. Applications for the 2022 T.I.P./USPA Polo Awards will be open from November 1 through November 30, 2022, at tjctip.com/About/POLO.
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, a recreational riding program, Championship horse shows and non-competition awards. Additional information about T.I.P. is available attjctip.com and on the T.I.P. Facebook page at facebook.com/tjctip.
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
About the United States Polo Association
The U.S. Polo Association (USPA) was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
The Jockey Club Press Release
