Run For The Ribbons

A Show Hunter competitor at the annual Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo in December at the Florida Horse Park.
  • Services

    Sanctuary, Rehabilitation, Retraining/Adoption

  • Location

    Morriston, Florida

  • Founded

    2014

  • Average Number of Thoroughbreds

    25

Run for the Ribbons Inc. is a passion-driven Thoroughbred aftercare organization that rescues, rehabilitates, re-trains, re-homes, and offers lifetime retirement to Thoroughbreds in need. RFTR’s mission is to provide responsible aftercare, educate equine communities on the breed, as well as provide a platform in which to not only display the versatile abilities of these horses outside of racing but also to incentivize their adoption and create a demand for them within the recreational riding and show world. RFTR works to bridge the gap between the racing industry, the show world, and the public.

With over 100 horses retrained and rehomed, Run for the Ribbons has many success stories, as well as a list of ‘lifers’ who will live out of their days in retirement at the organization’s 65-acre home-base Cedar Lock Farm.

In addition to taking in OTTBs and teaching them to excel in a new discipline, Run for the Ribbons has had a long-standing annual circuit of hunter/jumper schooling shows open to all breeds; all proceeds benefit the program horses. Most notably, RFTR is known nationwide for the annual Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo, a 3-day, 6-discipline event boasting 2 divisions so ANY Jockey Club registered Thoroughbred can partake in a gratifying competition, supported by industry and local leaders. Over 100 Thoroughbreds are expected to compete at the 2024 Expo where $15,000+ will be given away along with TIP Incentive junior awards.

RFTR plans to continue growing, while leading Florida Thoroughbred aftercare efforts and reaching more people through networking and their newsletter the Ribbon Report. Further endeavors include launching an equine-assisted learning program called Full Strides, which will focus on providing community members with the opportunity to learn horsemanship skills and ride. We hope to develop this program to offer therapy for mental health treatment in the future. It is our goal to encourage the next generation of Thoroughbred enthusiasts while helping to make a positive impact in our community.

Success Stories

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