$23,000 TAKE2 FINALS TO BE HELD AT KENTUCKY NATIONAL
Top 5 in the TAKE2 Divisions at the Kentucky National
Earn Wild Card Spots in the Finals
The $23,000 TAKE2 Hunter & Jumper Finals will take place at the Split Rock Kentucky National Horse Show, Sept. 21, 2025, at the Kentucky Horse Park in the heart of Thoroughbred country in Lexington. The Finals, open to qualified 2025 TAKE2 Thoroughbred League members competing in the TAKE2-affiliated Hunter and Jumper Divisions nationwide, will award $10,000 in prize money each in the TAKE2 Hunter and Jumper Divisions. In addition, the top-finishing Amateur and Junior in each division of the TAKE2 Finals will be awarded a bonus of $1,000 and $500, respectively. The entry fee for the TAKE2 Finals will be waived.
The top 40 high-point Hunters and Jumpers in the TAKE2 League from around the country will be invited to the Finals, and the top five finishers in each division at the Kentucky National will automatically earn Wild Card berths.
In order to be eligible for the TAKE2 Hunter and Jumper Finals and Year-End Awards, horses must be enrolled in the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League by the end of the 2025 season, which runs from Aug. 26, 2024, through Aug. 24, 2025. Enrollment is $50. Click here to register your Thoroughbred in the League.
The inspiration of the late Rick Violette, the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program was launched through a partnership of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB) in 2012, with the goal of creating more opportunities and making it easier to find new homes for retired racehorses. TAKE2 sponsors awards and prize money in Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper divisions and supports Thoroughbred aftercare initiatives across the country. The program expanded quickly, from eight shows in three states in its first year to more than 500 horse shows in 25 states in 2024. The TAKE2 Thoroughbred League, started in 2015, offers $10,000 in year-end high-score awards in addition to the Finals.
“Our focus since the start has been the welfare and promotion of retired racehorses,”TAKE2 President Rick Schosberg said. “Those of us who have worked with Thoroughbreds all our lives appreciate their talent and heart and versatility, and we share that appreciation with our partners in the show horse community. Working together through TAKE2, we have been able to raise awareness and expand second career paths for the horses leaving the racetrack. The TAKE2 Finals will help us bring our message to an even wider audience.”