T.I.P. Celebrates Non-Competitive Achievements with Special Awards

On Monday, the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) honoured two exceptional individuals with non-competitive awards: the T.I.P. Thoroughbred of the Year and the T.I.P. Young Rider of the Year.

The Thoroughbred of the Year Award highlights a Thoroughbred that has thrived in a non-competitive role, such as equine-assisted therapy or law enforcement, and includes a $5,000 grant directed toward the affiliated non-profit organisation or, if none is linked to the horse, to a horse-related charity designated by The Jockey Club.

This year's recipient of the Thoroughbred of the Year Award is Rockaway (Rockport Harbor), a 14-year-old gelding who retired from racing in 2014. Initially utilised as a lesson horse, he subsequently transitioned to a police horse for the Coral Gables Police Department, establishing a strong partnership with Officer Ashley Sheran. “We are thrilled that Rockaway has received this prestigious recognition for his efforts post-racing,” Sheran remarked. “By reintroducing a police horse to our department after nearly a century, he has become an invaluable asset to community policing. His presence not only aids in subject recognition while on patrol but also acts as a powerful deterrent to crime.”

Additionally, the Young Rider Award, which celebrates riders aged 18 and under who own or lease a Thoroughbred for activities such as 4-H or Pony Club, has been jointly awarded to 14-year-old Madison Hightower and 16-year-old Ashlyn Tate.

Established in October 2011, T.I.P. aims to acknowledge and reward the versatility of Thoroughbreds by sponsoring classes, accolades at sanctioned horse shows, year-end performance awards, a recreational riding program, and various non-competition honours.