Horse Sports By The Bay Inc. announced that for the upcoming Horse Shows By The Bay Equestrian Festival, the first and fourth weeks of hunter/jumper competition will be partnering with the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program.

TAKE2, which was created in 2012 to promote second careers for retired Thoroughbred racehorses, recently unveiled an expanded schedule for the 2013 season. Thirty-two horse shows in 17 different states and in 10 of the 12 U.S. Equestrian Federation zones have signed on to offer TAKE2 hunter and jumper classes for registered Thoroughbreds, and more shows could be added to the roster. The calendar opens at HITS Ocala (Fla.) in mid-February.

At Horse Shows By The Bay Series I (July 3 – 7) and Series IV (July 24 – 28), the TAKE2 Hunter Division will offer $1,500 in prize money divided between three over-fence classes set at 3’ and one under saddle. In the jumper ring, two $500 classes set at 3’3” will be offered each of those two weeks.

“I’m thrilled for Horse Shows By The Bay to be part of the TAKE2 show calendar. I’m in total agreement with the program’s philosophy of bringing back the Thoroughbred to the hunter/jumper show ring, and hopefully with programs like TAKE2 we can make this happen sooner versus later,” said Alexandra Rheinheimer, Horse Shows By The Bay owner and manager.

In an effort to develop more opportunities for Thoroughbreds after their racing careers are over, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association last year partnered with the New York Racing Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. to launch TAKE2. The program is designed to highlight the success of Thoroughbreds as show horses, and to reward those who compete on Thoroughbreds with awards and prize money in restricted divisions.

In addition to funding the prize money and awards for the TAKE2 classes, the program will also sponsor the $1,500 TAKE2 Jumper Stakes at the three Thoroughbred Celebration Horse Shows this year. Invitations to the TAKE2 Jumper Stakes will be extended to the top four finishers in the TAKE2 Jumper classes in 2013, as well as those qualifying at Thoroughbred Celebration and its partner horse shows.

TAKE2 is open to all registered Thoroughbreds, raced or unraced, that are verified by The Jockey Club registration papers or lip tattoo number. 

The Horse Shows By The Bay Equestrian Festival, staged at the Flintfields Horse Park, is located 10 miles east of downtown Traverse City, Mich.

Entries are being accepted on a first come-first served basis from April 1-June 1, or until stall supply is exhausted. Hard copies of the prize list will be mailed out by March 1 to riders, trainers and owners from the past two seasons. To add your name to the mailing list, please email contact@horseshowsbythebay.com.