Since its inception, the Real Rider Cup has brought together members from all corners of the Thoroughbred racing industry and extending across the equestrian community, to not only host events that highlight the athleticism of off-track Thoroughbreds, but also the importance of fundraising for and supporting racehorses as they transition to second careers.This year, the Real Rider Cup will be held solely in Lexington, Kentucky, with the 10th running of the event returning to New Vocations at Mereworth Farm on Saturday, July 11.Founded by Anita Motion, the unique charity showjumping event showcases riders—sporting some of the industry's most iconic silks—partnering up with retired racehorses to compete over a course of jumps, while each rider pledges to raise a minimum of $1,000 to support Thoroughbred aftercare. The beneficiaries of the Real Rider Cup are the Retired Racehorse Project, whose team has taken over organization of the event in recent years; Beyond the Wire; and New Vocations.What began as an event consisting of teams made up of racing industry personalities, including trainers, jockeys, as well as members of the media, has expanded to host riders of off-track Thoroughbreds from all over. This has not only grown the exposure of the Real Rider Cup, but also helped to bridge the gap between those within the racing industry and those that compete with Thoroughbreds in the show world.“One of our racehorses that we retired, Icabad Crane, was crowned America's Most Wanted Thoroughbred at the Retired Racehorse Project's 2014 Thoroughbred Makeover at Pimlico. The last time he was at Pimlico, he finished third in the 2008 [GI] Preakness to Big Brown,” said Motion, who is married to Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup-winning trainer Graham Motion. “Graham and I have always been cognizant of a Thoroughbred's life after the racetrack and aftercare has become a true passion of mine, more so than the racing.“A highlight for me has been seeing people from the outside coming, watching, and enjoying the Real Rider Cup, and just seeing how much fun they can have when attending an event like this. It's amazing to show how versatile these horses are while bringing together the worlds of horse racing and showjumping.”Jocelyn Brooks with Perpetual Optimism at the 2022 Real Rider Cup | Grace ClarkJocelyn Brooks, the director of bloodstock for Flying Dutchmen Racing, is a long-time Real Rider Cup participant who has ridden in both legs of the event, in Maryland and Kentucky, throughout the years. Following the retirement of her previous mount, Perpetual Optimism (First Defence), from the show ring, Brooks will ride Happy Farm (Ghostzapper) in her fifth Real Rider Cup appearance this year.“Unlike other fundraising events, this is something actually horse-involved where we get to show off how talented all of these retired racehorses are…and how talented and athletic all of us old equestrians are. We don't get to ride races, but we can still ride horses,” said Brooks with a laugh. “I've now moved up to being a team captain and rallying the troops, trying to get more people involved. I recruited a friend [Kaya MacLeod] who is a college student that now owns her first Thoroughbred and is very active in the equestrian community. She's a great example of someone that goes to the races and cares about Thoroughbreds, but I don't think she ever thought she'd be involved in this level of an event.”The Real Rider Cup has no specifications for the Thoroughbreds that compete outside of them being registered retired racehorses that have at least one published workout or lifetime start. This has paved the way for many horse racing 'fan-favorites' to return to the spotlight.“Unlike the Retired Racehorse Project, which focuses on Thoroughbreds that have recently retired, this is a flash forward to show how much these horses have grown and what they've been doing in their new chapters. It tends to be a group of more established horses and partnerships, since they're usually in their lifelong home by the time they're doing the Real Rider Cup, and it's cool to see,” said Brooks. “This event brings together a bunch of veterans, almost like the industry's all-star game.”A fellow Real Rider Cup regular, Sergio de Sousa returns this year for his seventh appearance in the event where he'll be riding My High Roller (Bernardini). Since 2019, de Sousa has raised nearly $32,000 for the event's aftercare beneficiaries, an accomplishment that has earned him special recognition in the Real Rider Cup's Hall of Fame that highlights competitors whose lifetime total funds raised have surpassed the five-figure mark.Sergio de Sousa with My High Roller at the 2025 Real Rider Cup | Amy Lanigan“I grew up riding ex-racehorses in Brazil. We would go to the horses-in-training sales and buy the older geldings to be riding horses, so I know firsthand that there is a lot left in the tank. These horses, they're four, five or six whenever they finish racing, but that doesn't mean they're done,” said de Sousa, a partner and manager of Hidden Brook Farm in Paris, Ky. “It's always great when anyone has ideas like this to help improve the retirement for these horses. Not only the ones that go on and do other things, but for all of them, because they all deserve that.”Among the horses entered in Saturday's Real Rider Cup, some of the recognizable contenders include multiple graded stakes winners Tower of Texas (Street Sense), ridden by Sarah Hamilton; United (Giant's Causeway), ridden by Madison Scott; graded stakes winner Happy Farm, ridden by Brooks; stakes winner Navy Armed Guard (Midshipman), ridden by Sidney Baughman; multiple graded stakes-placed Gray Magician (Graydar), ridden by Lindsay Gilbert; and graded stakes-placed Betweenhereandcool (Unbridled's Song), ridden by Mary Ormsby; Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile), ridden by Brooke Baker; K P All Systems Go (More Than Ready), ridden by Kate Stephenson; Runnin' Ray (Street Sense), ridden by Anne Czerwonka; The Black Album (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), ridden by Rodolphe Brisset.“Our program [at Flying Dutchmen] is so young that this is the first year we have a group of retirees competing throughout the area. We've adopted out a bunch of retirees and having one of them [Navy Armed Guard] in the event is really cool. The [Boersma] family is very excited about it and they're coming out to support,” said Brooks. “It's even more meaningful for them to sponsor the event with one of their own racehorses participating. It means so much to the connections to be able to know where their horses are and see how well they're doing.”This year, Real Rider Cup has partnered with Breeders' Cup Charities and Keeneland, each of whom have fielded a team of riders and committed to match their respective team's total raised up to $5,000. Overall, the 2026 event recruited a full slate of entries, with 33 competitors spanning seven teams.Real Rider Cup participants have already raised over $51,000 this season, which has boosted the event's lifetime donations closer to the $835,000 mark.“Most Thoroughbreds can do just about anything you ask them to do; you just have to find exactly what they want to do,” said de Sousa. “It's kind of a full circle thing for me, from the breeding to the sales and the showing. It's just a good feeling to do this.”Though the fall event in Maryland will not be held this year due to the cancellation of the MARS Maryland 5 Star event at Fair Hill, Motion is hopeful the Real Rider Cup will return to the East Coast next year.The 2026 Real Rider Cup in Lexington is open to the public and free to attend. The event will be held rain or shine with gates opening at 6 p.m. For more information, click here.The post Celebrating 10 Years of the Real Rider Cup and a Lasting Commitment to Aftercare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.