A Broodmare’s Road to the Thoroughbred Makeover
The Tenacious Thoroughbred! Throughout the month of May, we are featuring Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses.
Did you know… Dressage riders who compete with a member of this speedy breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as The Jockey Club is a participating organization!
A Region 1 rider shares how a former broodmare has inspired her to take on the broodmare division of the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover!
By Ariana Isabel Rogers
Most people assess potential horse purchases in person, standing quietly in a barn aisle and seeing them presented as polished dressage prospects. Cameo Shores’ advertisement was sent to me via text message as I began wrapping up for the day. She was sweaty, chomping on the chifney in her mouth, swatting at flies, and yet, her kind eye caught mine.
The message came from a close friend and owner of a Thoroughbred breeding farm. He was downsizing his broodmare band, and Cameo was one who wasn’t very fond of motherhood. Even though I had never attended a Thoroughbred Makeover, I knew it was on my list of “to-dos.” Regardless of my hesitancy, I jumped at the opportunity to purchase her. Truthfully, I hadn’t even considered the broodmare division; the prospect of restarting a broodmare felt like an entirely different ballpark.
On paper, Cameo checked every box on my list. She was not too young, had twenty starts as a racehorse, had good bone and an uphill build, and retired sound from the track. She was well-cared for, and bred by California Thoroughbred industry leader, Donald Valpredo. But watching that video again and again after making my purchase, I couldn’t help thinking, Lord, I am going to be in way over my head. This is going to be too much horse for me.
It certainly didn’t help that I had also learned she was a double descendant of Storm Cat, a sire known for producing offspring that are as sensitive and reactive as they are talented. And still, I couldn’t quite put my phone down.
Before Cameo Shores (Sky Mesa x Westline – Gone West) was the mare who quietly changed everything for me, Bam Bam, known on the track as Awesomenewyear (New Year’s Day x Awesome Acasha – Awesome Again), was my first true restart, and teacher of the importance of dressage. Bam Bam was not reactive, nor hot. She met every question with patience and kindness. Because of her, I found the confidence to take a big step up, and a genuine love for the process of developing a horse from the ground.
My experience with this kind and patient mare led me to set my sights on the Retired Racehorse Project’s 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover. I knew my heart was slowly beginning to belong to the breed, I just didn’t know if any other horse could be as remarkable as Bam Bam.
The answer to that question would come on my trip to Kentucky in November of 2025, when it came time to pick Cameo up.
Seeing me bright-eyed and loving the Thoroughbred as a sport horse, Cameo’s previous owners took me in as one of their own as we visited the Thoroughbred Training Center, walked through gorgeous stud farms, and attended broodmare sales. At every turn, the love for the Thoroughbred was evident. The attention to detail, pride at each farm, and long-term commitment to the breed and their careers post-racing gave me a deep appreciation for Thoroughbreds.
Somewhere in the middle of the experience, I realized I wasn’t just bringing a horse home, but rather I was deciding that the Thoroughbred would forever have a hold on my career as an equestrian.
Cameo, however, was not on the same page as me.
Whereas Bam Bam had been generous and forgiving, Cameo felt guarded, heavily opinionated, and entirely uninterested in me. She tested boundaries often, making me second-guess this whole Makeover idea. More than once, she reminded me of my doubts with a well-aimed kick.
Before bringing her home, I was invited to drive up the hill and view some of the weanlings. This was when my perception of Cameo shifted. She trotted up the hill towards the Ranger and, for just a moment, I saw it. I saw her future so clearly, and my breath caught in my throat. Her movement lifted, becoming elastic and expressive, with the kind of natural suspension that you can’t manufacture.
In that moment, all of my hesitations faded, and potential took its place. With the right direction, I knew what Cameo could become and decided she was worth the challenge.
Cameo’s progression has not always been fast and impressive; rather, it has been filled with energy, but not always the productive kind. She learned leg yields on the ground, giving to pressure, and self-regulation day by day. Her foundation had to be built slowly, especially for a horse who had not been under saddle in several years. On more than one occasion, this left me second-guessing whether this was the horse for me.
Eventually, these small foundational skills turned into self-loading into a trailer, lining herself up to the mounting block, and standing calmly to be brushed. These wins mattered tremendously, even if she wasn’t yet willing to fully connect. But under saddle, and often even in daily handling, there was a tension that never quite abated.
Our first ride was on January 9th. It was not carefully planned, but rather a split-second decision. A moment where you either step forward, trusting the horse, or keep waiting for the “perfect” moment. In many ways, our first handful of rides taught me that her tension does not always mean negative energy, but rather a displaced, abundant eagerness to please.
Cameo had a pattern. She would come into work overwhelmed, reactive, and ready to explode at the smallest pressure. Frustration and setbacks came easily for us, and it often felt like defiance and overstimulation at the smallest things. But if you could stay with her long enough, if you could ride through that initial storm, something would shift. She would soften, focus, and offer genuine moments of quality, hinting at her oncoming bloom.
Cameo still kicked, still resisted connection, and still seemed largely uninterested in forming a relationship with me. The easy and sometimes magical bond I had with Bam Bam felt completely absent with Cameo until our breakthrough in March. And when the shift came, it was not subtle. Much like Cameo herself, it was dramatic.
In March, we moved to a new property, one that included a small pond. It seemed like a great opportunity for exposure, another piece of fundamental education. I decided to lunge her through the water, expecting resistance, not intransigence.
Cameo was adamant. She spun, kicked, struck out, making attempts to run through me or drag me away. It was an intense moment, filled with high emotions on both ends. It felt like everything we had worked on in the past three months was unraveling in front of me.
Instead of backing away from the question, I spent two hours with her walking and slowly working around the pond. I asked her again, quietly but firmly. Eventually, she understood just how stubborn I was, too, and dipped one toe into the water. Then another.
What followed was anything but graceful. She splashed, pawed, and threw herself into the pond, kicking up water like she was trying to make the pond even larger. Just as suddenly as she had escalated, she relaxed. She let out a deep breath. Her jaw softened, with a lick and chew following. The tension left her body, and her eyes softened. For the first time, it felt like Cameo was with me, not against me.
It wasn’t just about the water at that moment; she had chosen to trust me when every instinct told her not to. Later that same week, I took her off property for the first time. We introduced a few small cross-country logs on the lunge line, going into an unfamiliar body of water with the same gusto. She approached everything with curiosity instead of resistance. It became clear that the initial struggle at the pond had not been a setback or an unraveling of progress, but rather a test. In working through it together, we had finally found the beginning of a true partnership. Cameo has not tried to kick me since.
Since Cameo’s breakthrough in early March, she has truly begun to adore the life of a sport horse. She has traveled off property for lessons, taken in new environments with a level of composure that continues to surprise me, and even attended her first show in preparation for the Makeover in October. There, she stepped into the ring and quietly did her job, earning first place in both of her testing divisions. It was a small milestone in the grand scheme of things, but one that felt deeply significant given our humble beginnings.
Under saddle, Cameo is learning to correctly use her body, pushing forward from behind, lifting through her back, and releasing the tension she once carried so consistently. And just as importantly, the horse that once felt distant and unreachable now seeks connection. There are even moments when she will stand beside me, soften completely, and fall asleep in my hands as I stroke her forehead.
Cameo has embraced this new chapter, proving how incredible it is to take former broodmares and racehorses into the world of dressage. From the structure of her training to the details of her care – including a specialized diet, carefully selected hay, and bodywork to support her development – she has embraced her next career. She meets new places with curiosity and genuinely seems to enjoy the attention that comes with stepping into the show ring.
What began as a goal to simply attend the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover has quietly shifted into something more. Now, the focus has shifted from just “showing up” to arriving as a prepared and competitive pair.
More than anything, I am grateful. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow alongside her, and to share the story of a horse who has already fulfilled two purposes, only to prove so much more. Broodmares are often defined by their genetics, their conformation, and their temperament. Cameo has reminded me how much still remains undiscovered in horses who are often thought to have already given everything.
I am also deeply grateful to organizations such as the Retired Racehorse Project and breeders such as the ones I acquired Cameo Shores from, both of whom recognize the importance of creating opportunities for horses beyond the track and breeding shed. Without programs and people like these, stories like Cameo’s would be far less visible. Because of them, horses are given a chance not only to transition, but to truly thrive in new careers. I am beyond excited for what October brings to us, and hope to make those who are a part of Cameo’s and my story proud.
