The Fair Hill leg of the Real Rider Cup will be on hiatus this year due to the management changes associated with the Maryland 5*, which hosted the event in 2025. Anita Motion, who is based at the Fair Hill Training Center with her husband Graham Motion, founded the Real Rider Cup (RRC) in 2017 as a charity show jumping competition to raise money for Thoroughbred aftercare. Riders across all equine disciplines compete retired racehorses over a show jumping course under Table II rules, wearing the racing silks of their colleagues, employers, or other connections.
The first year’s competition was held in Unionville, PA, after which it moved to Fair Hill. It has been run at Fair Hill ever since — with the exception of 2020 and 2021, when it ran virtually. RRC added a new leg in Lexington, Kentucky in 2022. The event has raised over $780,000 to date.
A May 6 American Horse Publications press release quotes Motion as saying “What began in 2017 as a one-time, lighthearted side show has grown into a significant source of funding for Thoroughbred retraining programs . . . We are incredibly proud of what The Real Rider Cup has become and deeply grateful to all the competitors and donors who have contributed along the way.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the Retired Racehorse Project, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, and Beyond the Wire.
We look forward to welcoming the competition back home in 2027.
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