Governor Wes Moore has appointed the Retired Racehorse Project’s Executive Director Kirsten Green to the Maryland Racing Commission. The Commission regulates Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing in the state.
The Retired Racehorse Project was founded by former Maryland Horse Council President Steuart Pittman — a trainer and breeder of Thoroughbred eventing horses and the current Anne Arundel County Executive — in response to the emerging popularity of imported European warmbloods for competition. In 2009, Pittman organized and moderated the Retired Racehorse Training Symposium to encourage more equestrians to choose a Thoroughbred as their next recreational and competitive mount.
The symposium grew into the Thoroughbred Makeover, a competition that brings together hundreds of former race horses to compete in ten disciplines for over $100,000 in prize money. The 2026 Makeover will take place October 7-10 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The Executive Director of the Maryland Racing Commission, Chris Merz, said in a press release that Green’s appointment “reinforces a principle that must guide the future of our sport: horse welfare belongs at the center of every meaningful conversation about racing’s growth, integrity, and sustainability.”
According to the press release, Green was “initially surprised to be asked to join the commission” but once Merz explained that the commission needed representation from the aftercare industry, “it immediately made sense.”
In an era where scrutiny of racing is at an all-time high and preservation of its social license hangs in the balance, inclusion of aftercare perspective in regulatory bodies is a progressive, demonstrable commitment to the horses at the heart of the sport. I’m honored for the opportunity to represent the RRP in this capacity and to contribute more directly to a sport and industry I’ve come to love.
Kirsten Green, Executive Director, Retired Racehorse Project.
Congratulations Kirsten!
