This work is vitally important to preserve the traceability and integrity of the Thoroughbred as a breed. We are the single Stud Book holder in the Great Britain and Ireland, meaning we are the only authority trusted to maintain and regulate the breeding records of the Thoroughbred.

We register every Thoroughbred in Great Britain and issue each horse with its own unique passport. This passport is a legal requirement for horses in Great Britain, and Weatherbys is the authorised Passport Issuing Organisation for the country.  

When you notify us of the birth of a foal, the process begins. A vet will be required to visit, take markings for use in the passport, implant a microchip and also take blood for parentage verification. When the horse has been registered with us, we will issue a passport which can be used for identification and transporting a horse throughout its life.

In addition to foals, we also register broodmares, ensuring full traceability of the Thoroughbred broodmare population. We log coverings and require broodmares to be named and imported before registering the mare and progeny to be entered into the General Stud Book. We are also responsible for maintaining change of ownerships, logging and confirming broodmares are registered in the correct ownerships to ensure transparent ownership.  

The same process and registration rules apply to stallions initially with DNA sampling required, and stallions must then be registered annually before the covering season begins. The team also cover change of ownership registrations for horses who have non-racing and non-breeding purposes, which is a legal requirement to be completed within 30 days of purchase.

30 day foal notification is available to be completed online and must be completed within 30 days of birth. The registration deadline is 31st July each year – this includes online application, DNA & markings, fee and covering certificate.