Good Uptake For Foal Registration

Horse Racing Ireland has expressed its satisfaction over a 75% compliance rate in the 30-day thoroughbred foal notification system which was introduced in Ireland for the 2019 foaling season. The 30-day notification system requires breeders to notify Weatherbys of the birth of a foal within 30 days of birth, done through the submission of the blood sample and markings which are taken by the attending vet when the foal is microchipped. “There is a worldwide acceptance for the need for whole-of-life traceability of horses, said HRI spokesperson, John Osborne. “This allows for assurance on both the care and welfare of horses, as well as the certainty that all racehorses can be proven to be 'clean' in the anti-doping sense.” It was this consensus that led to the main industry bodies, including Goffs and Tattersalls, coming together to introduce this system which is administered on behalf of the industry by Weatherbys. Osborne continued, “It is this small change in procedure that will improve our traceability of the horse. We are creating systems which will eventually allow for a robust chain of responsibility to be known. In achieving this goal we can assure the standards of care are highest, ensuring that our horses can compete in all territories where these procedures are required. We are in discussions with the Department of Agriculture, updating on progress and assessing ways to make the process stronger. The signatories of the original agreement remain strongly supportive of this initiative and we are grateful to the breeders for helping us achieve such strong compliance in year one.”