The horse’s name can only be changed if the animal has not raced either on the racetrack or in a point-to-point. A new naming form must be completed and returned along with the passport and a fee of €400 (this cost will increase if the horse is bred outside of Ireland/UK).
Names can be reserved (at a cost) directly with Weatherbys in the UK. This does not guarantee that the name is available but it does ensure that no one else can use it if it is available.
Yes, any horse named outside of Ireland must be named within the Irish jurisdiction. To name a foreign-bred (non-UK) horse; the passport, completed naming form, along with new markings completed by a vet, must be sent to HRI. This process can take up to 4 weeks and cost varies depending on country of origin. For price details, contact the Registrations Department directly on 045-455424.
Yes, any horse named outside of Ireland must be named within the Irish jurisdiction. To name a horse already named in the UK, the front of the naming form must be completed and sent to HRI. There is no need to send the passport.
Information concerning vaccination protocol can be found at https://www.ihrb.ie/horses/equine-influenza. The IHRB also has a dedicated phoneline for vaccination queries: 045 445633. For assistance with the Weatherbys Vaccination app, you can contact Weatherbys on 045 879979.
Assuming the documentation has been received (in order) by Thursday:
- Irish & GB bred animals are named in the following weeks calendar.
- Foreign bred animals (USA, GER, FR etc) can take 3-4 weeks or more to name.
A naming form must be completed (including a new set of markings) and returned to HRI along with the fee of €200. An Irish or GB bred animal generally takes a week to have their passport replaced but a foreign bred animal can take considerably longer and at a greater expense as HRI has to apply to the country of origin. A DNA sample may be required.
The trainer must amend the racecard record via the RÁS system. The passport can then be updated at the racecourse by the vet on duty or it can be returned to Horse Racing Ireland.
The markings are the primary source of identification for the horse. It is essential that the markings on the passport match those with the actual horse even if the microchip scans correctly. If the markings do not match, a new set of markings must be completed on a naming form and returned to Horse Racing Ireland along with the passport.
This is the section on the naming form (bottom left hand corner) where the trainer/vet can confirm that the markings and microchip number on the passport match the markings and microchip number of the horse being named. If left unsigned a new set of markings must be completed on the back of the form.
New markings are needed if the current passport markings, including the colour of the horse, are not accurate OR if the horse is bred outside of Ireland and the UK e.g. France, Germany, USA etc
Only a licensed trainer can sign it or alternatively a vet can sign and stamp (with the practice stamp) the declaration. A point to point handler cannot sign the declaration.
A horses name can be turned down for a number of different reasons. These include, but are not limited to if it is already in the Register of Horse Names, it is a protected name including a name on the International Protected names list or it has more than 18 characters. For more detail on Horse Naming Guidelines click here
When importing a horse from anywhere outside Ireland/GB the passport must be endorsed before the horse leaves the country of origin. On occasions this is overlooked and only discovered at the naming stage. The passport has to be returned to the relevant racing authority requesting that the passport be endorsed. This procedure could take a considerable length of time, delaying your name registration and preventing you from running the horse until the passport is returned (can take up to several months).