
When one is passionate about horses, breeding and racing can be quite fulfilling and exhilarating. But,                     like anything else there is the administrative side that can become arduous for those that might not have                               the experience.                                                              Since 1906 the CTHS has been the Official Registrar for all Thoroughbreds born in Canada under the                       Animal Pedigree Act and we would like to take this time to give a quick review of the process.                                                                         Below is a step by step overview of the registration process for foals born in Canada:
 
  

With the introduction of a digital tattoo system now                     less than four months away, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (TRPB) announced today that it                               has conducted technician training in 25 states and five Canadian provinces, and that more than 900                               Thoroughbreds have already received their digital tattoos.                                                              The new system is scheduled for full implementation by January 1, 2020.                       “Effective January 1st, 2020, all Thoroughbred horses that have not previously been TRPB lip tattooed                                  must have a Digital Tattoo for race day identification,” said J. Curtis Linnell, Executive Vice President of                                  the TRPB. “This Digital Tattoo indicates that the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau has confirmed                                  the identity of the horse and uploaded updated digital photographs to the breed registry database at                                  The Jockey Club.”                                                                         The TRPB provides authentication of identity for every Thoroughbred racing jurisdiction in the United                       States and Canada.                                                                         The transition to the TRPB Digital Tattoo was preceded by a requirement by The Jockey Club which calls                       for any Thoroughbred foaled in 2017 or after to be microchipped prior to being registered.                                                                         In essence, the digital tattoo is an electronic validation of the identity of a horse performed by a TRPB                       Technician. The technician uses a scanner to read the horse’s microchip and that microchip number                                  hyperlinks to electronic registration information consisting of high-resolution digital photos of the horse                                  and its markings.                                                                         The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) passed a model rule regarding digital                       tattoos. The model rule states, effective January 1, 2020, the racing secretary shall ensure that the                                  registration certificates for all Thoroughbred horses that were foaled in 2017 or thereafter have a digital                                  tattoo prior to entry in a race.                                                                         Linnell stressed the importance of regulatory commissions and racing associations being familiar with                       the impending change.                                  “With racing commissions, we want to make sure that they have rules in place that specifically reference                                  the Digital Tattoo for identification to avoid scratching horses from a race come January 1,” he said. “As                                  for racing associations, we are encouraging all of them to make sure racing office personnel understand                                  the digital tattoo certification and are planning and preparing to incorporate digital tattoos for horse                                  identification.”                                                                         Linnell said the current practice of branding horses on the inside lip will be discontinued at the end of                       2019.                                                                         He also said that the new system has received encouraging responses when TRPB personnel and TRPB                       technicians have met with racing officials, regulators, horse identification employees and other industry                                  officials over the course of the past two years.                                                                         “For the most part, they seem excited about Digital Tattoos,” he said. “They realize it will provide a more                       efficient and effective system of identification.”                                                                         The technician training has been held in: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois,                       Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New                                  York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.                                                                         The training has also been conducted in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.                                                              The TRPB, based in Fair Hill, Maryland, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Thoroughbred Racing                       Associations of North America and serves as a national investigative agency in the horse racing industry                                  with the goal of maintaining public confidence in the sport of Thoroughbred racing.                                                                         Additional information about TRPB and the Digital Tattoo is available at trpb.com.
 
  






