Weatherbys

The 2021 breeding season was hit by the perfect storm of ongoing Covid travel restrictions and the end of the transition period that meant Britain's exit from the European Union is now complete. Brexit has been a thorn in the industry's side for five years. For those in Britain who were opposed to it, it has long been considered a gratuitous act of economic self-harm for the country, but the damage done is not restricted to that island. Brexit has affected modes of operation for untold businesses within neighbouring European...

TB-Ed, a UK Thoroughbred Breeders' Association education and training initiative, was launched by the TBA on Wednesday. The initiative, which offers a range of courses and resources that provide essential knowledge and guidance to new and existing industry participants, has also received financial support from the Racing Foundation, who co-funded the platform development and build with the TBA. Weatherbys is also a headline partner of the TB-Ed platform. Currently, the courses offered by TB-Ed include Understanding Pedigrees delivered by journalist and broadcaster Lydia Hislop, while there is also Nutrition of...

As a companion to its Global Stallions app and stallion books, Weatherbys has launched a new website, nhstallions.co.uk, which is devoted solely to National Hunt sires.  Listing around 100 jump stallions in Britain, Ireland and France, the site will be updated regularly with leading progeny and statistics.  "The launch of this new site is great news and I'm sure it will become the go-to resource for National Hunt breeders looking for regularly updated information dedicated to jumps breeding," said Simon Sweeting of Overbury Stud, home to National Hunt sires Schiaparelli...

Registration for the International Thoroughbred Breeders' Federation's free webinar Jan. 21 at 1:00 p.m. (London, U.K.) is now open and available by clicking the following link. Outlining racing's challenges, threats and opportunities, the webinar will address: THE ROLE OF WEATHERBYS with Sir Johnny Weatherby KCVO and Simon Cooper LATIN AMERICA - ECONOMIC CHALLENGES & BLOODSTOCK OPPORTUNITIES with John Fulton AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA with Dr. John Grewar BVSc, MSc, PhD WEST NILE VIRUS IN EUROPE with Dr. Guillaume Fortier DVM, Dip.Pasteur Inst.,PhD., HDR Normandy Univ. AN UPDATE...

It's not a new phenomenon for a Flat stallion to switch to a National Hunt stud and suddenly find himself in strong demand and that was certainly the case this year for Maxios (GB), who moved from Gestut Fahrhof to Castlehyde Stud, where he covered 298 mares. Weatherbys, which has just published its annual Return Of Mares, records the son of Monsun (Ger) as the busiest stallion of 2020 in Britain and Ireland, while the most in-demand freshman sire was Crystal Ocean (GB), who covered 280 mares at The Beeches...

Weatherbys has unveiled details of its E-Passport, which will go live in 2021 and will include stallion, mare and foal registration; pre- and post-racing vaccinations and medications, owner updates and full identification. The E-Passport could have significant implications for the cross-border movement of horses post-Brexit. Elements of the E-Passport are already in use within Britain, Ireland and other jurisdictions. These include the vaccination and movement functionality to support the British Horseracing Authority and Horse Racing Ireland with their 'Return to Racing' protocols. The technology is also helping trace the movement...

Weatherbys will sponsor the Weatherbys GSB Premier Handicap at Naas on the Irish EBF Ballyhane S. undercard on Aug. 23. Weatherbys Ireland General Manager Sharon O'Regan said, "We view this sponsorship as support for the whole industry which is understandably under a great deal of pressure in the face of the Covid pandemic. It will sit alongside our other race sponsorships headlined by the Weatherbys Ireland Greenland S. and the very popular Weatherbys ITBA National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme."

In a joint decision by the Animal Health Trust, Thoroughbred Breeders' Association and Weatherbys, the processing of all British Thoroughbred DNA samples will be moved to Weatherbys Scientific's laboratory in Ireland for the remainder of the 2020 breeding season. The decision was reached stemming from the AHT's inability to assure the processing time of samples. Weatherbys Chief Executive Russell Ferris said: "The AHT's relationship with Weatherbys goes back very many years and they have provided both us and thoroughbred breeders with an outstanding level of service when processing DNA samples...

Part two of the Weatherbys Bloodstock Sales Review 2019 has been published and is available for purchase online and at Goffs and Tattersalls. The review provides an in-depth analysis of all Thoroughbreds sold at public auction in Europe last year, in addition to foals and yearlings sold in North America sired by European-based stallions. The information contained includes averages and medians for both colts and fillies of different age classes by sire; vendors and purchasers; leading sires lists; extensive editorial; and top lots from major sales.