To name or not to name
Ever wonder how do all these thoroughbreds end up with such fancy names? Not only that, every new thoroughbred that adds to the list comes up with its own unique title. Do they just choose any name for their horse that strikes their imagination?
It is not as simple as that. In the US, there is a list of rules defined by the Jockey Club which has to be followed in naming a thoroughbred horse. Also, without fulfilling certain requirements, a thoroughbred horse cannot be registered with the Jockey
Club. In this article, we will analyse the procedures and guidelines to be followed if one wants to name a thoroughbred horse.
First things first. No matter when the thoroughbred is born, he will be officially celebrating his birthday on 1
January. For example, if a thoroughbred is born on 23 March 2010, his date of birth will be registered as 1
January 2010. This makes it easy for the Club to categorise horses according to different age groups as required by the races.
The Club requires that all thoroughbred horses be registered with it before they turn one. For the purposes of registration, the horse’s actual date of birth is taken into account. Continuing previous example, the thoroughbred born on 23
March 2010 has to be registered before 23 March 2011.
Not only that, the horse has to prove its lineage before it is officially registered. The Jockey Club makes all thoroughbreds undergo a DNA test which authenticates the parentage of the horse. In case either of the thoroughbred’s parents are not DNA typed
or blood typed, it becomes ineligible for registration. The Club also states that any horse that has to be registered should not be born through embryo transfer or artificial insemination. These are the major requirements of the Jockey Club if a thoroughbred
needs to be registered with them.
Once the thoroughbred is registered, it requires a name in the horse racing industry. This part is tricky business. The Jockey Club defines the rules regarding choosing a name in detail. We are going to discuss the salient features of these requirements.
If a thoroughbred horse is not registered with the Club by the time he is two, an extra fee is charged for late registration. If the horse has already been registered and the owner wants to change the name, it can be done by giving additional charges. This
condition is only valid for those horses that have not yet raced officially or been bred.
When the Jockey Club approves a name for the thoroughbred horse, they do so after shortlisting it from the six names that have been provided to them by the owner. When the owner gives in this list for approval, he/she also specifies the order of preference
for the names.
However, if a name does not fulfil the requirements defined by the Jockey Club, it automatically gets cancelled. Some of the more important requirements are that the name should not be more than 18 characters long, neither should it be in the form of abbreviations.
Also, name of an existing thoroughbred horse cannot be used again.
Similarly, names of thoroughbreds that come in the Hall of Fame, Eclipse Awards and Kentucky Derby winners etcetera are not allowed. Likewise, a thoroughbred cannot be named after any race, track or person. The name of a person can only be used if he or
she has granted the permission for such usage and it is on record with the Jockey Club.
These were some of the more important things to keep in mind while naming a thoroughbred horse. In order to facilitate the owners, the Jockey Club has a Names Book which can also be viewed online.
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