Pedigree Rules and Breeding Programme

Introduction to our Rules and Breeding Programme

The Clydesdale Horse Society is constituted as a Limited Company, Limited by Guarantee.  It operates under a Memorandum and Articles of Association.  For the purposes of Breeding, historically it has produced a Stud Book which operates under rules of stet down and approved by it's Editing Committee. The Society's pedigree rules (updated in October 2020 at paragraph 1 specifically for the non discrimination statement included therein) are set out below.

Following the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union for all practical purposed effective from 1 January 2021, in conjunction with the Scottish Government and its application for Scotland to receive accreditation of third Country Listing following Brexit, the Society has created a new document entitled its Breeding Programme.  This document can be cross referenced to the attached file.

Third Country listing is important as this will be the vehicle which, following 1 January 2021, will alloow a trade to continue between the United Kingdom and EU Countries.  Without this listing such trading will not be possible.

Clydesdale Horse Society Third Country Listing Breeding Programme Final

CLYDESDALE HORSE SOCIETY - PEDIGREE RULES 

(updated for paragraph 1 in October 2020)

The following are the Rules and Regulations governing the entries in the Stud Book of the Clydesdale Horse Society:

General Rules

1. These are the Breeding and Pedigree Rules of the Clydesdale Horse Society (the Society) for inclusion in the Stud Book.  These must be read in conjunction with The Clydesdale Horse Society Breeding Programme produced in 2020 in conjunction with the Scottish Government for the purposes of Third Country Listing as required as part of the United Kingdom’s final departure from the European Union on 1^st January 2021.

 The Clydesdale Horse Society will enter into the breeding book, animals of the same breed, line or cross that are eligible for entry under the Society’s breed criterion, without discrimination on account of their country of origin.

 This non-discriminatory statement will pervade across all aspect of the society’s work.

All entries when lodged become the property of the Council of The Clydesdale Horse Society (Council), and are received subject to the decision of the Council, to whom is reserved full right to investigate, amend or alter, and to publish the original, or in an amended or altered form, or not to publish, any or every pedigree presented for entry; and no pedigree lodged with the Council can thereafter be withdrawn or altered by the entrant, or other person, except by the written authority of the Council.  

2.  The current Volume will contain pedigrees of Stallions foaled before 1 January of the current year, and Mares having produce foaled in or before the current year

3.  The last date for receiving entries for foals at ordinary fees will be 30 September.

4.  All entries must be made on the Society’s official forms. Particulars should be written in a clear, legible hand. As far as possible, entries should be POSTED to The Secretary at the Society’s Registered Office: 7 Turretbank Place, Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 4LS

5.  The Secretary cannot undertake responsibility for entries handed to his otherwise than through the post office. Unpaid entries received at the risk of the senders.

6.  Entries unpaid at the time of going to press will not be entered. The necessary fees must accompany each entry.

7.  The name and address of the breeder of every animal whose pedigree is sent for registration must be given on the entry form.

8.  Every breeder and persons registering stallions must register a Stud Prefix which shall be for their own use in their lifetime provided the current Stud Prefix fee has been paid.

9.  Stud Prefixes and names already appropriated in the Stud Book should not be made use of. The Council reserve the right to reject Stud Prefixes and names already in the Stud-Book.

10. The age, colour, and white markings of every animal should be given. Breeders and owners are requested to be very careful in stating marks. An error in the description of an animal may lead to serious consequences.  Regarding the distinction between Bay and Brown, it should be noted that ‘Bay’ is the lighter colour.  ‘Brown’ stands midway between ‘Bay’ and ‘Black’.

11. All foals must be registered in the volume first published after their birth.  When this is neglected increased fees will be charged and an entry accepted only at the discretion of the Council.

12. Filly foals are to be named by the breeder only and the given name to be preceded by the breeder’s registered stud prefix.

13. Colt foals may be named by other than the breeder when registered as stallions and the owner must also use his own registered stud prefix.

14. Filly and Stallion names once published in the Stud Book cannot be changed.


Pedigree Rules

15. Foal registrations will not be accepted unless both sire and dam have been parentage tested and the Society notified. If the dam or sire is deceased entry acceptance will be at the discretion of the Editing Committee and the Council who reserve the right to accept, reject, investigate, amend, or alter, and to publish in the original, or in an amended or altered form, or not to publish any or every entry presented for entry.

16. Filly foals must also be parentage tested and the Society notified that the animals are cleared for inclusion before a valid registration number can be allocated and the animal entered as produce in the Stud Book.

17. A Clydesdale is deemed to be one year old on 1 January following foaling date and one year older on each succeeding 1 January.

18. No colt will be accepted for Stallion registration until the age of two years unless it is going for export.

19. In order to be registered as stallions all colts must be DNA tested and the Society notified.

20. Before a colt can be used as a sire, he must be DNA tested and registered with the Society as a

21. The Stud Book will be divided into Section 1, Section 2 and Appendices.  Only horses entered in Section 1 of the Stud Book can be described as Registered Clydesdales. Horses in Section 2 and in the Appendices cannot be described as Registered Clydesdales. In order for a stallion to enter Section 1 a veterinary certificate of soundness and suitability for breeding purposes must be submitted to the Society together with the registration form.  All other stallions will be entered into Section 2.  Offspring of stallions entered in Section 2 will also be entered in Section 2.  Stallions and their offspring in Section 2 are not entitled to be promoted to Section 1.

22. Only Horses entered in Section 1 of the Stud Book can compete for any Clydesdale Horse Society awards or trophies. Horses in Section 2 of the Stud Book and horses in the Appendices are not eligible to compete for any Clydesdale Horse Society awards or trophies.  For the avoidance of doubt, horses in the Appendices, are not eligible for registration in Section 1 or Section 2 of the Stud Book as the Appendices sit outside the main register of the Stud Book.

23. All Mares and fillies which have been DNA tested, entered and accepted for entry will be given a Registration Number. Females sold for exportation before allocation of a normal registration number will be numbered on a separate list, provided they are eligible for full registration with the Society.

24. Colt foals entered and accepted for entry will not be given a registration number until such time as they are registered as Stallions or are sold for exportation when they are numbered on a separate list, provided they are eligible for full registration with the Society.

25. Export Certificates provided by the Society are required for all females, stallions and entire colts being exported to countries out with the United Kingdom and Ireland.  Applications for these Certificates must be submitted by the exporter to the Society three weeks prior to export. 

Note: For export to USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand entire colts and females must be DNA tested against stated parentage prior to export. For export to remaining countries, entire colts do not require to be DNA tested prior to export but will require to be tested prior to registration as stallions.

26. In view of EU regulations and controls, a Grading-Up Register is incorporated as an Appendix to the Stud Book. This Appendix sits outside the main register of the Stud Book and with reference to Rules 22 and 27, Grade-Ups in the Appendix are not eligible to compete for any Clydesdale Horse Society trophies or awards.  Animals eligible to be entered in this Appendix will be the female produce of the first cross between a fully registered Clydesdale Mare and a Stallion of Clydesdale type or a Mare of Clydesdale type and a registered Clydesdale Stallion. Filly foals of such a mating would be DNA tested and entered in Stud Book as Grade-Up fillies in the appropriate Appendix. Filly foals out of a Grade-Up mare and by a fully registered Clydesdale Stallion are acceptable for full registration in the main part of the Stud Book but only following DNA testing. First cross colt foals and colt foals out of a Grade-Up mare are not eligible for registration in the main part of the Stud Book and should be gelded. Breeders who wish to enter fillies in the Grade-Up register in the Appendix to the Stud Book must submit photographs of both sides and front of the non-registered Clydesdale parent and have that animal DNA sampled before the filly can be entered in the Grade-Up Register in the Appendix. 

27. The Clydesdale Horse Society will rule on whether a horse is of “Clydesdale type” or not and any dispute in relation to any of the decisions relating to pedigree rules and all cases of doubtful or suspicious pedigrees of Clydesdale Horses and all other cases of alleged misrepresentation relating to them which may be brought under notice to the Society shall be dealt with by the Council in accordance with the procedure in the “Stud Book” section of the Society’s Articles of Association. This procedure involves various elements including a reference to the Executive Committee who will issue a preliminary report stating whether in their view the matter requires investigation. If it is to be investigated then it shall be referred to the Editing Committee. Full details of such procedure and the arbitration procedure relating to cases of disputes or questions referred to the Society are contained in the “Stud Book” section of the Society’s Articles of Association.

28. For the avoidance of doubt, any first cross horse, any colt out of a first cross Grade-up mare and any horse of unknown pedigree are not eligible to compete at the Clydesdale Horse Society’s Winter Fair nor are they eligible to compete for any trophies or awards at any other show where these trophies or awards are presented by the Clydesdale Horse Society.

29. In the case of breeding animals imported to the UK the Society will generally accept the pedigree as stated in the exporting country’s Stud Book, with the proviso that the animal must be DNA typed on arrival in the UK in order that its progeny can be tested against this for eligibility for registration in the UK Stud Book.

30. A foal got by artificial insemination will be accepted on the same conditions as a natural service foal provided that the British Equine Veterinary Association guidelines are observed.

31. A foal got by artificial insemination will be accepted on the same conditions as a natural service foal, provided that the British Equine Veterinary Association guidelines are observed.  There will be no restriction on the use of frozen semen after a stallion dies.  In the case of semen imported to the UK, the Society will generally accept the pedigree of the donor stallion as stated in the exporting country’s Stud Book, with the proviso that the animal must be DNA typed prior to the arrival of its semen in the UK in order that its progeny can be tested against this for eligibility for registration in the UK Stud Book.

32. A foal got by Embryo Implant will be accepted on the same conditions as a natural service foal provided that the British Equine Veterinary Association guidelines are observed.  The owner of the embryo will be the registered breeder of the foal.