Photo by Brett Coffey
At a meeting of the Harness Racing Australia (HRA) Executive on 12 June 2020, two important amendments to the Breeding Rules were finalised and unanimously approved.
Subsequently, the Members of HRA have provided the requisite support for their formal approval, and as such, notice is now being given to the industry that these changes will be implemented from 1 September 2020 and therefore effect the coming breeding season.
These changes, which relate to limiting the services of Stallions in any one season and the treatment of dead or disappeared Stallions, or geldings, harmonise Australia’s (breeding) Rules and Studbook with the major jurisdictions across the world on these issues.
The changes are set out below:
1. Stallion Limits
- The total mares bred to a stallion registered in Australia, regardless of method used, in any given breeding season shall not exceed 150, including free returns from previous seasons.
- No foal will be registered from a service performed beyond this limit.
- A person who fails to comply with this rule is guilty of an offence.
2. Dead, Disappeared or Gelded Stallions
- The use of semen from a dead or disappeared stallion, or one that has been gelded, is forbidden beyond the end of breeding season following his death or disappearance or date of gelding.
- A provision will be allowed to “grandfather” a Registered Standardbred that is dead or disappeared, or one that has been gelded prior to 1 September 2020.
- No foal may be registered for an insemination performed beyond this time limit with the exception of a free return to the same broodmare in the second breeding season after death.
- A person who fails to comply with this rule is guilty of an offence.
At this stage of the process, the industry is being notified of the amendments, their clear intent, the implementation date (1 September 2020) and fact that action can be taken if not observed. Actual wording within the Australian Harness Racing Rules (AHRR’s) will be formalised by the National Rules Committee and published following its next meeting.
For further information, please contact Andrew Kelly, Chief Executive, on +61 3 9227 3004.
