Following an approach from Studs, Harness Racing Australia (HRA) have been moved to clarify that the disinformation being circulated about a State(s) not imposing Stallion Registration Fees this breeding season is false.
Stallion Registration Fees are not collected by States. While HRA Members unanimously approved this Fee, along with the other Stud Book Fees, they are collected by HRA.
To be eligible for registration, Studs wanting to stand a Sire in Australia must apply to HRA to register Stallions each season as per Clause 10 of the Australian Trotting Stud Book Regulations (SBR’s):
10 Registration of Sires
(1) A person desiring to register a stallion as a sire may make application for registration of the horse to HRA.
(2) An application under this rule is to be made within the time, in the manner and form, and be accompanied by such documentation, information and fees as HRA may determine.
As part of the registration process, Studs inform HRA of a Stallions ownership; their authority from the owner to act as an agent; the residency status of the Sire; the type of semen being offered (eg. chilled, frozen, fresh); the Total Service Cost (TSC) being charged; and declarations to comply with the Rules.
The TSC is particularly important for New Zealand or Other domiciled Stallions and is found at Clause 1(e) of the SBR’s:
1 (e) A reference to the ‘total service cost’ of a service or procedure includes all fees, expenses or charges of any kind, payable to the supplier of the service or procedure, or any associate of such supplier, in relation to such service or procedure, but excluding:
(i) GST;
(ii) Transport Costs;
(iii) Agistment Costs; and
(iv) Technician Fee.
This is important because the TSC determines the Fee charged to the Stallion Owner (the supplier) upon a live birth of a foal. Since the 2022/23 season, this has been set at 0% TSC for Australian domiciled and Trotting sires, 8% TSC for New Zealand domiciled and Shuttle sire services, and 15% for other sire services (eg. frozen).
The SBR’s also set out the two components of the Fees which are invoiced to the Stallion Owner at Clause 18:
18 Fees
(1) Fees payable for registrations and other services are set out in Schedule 1 exclusive of GST.
(2) Fees payable for registration as a sire are payable in two components:
(a) An amount payable upon application for registration as a sire for a breeding season; and
(b) After live birth of a foal resulting from service of a mare in Australia by such sire however occurring, an amount as invoiced by HRA after the breeding season.
While the exact quantum of the Stallion Registration Fees collected will rise and fall depending on the number of live foals born to the mix of sires offered each season, it has been steady at just over $900k being invoiced to Stallion Owners since the Fee was introduced for the 2022/23 Season.
On average, only 40% of services attract the second component (live birth) each breeding season (Clause 18(2)(b)), with that number often reducing further depending on conception rates. To assist Stallion Owners, Studs and Breeders, a new rule was recently introduced allowing Free Returns to be applied above the 150 Service Limits, in order to provide additional flexibility and opportunities where mares have unfortunately missed or slipped, or the foal died within specified timeframes. 61 Free Return applications have been approved in the first year.
Since its introduction, 46 new Stallions have also been registered with HRA. Of these, 18 were also subject to either the 8% or 15% Registration Fee, with the other 28 being Australian domiciled. Since the 22/23 season, we have also lost 16 stallions due to passing away or having been euthanised, and they are subsequently subject to restrictions under Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 285A.
Globally, including in traditionally strong trotting jurisdictions such as France, Sweden and Norway, foal numbers have been in rapid decline for the past 5-years. While Australian numbers are not as dramatic, Trotting Sires, however, who are not subjected to the live foal component of the Stallion Registration Fee, have suffered a sharp, 33% decline in the past 5-years, and 23% in last 3-years since the Fee was introduced. HRA will be shortly undertaking research to understand the reasons why.
A full list of Rules and Regulations pertaining to Stallion Registrations, Rules and Breeding can be found here : Australian Harness Racing Rules - Index & Australian Trotting Stud Book Regulations.
