Weatherbys – Vital Services for the Horse Racing Industry
Weatherbys plays a number of vital roles in the British horse racing industry. A central administrative organization, Weatherbys is also a bank and keeper of the Thoroughbred Breed Register. This well respected group offers a comprehensive range of services and products to the horse racing community in Britain.
Weatherbys has been in operation since the year 1770. For a long time Weatherbys was a family partnership. In 1994 it became a Limited Company and is today a private family owned company. Several subsidiary companies have been established by Weatherbys to supervise the various parts of the business. Weatherbys Thoroughbred Ltd is contracted to the BHB and is deeply involved in the racing itself. Made up of Weatherbys GSB as well as Weatherbys Ireland GSB, Thoroughbred Ltd cares for the General Stud Book or Thoroughbred Breeding Registry. Weatherbys Bank Ltd is the financial services and banking division. It controls Bloodstock Insurance plus the VAT Returns Service. The sub-section of Weatherbys Finance Ltd. deals with asset finance. Weatherbys Ventures Ltd is responsible for all other divisions such as Marketing, Information Technology, Bloodstock Services, Printing, Racecard, Publications, Commercial Mailings, Bookshop, Event Ticketing and Point-to-Point racing. Weatherbys is dedicated to offering a complete service package to all those involved in the thoroughbred industry whether racing or raising.
For more than 200 years, Weatherbys has been managing the registration of Thoroughbreds in Britain and Ireland. Stallions, mares and foals are registered for breeders so as to keep the integrity of bloodlines, vital to the breeding and racing industries. From 1791 onwards, the General Stud Book has been published. “Return of Mares” is an annual update of registered horses, both thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred. Weatherbys has introduced many scientific advances for the Stud Book. They brought in bloodtyping as well as DNA verification and microchipping of foals. Weatherbys has put together the most comprehensive database in Europe containing information on 1.5 million animals with breeding and racing details. As such they are able to provide several outstanding products to clients such as pedigrees for sales, statistical records, family race records and much more. Weatherbys truly provides an essential service to the British horse racing industry.
