Jockey Club Field Trip

By Bryn Oliver

In early March, the TRF-MMSC Spring 2010 interns along with Director Susanna Thomas, and Adoptions Coordinator Melissa DeCarlo took a field trip to the Jockey Club in Lexington, Kentucky.  There they met Andrew Chesser, a customer service representative who designs software and maintains the Jockey Club’s website.  He stressed that it was possible to work in an equine setting without mucking stalls all day.  “You just have to knock on a lot of doors,” he said.  This was important for the interns, two of whom are Equine Science Majors and one who is undecided.  “Exposing our interns to the myriad of job opportunities within the Thoroughbred industry is an important part of the Secretariat Center’s mission,” said Thomas.

Chesser then explained the purpose of the Jockey Club, and a few of the services offered.  Covering the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, the Jockey Club is a 501C3 and the official register for the Thoroughbred breed.   In order for a horse to race or be bred to race, it must be registered.   It also must have its registration papers before the tattoo technician can tattoo the horse’s lip.  The tattoo which all registered Thoroughbreds have consists of the horse’s year of birth, which is designated by a letter, and the registration number.  A horse born in 2010 would have a registration number starting with 10, for example, 1098765 and its tattoo would be N98765.

Registration begins with a signed Stallion Service form.  This document is often used as collateral for collecting a stud fee, as the foal cannot be registered without the stallion’s owner providing it.  Eleven months later, the Jockey Club asks for a live/no foal report which simply states if a foal was born or not.  After a live foal is born, the owner has one year to complete the registration process.  Thereafter the fee increases incrementally as the horse ages.  A DNA test as well as four photos showing front, back, and sides of the horse and descriptions of color/markings need to be submitted to complete the registration.   Once processed, the owner receives the horse’s registration papers which contain the horse’s name, breeding, and registration number on the front, and lists the owner’s name on the back.  Should the horse be sold to a different owner, the new name can be added to the back to officially show that the horse has changed hands.  The registration is also important because it can be given to the Jockey Club and the horse can be Sold Without Pedigree, meaning the horse cannot race or breed again.

Last year began the Retirement Checkoff Program.   When owners register foals, they can donate money to the fund which supports programs that retrain Thoroughbreds after their racing careers are over.  The Jockey Club will match the total amount collected up to $200,000.  Last year the Thoroughbred Charities of America and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation each received $100,000.  The same is expected for this year.

Should a circumstance arise i.e. a stolen horse with an altered or damaged tattoo, the Jockey Club has many ways to identify it.  In addition to stored pictures from the foal’s registration, the tests in the United States are stored at UC Davis.  The Jockey Club will also microchip a foal for a fee of $20 which allows anyone with a scanner to identify the horse throughout its life.

The Jockey Club also believes in giving back to the equine community.  In the past 27 years the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has donated over 17 million dollars to 37 universities to fund specific projects that have researched horse health and safety issues.  The Jockey Club Foundation financially helps those in need in the Thoroughbred industry i.e. grooms, trainers, and their families when Katrina hit New Orleans.  Over 12 million dollars have been used to help such families since 1985.

The field trip to the Jockey Club coincided with learning about the history of the Thoroughbred breed and was a valuable experience for the interns at the MMSC.