In the early days, studbooks operated independently from each other, national organisations and federations operated independently. With horse sport and breeding becoming more global, the importance for traceability of horses grew and consequently also the need to connect breeding and performance information.

Data Exchange is therefore a topic that has been on the agenda of the WBFSH and the FEI for many years, and several attempts were made over the last twenty years.

In the early 2000’s the XML system was piloted as a system for optimising the exchange of data between studbooks, the FEI and competition organisers on a national and international level. This project was presented by the WBFSH and the FEI at the WBFSH General Assembly 2007 in Apeldoorn NED. Around 2012 the WBFSH and the FEI were in negotiations again for the purpose of concluding an agreement concerning a secure data exchange HUB.

Repeatedly attempts were halted as a result of concerns of data safety and ownership, competition and limited participation. Rapid advances in information technology that rendered pilot systems outdated were a further obstacle to achieving successful exchange of data.

After conducting a WBFSH studbook survey in 2017 to establish the exact needs and wants of its members, serious negotiations between the WBFSH and the FEI recommenced, and a solution was found that satisfied everyone’s needs, with plans to develop an FEI-WBFSH Data Exchange Platform.

In 2019 a group of pilot studbooks, the WBFSH and the FEI signed a data exchange agreement for the FEI-WBFSH Data Exchange Platform. The pilot phase carried out in 2020 was a success and plans for mid-2021 are to roll the project out to the other WBFSH studbook members. Data exchange can be achieved either by CSV file or automated web-service.