On Saturday, 8th February 2025 during Jumping International Bordeaux, the WBFSH and the International Stud Book Committee have signed a groundbreaking Collaboration Agreement.
This creates the foundation for the recognition and celebration of thoroughbred horses, their contributions to the sport and to sport horse breeding. But it is also an opportunity for sport horse breeding to benefit from the strength and experience of the thoroughbred breeding community. By working together, both parties will create opportunities for knowledge exchange and new project that will support our mutual aims of supporting the welfare of all horses.
The Agreement is the culmination of a collaboration that started with talks between the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF), the World Breeding Federation for Sports Horses (WBFSH), the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC) and that led to the inclusion and recognition of the thoroughbred breed in all FEI competitions since 2024.
In the past, thoroughbred horses competing at FEI level and at the Olympics had been listed as “breeding unknown” because they were not originally registered by a WBFSH member studbook. There can, however, be no doubt that thoroughbreds continue to contribute significantly to the modern sport.
Says WBFSH President Jan Pedersen:
The Agreement sets out a framework for collaboration on a wide range of topics relevant to the protection and support of horses in the sport, including Identification, Traceability and Equine Health and Welfare. The spirit of the collaboration is to identify areas of mutual interest and exchange knowledge and ideas to the greater benefit of all horses.
To create a forum of discussion and knowledge exchange, the WBFSH and ISBC will create a joint Council that is to meet annually and to be chaired alternately by representatives of both organisations. Furthermore, both parties will invite representatives of the other organisation to their own annual meetings, thus forging a close ongoing relationship.
This move will also encourage the continued use of thoroughbreds in the Olympics discipline giving retired racehorse the opportunity to enjoy a fulfilling second career that nurtures their talents. It will also create a basis for collaborative projects that will accelerate knowledge acquisition and transfer for the greater good of the sport and of the horses.
Says Simon Cooper, Vice-Chair of the ISBC:
