Originally presented by the WBFSH Department of Development at the 2025 General Assembly in South Africa, the biannual report is rapidly becoming an essential reference for studbooks, breeders, auction organisers, federations, riders and owners seeking a clear and comparable view of the sport-horse ecosystem.

The 2024–2025 edition deepens engagement across the entire pathway from foal to sport by transforming standardised data into practical insight. Drawing on studbook returns, foal registration trends, global foal-auction results and FEI participation indicators, the report connects breeding activity, market confidence and sporting demand to explain how the industry has responded to disruption and stabilised at healthy levels.

As WBFSH President Jan Pedersen notes, “By connecting breeding indicators (foal registrations) with market outcomes (foal auctions) and sport participation (FEI events and horse registrations), the report helps explain how supply, demand and confidence have shifted—and where activity has stabilised as conditions normalised.”

A central focus of the report is the continued improvement of data quality and comparability. Consistent definitions, reliable identification systems such as UELN, strengthened traceability through DNA verification, and transparent recording of modern reproductive techniques are positioned as foundational infrastructure for credible governance, fair markets and informed decision-making.

The report also places welfare at the core of future industry leadership. It reflects the WBFSH’s commitment to evidence-led progress, including Phase 2 of the WBFSH Welfare Project, developed in collaboration with Hartpury University and led by Professor Jane Williams, to ensure that innovation in breeding is matched by responsibility, transparency and credible safeguards.

From the Department of Development, Vice President Renai Hart and Executive Director Katy Holder-Vale emphasise that “a core objective of the Development Department is to turn information into insight that can be used,” supporting better planning, clearer benchmarking and more confident decisions across the global sport-horse community.

Overall, the State of the Industry Report 2024–2025 demonstrates a sector that is measuring itself more honestly, explaining trends more rigorously, and stepping forward with a modern agenda—one that strengthens trust, protects welfare and positions the WBFSH and its member studbooks as credible leaders in an increasingly transparent and accountable global environment.