Is everyone paying the $1200 FEI name change? What am I missing

[EventerAJ]

Don’t get me started on the FEI name change rule.

It came about years ago, while I was competing my OTTB (JC: San Silvestro) USEF named “All Aboard.” His entire post-racing career was shown as All Aboard, through USEA and USEF. I go to get him a passport, and being a proud TB supporter I wanted his pedigree properly noted. That was right around the time the $1200 name change fee was instituted. I dutifully put down his JC name and registration number, and his show name (the ONLY show name he ever had). And cha-ching I was suddenly asked to pay for the $1200 name change, because his show name wasn’t his “birth name.”

I have a BIG issue with this… because a lot of racehorses have atrocious names, and they should be allowed to begin a new career with a new name. Also, the FEI is fussy about the naming thing because they want to “honor the breeder” and keep the breeder’s chosen name for the animal. But… most TB breeders don’t name their foals. The buyers who race them do. Even if the breeders DO name their foals, the name can be changed any time prior to the horse’s first start. So if I name my foal Fat Phil, sell him as a yearling, that buyer can re-name him Best Bob (perhaps paying a $200 fee) before the horse races. TB breeders realize names are very personal, and whomever is paying the bills for the horse to compete should be allowed the privilege of choosing a name they like. (Some of those names are REALLY stupid though, and as a show rider I wouldn’t want to be announced with it!) As such, most TBs are un-named until fall/winter of their yearling year, or early into their 2 year old year.

I realize it’s totally different in WB breeding. In that world. many foals are named at birth by their breeder. Their breed associations require a name in order to register the horse; the Jockey Club is happy to register every animal as “Birth Year - Dam Name” (2023 Zenyatta) until it receives an official name. Some unraced horses go their whole life without a registered name! But they can still be registered TBs. But anyway, the FEI is influenced by any number of European breed registries that insist on the horse keeping its breeder’s gifted name, thus the penalty for changing it, and/or adding a prefix/suffix (especially a commercial prefix).

The FEI really don’t GAF about our OTTB world here in the USA. They don’t care that a TB’s registered name was not given “at birth.” They don’t care that its name is associated with an unrelated sport, and that it’s current name is its ONLY name since it began national eventing competition (and maybe you BOUGHT the horse as a 12yo with that USEA name, you didn’t chose it, but now you have to change it back to Fat Phil or pay $1200??). If they really cared about pedigrees, they would gladly welcome the original JC name also noted in the passport along with the horse’s recorded bloodlines. As it is now, they actively punish you for honestly admitting your horse’s parentage.

I just went through this with my latest OTTB. I used his USEA show name. I did put in his sire/dam/damsire, but I did not include his JC name or his JC registration number. The FEI doesn’t know (and frankly doesn’t care) what his real JC name is, and they’ll never know any different than the USEA/USEF name I provided.

Regarding the imported horse name tags… if the commercial seller wants their name attached, then THEY should pony up any fees to USEF, FEI, etc for the desired name changes. No way in heck I would pay extra to do their advertising for them! I bought the horse, I’m paying the entry fees, I’m doing the riding; if they wanted credit for sourcing the horse then they can make it happen on their dime.

[Rnichols]

This happened to a friend of mine recently (this year) . The horse had a USEA name (different than it’s registered JC name). She went to register the mare with FEI and because the JC name had “dancer” in it and the usea name also had “dancer” in it, they wanted to charge her $1200 to do the name change. It sounded like if the USEA name didn’t have “dancer” in it it wouldn’t have been the $1200 fee to change it. So instead the horses USEA name got changed. And then, FEI sent her mares passport to someone in Florida (she is in California). And then! FEI told her if she didn’t have the passport in her possession SHE would have to start the process all over again (never mind THEY sent it to the wrong address). I’d love to do a 2* someday (it’s a HUGE stretch goal for me), but man the whole thing just left a sour taste in my mouth.

ETA: added a word I had left out

[RAyers]

Just another reason why I refuse to ride in FEI any more. It’s a corrupt money grab and horse welfare is an afterthought to keep people believing they are about horses.

[EventerAJ]

They would charge you $1200 regardless if the JC/USEA name had “dancer” in it or not. If the USEA name is ANYTHING other than the JC name, and you tell the FEI this, they will try to charge you. The only option is to play dumb and “don’t know” the JC name. I was told this specifically by the USEF passport office back in 2016. I was absolutely free to use my horse’s USEF name, but I could not admit that he had a different JC registered name. Essentially he was “grade” but listed as TB, and I did include his sire and dam, so it was printed in the passport. But his JC name was not allowed to be associated with him unless I wanted to pay $1200.

Lesson learned: when filling out your passport paperwork, leave the space blank for “breed registered name” or “previous name.” FWIW, you only need a National passport ($50) for competitions at the 1* and 2* level, you only need a purple (FEI) passport ($250) for 3* and above. But National passports must abide by FEI rules, so don’t submit the JC name their either.

And I hate to say it, but this will not be the only sour taste you will get from the FEI. The whole organization is rotten cheese and useless regulations, many of them created for the sole purpose of righteousness and/or as a result of horrific abuse from another sport (SJ, endurance, etc). For the “privilege” of competing at the upper levels of our sport, we subject ourselves to ridiculous rules, jump through miles of flaming hoops, and pay out the @ss to do so.

For instance… at an event which offers international FEI levels and national levels together, the FEI horses must be stabled separately from the national horses. So if you have a CCI2* horse and a Prelim horse trial horse, they will be housed in separate barns, meaning you have to schlep your tack across the property (perhaps on a tight timetable!) and go back and forth caring for each of them. This is done BiO SeCuRiTy, as the FEI forces its competing horses to be temped twice daily (recorded in their mandatory downloaded App), and vaccinated for Flu (because influenza is all that matters). The FEI believes the precious CCI horses may be contaminated by the sickly, unvaccinated, careless national competing horses, not proven to be healthy up to the FEI standards. Biosecurity is good and important, right?! But how does this really matter when your CCI2* horse has been turned out with, and trailered to the show, with other national horse trial horses? He has been exposed to “the unvaccinated masses” on the whole trailer ride, in MUCH closer quarters (snotting and sneezing on each other sharing a haynet, drinking from a shared bucket) than unassociated horses would be in event stabling. Does keeping your 2* horse apart from your Prelim horse for 4 days really matter in terms of disease prevention?

I’m all for quarantining true International horses (from another country, or even from another state). But separating CCI horses from CNC horses (particularly those who may be FEI registered, passported, and properly vaccinated, competing at CCI level, just not this weekend) when those horses are from the same home, and arrive on the same trailer, and will return home on the same trailer, is a bit sanctimonious.

[Willesdon]

Being asked as an owner to pay the cost of adding a business prefix to your new horse’s name seems very cheeky. Any business that is advertising itself should pay for its own marketing. Particularly as this business is likely to be fully aware of the cost and the hassle which is probably why they try to push it onto new owners. Be cheeky back: send them an invoice.

The FEI rules are designed to be the same across the globe, which is both a strength and a weakness. Seeking consistency, rules that make sense in one discipline are just pointless in another. Event management rules that make no sense in North America might make perfect sense in Asia. All rule changes are passed by vote and many representatives who attend the meetings, and therefore vote, don’t participate in the discipline at a high level. Rules that are silly according to USA, CAN, GER, DEN, AUS National Bodies are voted on by Mauritania and Azerbaijan too, and these representatives tend to follow the guidance of the FEI secretariat. Another problem is getting rider/competitor participation in the workings of the FEI. Rider Rep posts are often filled unopposed. It is expensive to go to the meetings.

[No1]

RF Amber Eyes -- Now known as "Commentary"

This has its own thread over in HJ land, but it is very interesting to see a top level eventer win at the highest levels (Devon) 3 weeks after a top 10 finish at Jersey Fresh. http://www.proequest.com/news/2013/06/02/tori-colvin-wins-the-blue-and-commentary-steals-the-show-in-ushja-international-hunt

Things like this are why the name change rule came about. People are sketchy. Either pay the fee or don’t change the horse’s name.

In your case, OP, I would have told the seller that it was either up to them to pay the fee or to take the cost out of the price of the horse. Were they showing the horse without the prefix they wanted so badly? IME, the person who wants the name change usually deals with the paperwork. If it’s the seller wanting to add a prefix, they do it. If the buyer hates the name, they do it.

[furlong47]

IMO each new owner should get one free name change as long as it’s done aboveboard (tied to the same horse - not done to be deceptive, hide a show record, etc). Or cheap instead of free if that’s prohibitive - I’m not sure how much actual work it is to change the name, but I imagine in the current times it’s just changing an entry in a database and certainly not $1200 worth of effort. Names are so personal and I’ve seen plenty that I think are horrible. Not just JC names, other breeds too. I get honoring the breeder, but maybe have another place to list them. For the amount paid to own and show, nobody should be stuck with Fat Phil unless that’s really what they like.

[Jealoushe]

I just saw a post on this on Facebook and it appears it’s not an actual FEI rule?

[TXnGA]

It is an FEI rule. Just enacted as of January 1, 2023. Ask me how I know……

New Fee And Naming Guidelines For FEI Passports Surprise Owners

Going through same thing with FEI except it’s a different name from breed passport, no competition history under any other or previous name .

Previously the fee only applied when adding a business name or prefix like Fernhill, Cooley, DHI, FE, HSH, etc

[beowulf]

Why is it $1200? That’s a pretty high number for what is essentially a clerical processing fee. Is there a reason I’m missing?

[TXnGA]

It’s actually $1250 fee.

And FEI/ Swiss just getting all the $$$$ they can

[trubandloki]

@beowulf

Why is it $1200? That’s a pretty high number for what is essentially a clerical processing fee. Is there a reason I’m missing?

It sounds like they truly do not want people changing names so they are making it expensive so people do not do it.

[Jealoushe]

Sorry I meant the stabling thing not the naming thing.

[TXnGA]

They have been doing the stabling regulations since last spring, but wasn’t enforcing it if you chose to move outside of FEI stabling and keeping temp records of all horses within your party. This year they are not making exceptions.

IIRC, I think it was started due to the EHV outbreaks in California and Spain (?) that happened last year 2022.

OP- As for the horses competing with prefix’s- their names were changed by the sellers and usually
Is registered as such with the prefix by the seller and that name change fee of $1250 is incorporated in the sales price. You are paying for the prefix name change when you bought the horse.

OP- I’m pretty sure you didn’t buy from Fernhill, your horse came from someone else through carol at feenhill, so your horse would have never needed the Fernhill prefix added to the name prior to you buying him. He was never a Fernhill horse so to say. So Fernhill would never have gone ahead and paid the name change fee since he never was Fernhill.

[AskMyAccountant.17]

Yea, no it was never a pushed thing to add the prefix, if anything I was happy to add it. I knew the whole time that his FEI name would be different than what we registered him through USEA because I wasnt paying the fee. (Given he already had a FEI record there wasn’t claiming I just didn’t know)

What was frustrating on my end was backtracking after the fact to resort his USEF name back without the prefix. I just set up the USEF account a few weeks ago, and then to pay another $60 for my not knowing USEF had to match to get it back. (I did, because I’m that person, write a nice email to USEF to request my $60 name change fee be refunded because it was an honest mistake. No response yet. But maybe I’ll get a credit)

But it’s done. Luckily my first FEI horse had a very “pretty” JC name so it was a non-issue.

It’s just so complicated between the memberships, and what paperwork needs to be filled. I wish there was a more straightforward process. So you know going in what to expect and what’s required. I ended up sending the PDF to the USEF/FEI contact and we went back and forth to what I needed to check off and have done. (Grateful she was so prompt to email back, but it’s still was an afternoon)

I can play by the rules, I just need to know what they are.

[FitToBeTied]

@AskMyAccountant.17

I just imported a horse last fall, and the team requested I add their prefix to the horse’s name.

What is the team here that is requesting a prefix to be added?

@RAyers

Just another reason why I refuse to ride in FEI any more. It’s a corrupt money grab and horse welfare is an afterthought to keep people believing they are about horses.

That is the problem with International sports and National sports committees, after awhile they are only concerned with the money they make.

[Texarkana]

Remember when companies used to sponsor show jumpers’ horses and add their company name to the show name? Not sure that was ever a thing for eventers. Loro Piana was a big one.

When they enacted the $1200 fee a few years ago, my first thought was, “I guess those days aren’t coming back.”

[TXnGA]

I called the Usef with all of my questions prior to sending in the application. I also know that I might have to pay the $60 ( which is far more reasonable than the $1250) if I have to change his Usef name back to his breed name.

Again I would gladly pay the $60 change fee over $1250, and yes, I also have paid all the fees with usea/ Usef for current name and don’t expect them to refund me $$$.

Be prepared They might come just come back to say, you should have asked or read the rule book.

Wanted to add that the two ladies I spoke with at USEF were very helpful, knowledgeable and more than happy to help and answer my questions.

[Marigold]

@Texarkana

When they enacted the $1200 fee a few years ago, my first thought was, “I guess those days aren’t coming back.”

And yet there are quite a few of them. Scuderia 1918 has their brand in the names of several eventers and show jumpers. All of Michael Jung’s “fischer” horses are named after a company. Ingrid Klimke and Sam Watson have “SAP” horses (Sam actually removed the named of his own farm to sub in SAP). Horseware used to have quite a few with Sam too. There are others, that’s just off the top of my head.

(To clarify, I agree with you - that seems wild to me. But whatever helps keep horses under riders, I suppose.)

[Texarkana]

@Marigold

@Texarkana

When they enacted the $1200 fee a few years ago, my first thought was, “I guess those days aren’t coming back.”

And yet there are quite a few of them. Scuderia 1918 has their brand in the names of several eventers and show jumpers. All of Michael Jung’s “fischer” horses are named after a company. Ingrid Klimke and Sam Watson have “SAP” horses (Sam actually removed the named of his own farm to sub in SAP). Horseware used to have quite a few with Sam too. There are others, that’s just off the top of my head.

(To clarify, I agree with you - that seems wild to me. But whatever helps keep horses under riders, I suppose.)

Thanks! I assumed fischer and SAP were farm prefixes, I had no idea they were businesses. And I had completely forgotten about Horsewear. Also, Fleeceworks!

Here’s a screen shot from the World Cup results for show jumping in April 2000. Pretty hilarious to see all the dot com companies.