There was a statement being circulated around social media that PHR is no longer accepting applications/registrations. I can’t find any information via their website, anyone have information?
This is the email I got from the USEF:
September 19, 2016
Dear Performance Horse Registry, American Performance Horse, and/or Silver Stirrup Awards participants,
Thank you for your participation in United States Equestrian Federation programs and competitions. We appreciate your dedication to the USEF and the relationship we have built together.
The USEF has operated the Performance Horse Registry (PHR), American Performance Horse (APH), and Silver Stirrup Awards for over 17 years. During this time, our environment has significantly changed and there are many more breed registry organizations with opportunities available for horse breeders and owners to obtain identification and registration papers. Additionally, many of the breed registries have added their own awards programs.
After careful analysis of these programs, including their participation levels and resource usage over the years, we have determined that due to the increase in other opportunities, the USEF will not continue to accept new horses into the PHR, APH, and Silver Stirrups Awards programs effective December 1, 2016.
For horses that have a lifetime recording in the PHR and APH, we will continue to honor that recording and make certain that your horse continues to be identified as PHR- and/or APH-registered. For horses that have a lifetime recording in the Silver Stirrup Awards program, we will continue to provide awards at the end of each competition year. Leading Sire, Breeder, and Owner awards will continue to be presented at the annual USEF Horse of the Year Awards Celebration.
If you have any questions, please contact Ken Ball at kball@usef.org.
Sincerely,
William J. Moroney
Chief Executive Officer
Aww. That’s a bummer. They had reasonable fees and decent year end awards. I still use my good quality carry bag I got from them.
The loss of a place that will provide DNA ID to unregistered horses is a real shame.
What other registries will step up to do that, since it’s not required here as it is in the EU?
The AES (NA) will fill that gap. Summer Stoffel is getting that program running.
They used to have good awards. All I got this year was a ribbon, even for a championship.
AES? is there a website?
disappointed about this - I have found the PHR very useful for horses that I would like paperwork on but don’t fit the slots for registries (non JC tbs, draft crosses etc).
I can’t find a website yet. I know this in the works with Summer but here is a post by her. Not sure if they are offering end of year awards though like PHR. It will be a place to horse identification for horses with unknown breeding.
AES(NA) passports are directly issued from AES. So they are reciprocal. They are one and the same. There had to be an AESNA site because the registration options had to be altered on the form to make sense to NA breeders. But the passports are the same.
Many of the major registries offer “Horse Identification” passports. They do this in the EU because it is a requirement by EU law that every horse have a microchip and a passport with a 15-digit UELN number. On the AES site there is the option of “neither parent AES registered” for the following reasons:
1.) If the parents are registered with the AES, it will auto-fill the parents information if it is already in their database, so if they are not, then it will ask you to fill in the parent information if it is available
2.) If the parent is already approved by the AES or a recognized WBFSH registry that is approved with the AES it will make the foal/horse eligible for a certain color/level of passport.
3.) It provides an option for US horses who have never been registered with a breed registry but cannot prove pedigree to obtain a “HORSE IDENTIFICATION” passport that links a 15 digit UELN number with a microchip number.
The third option was crucial to the success of the microchip rule being passed at USHJA and USEF and was primarily directed at American breeders/owners who have been producing horses without registration. We also now have the USEF/USHJA rule that requires horses’ CP or breed papers/passport in order to compete in USHJA age restricted classes beginning Dec. 1, 2017. It is about changing the mindset of our culture. It has to start somewhere. When deciphering whether a breed registry is one of “those” registries it is important to look at whether the registry is issuing “full” papers, a “CP”, or “Horse ID” paper or passport. The word “registered” has been used as an all encompassing word, but sometimes there are many levels. Horses registered through the AES site in the US that do not have proof of pedigree or from unapproved parents will get a Horse Identification Passport. Nothing more.
This subject of horse identification and registration has been discussed in length with all the breed registries in joint meetings and they are willing to help and contribute. There are already other breed registries in the US issuing these “Horse ID” papers/passports. This permanent attachment of a horse ID and microchip number to the horse in conjunction with the new horse ID/microchipping rules is designed to lead into a system that minimizes fraud and create an infrastructure that supports American breeders, such as ones on this forum, to be able to track their horses throughout their entire life in sport and in breeding. Time to start connecting the dots.
Yes
Darn, guess I shouldn’t have procasinated on doing this with my mare. I would love to have a reliable record of who she is and what she has done in case she ever had to change hands.
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8869878]
Darn, guess I shouldn’t have procasinated on doing this with my mare. I would love to have a reliable record of who she is and what she has done in case she ever had to change hands.[/QUOTE]
Based on the above email, you have until 12/1 to register your horse.
That’s a bummer–they were instrumental in helping me get what I needed to get my non JC TB mare approved into the ISR/Old Mare Book. Great customer service, and so helpful when UC Davis was took a bit long getting my DNA results back. I’m going to get my other mare that doesn’t have papers (yet) done before the close up ship!
We had such hopes for it when the JC created it for sport TBs who weren’t going to breed to race and their foals. It was going to be the American equivalent of Weatherbys Non-Thoroughbred Register. Then the JC lost interest and sold it to Ned Bonnie who gave it to AHSA, or maybe USEA was already in existence, but I’m not sure. When USEF was founded, IIRC, they inherited it, had no interest in promoting it, expanded it to register anything, and now have decided to let it die.
Someone needs to buy the damn thing and keep it going.
I have to say that IMO, the USEF is a true cluster f*.
With them allowing enrollment until December first, would it be worth it to enroll now? They started they will continue to provide awards but I was concerned about whether they will really be worth the enrollment now…
Hey everyone,
Sorry to be so late to post on this subject, but things have been busy lately! 
There is a little bit of perspective to be had on this situation, and there will be some education coming out on this subject soon (I am writing another COTH article that will address the USHJA Age Verification Rule, horse registration, and positive horse ID). So I think a lot of your questions will be answered soon. But nevertheless, I am happy to help the best I can now as well.
The new USHJA Age Verification Rule, which states that horses will only be eligible to compete in age verified classes if their age has been verified by breed registration papers goes into effect Dec. 1, 2016. In order to ensure fair play in the age verified classes, it is vital that organizations that issue these papers are verifying the birthdate of the horses they register. Currently, the systems and processes are not in place at USEF to ensure that every horse recorded in the PHR is accurately recorded. The staff is relying on the information provided to them by the individual recording the horse. This leaves a loophole for fraud. USEF recognized this, and felt that it would be in the better interest of their members, American breeders, and out of respect to the breed registry organizations to not be the institution providing this loophole. Rather, they would align their effort more closely with the existing breed registry organizations (who are experienced in horse identification) and communicate to them the needs of their members - i.e. the existing need for horses who cannot trace their pedigree to be DNA tested, registered, and when possible, birthdate verified.
The response from the breed registries was overwhelmingly positive. It started with a Joint Meeting between USEF/USHJA and the breed registries here in Tulsa at the conclusion of the Stallion Testing last year. Then, we hosted another Joint Meeting between USEF/USHJA, the discipline affiliates, and the breed registries at the USEF Annual Meeting in KY. I have been in contact with the breed registries throughout the year, and they are aware of the upcoming needs that the Age Verification Rule and now the close of the PHR will create and many of them are standing by ready to help. Fun fact - there are currently 16 World Breeding Federation of Sport Horse Member Registries that are registering horses in the United States. Out of those, 5 are American based. This doesn’t even include all the sport horse registries that are not WBFSH members. Believe me, there are many options out there that will be able to service the need.
With that said, there will be a big joint educational effort at both the USHJA and USEF Annual Meetings this year. USEF/USHJA have invited all the sport horse breed registries to join them in an educational session for the members in attendance to help make the horse registration/identification process more user friendly. The education done at these sessions will be captured in social media posts, educational articles, podcasts, etc. to ensure that everyone is well-informed and supported.
There are many more exciting things around the corner. With the USEF now working to ensure that the data captured on horses is more accurate, it opens up possibility for more accurate statistics, rankings, and awards programs. Sometimes you have to take a couple steps backwards to take giant leaps forward.
For everyone asking about the AES, yes, they will be providing that service too, along with many of the other breed registries. I have stepped out of that capacity as their NA representative as I found I was more helpful to the effort on a larger scale in other areas and they are now established enough that they needed someone full time. But the real answer is that there will be many organizations that can fill the need that will be left with the closing of the PHR. They are standing by ready, willing, and able. Education has become one of my biggest passions, and I will be happy to help provide as many answers as I can. Thanks to everyone for their support. Please know that everyone working behind the scenes is striving to protect American breeders and support the production of sport horses here in America.
I would also like to add that if anyone is interested in purchasing the PHR, please contact Bill Moroney. He would be happy to speak with you. His email address is: bmoroney@usef.org.
Exciting times are ahead!
If I have a PHF-registered gelding who will be seven next year is there any need to do anything? My guess is no. I paid to have the registration transferred to me when I bought him this year. I also paid for the Silver Stirrup Program.
[QUOTE=Peggy;8879350]
If I have a PHF-registered gelding who will be seven next year is there any need to do anything? My guess is no. I paid to have the registration transferred to me when I bought him this year. I also paid for the Silver Stirrup Program.[/QUOTE]
The email I got from PHR said it would continue to offer the Silver Stirrup awards. We’ll see how long that lasts.
I’m rather sad to see them go, because it was a good All-Breeds registration alternative for my TB. Didn’t end up qualifying for All-Breeds, but it’s been nice to have an actual set of paperwork on the horse anyway. And the Silver Stirrup ribbons are quite nice.
I hope that whatever efforts are underway to replace it with something else will include better cooperation with the Jockey Club, for those of us who are TB folks. Their microchipping doesn’t start until the 2017 crop, so conceivably there is a gap there, despite horses being tattooed and DNA’d already, since many horses are sold off the track without papers. Through the TIP program, JC does seem to recognize that there’s a large number of TBs in sport, so hopefully they’ll be more willing to work with people to get verification for showing registration in the future, as getting copies of papers can be really pricey and difficult.
