The Suffolk Horse Society maintains and operates the Suffolk Stud Book in accordance not only with its own rules but also in accordance with European Commission Decision 96/78/EC laying down criteria for entry and registration of equidae in stud-books for breeding purposes.

The Stud Book was started in 1880,and records have been kept since that date, of all horse registrations, horse transfers, plus other information such as show results, judges lists etc. The Stud Book is normally produced in time for the AGM in April, and covers the previous year’s activities.

Volume 100 of the Suffolk Horse Society Stud Book covering registration year 2023 is now available.

It retails at £20 plus £2.50 for postage & packing.

Back issues of the Stud Book from the 1920s, 30s and 40s are available at £10.00 each plus p&p. Please enquire at the office to ascertain availability of specific years.

THE DIVISIONS OF THE STUD-BOOK

The Suffolk Horse Society is the breed society for Suffolk horses in the UK and maintains the stud-book, which allows for formal registration to ensure the integrity of bloodlines and to provide a definitive ancestry record.  The sections that make up the Suffolk Stud-book with effect from 1st  January 2009 are set out below.

• the Pedigree register also known as the Pure-Bred register;
• the Section X Non-Breeding register;
• the Grade register;
• the International register.

A Part-Bred register is maintained separately but bound into the stud-book annually.

The Pedigree Register

In order for an animal to be entered in the Pedigree / Pure-Bred register of the stud-book both its sire and its dam must themselves be entered on the pedigree register and its sire must be a registered stallion licensed by the Suffolk Horse Society. In addition females from the Grade register may be admitted.

The first Condition of Entry to the Suffolk horse stud-book states:
“No entries shall be accepted for the Pedigree Register unless both the sire and dam have been entered  in the Pedigree Register other than females accepted from the Grading-up Register. The sire must be licensed by the Suffolk Horse Society.”

Article 1.1 of Commission Decision  96/78/EC states:
“To qualify for entry in the main section of the stud-book of its breed registered equidae must:
– be descended from parents entered in the main section of a stud-book of that same breed and have a pedigree established in accordance with the rules of that stud-book,
– be identified as foal at foot according to the rules of that stud-book, which at least should require the covering certificate.”

The Section X Non-Breeding Register

This section of the stud-book was introduced to allow the Society to comply with EU legislation   (European Commission Decision 96/78/EC, which became mandatory in the UK in December 2005).  It allows for registration by breed societies of animals that would otherwise be ineligible for stud-book entry.  Males registered in Section X are not eligible for consideration for a stallion licence.

Owners who have recorded a suffix/affix with the Suffolk Horse Society may use their suffix/affix when naming Section X register horses.

Section X register horses may be shown as the owner wishes but are not eligible for Suffolk classes at affiliated shows used for the calculation of annual championship points.

Section X register horses are eligible for a passport from the Suffolk Horse Society.

The Grade Register

The function of the Grade register is, predominantly, to provide a mechanism for retrieving into the Pedigree register animals who are otherwise ineligible as a result of missing registrations. In exceptional circumstances where the Society sees fit the Grade register may be used as a vehicle for producing a breed animal by addition of registered blood to an initial non-breed animal over a set number of generations.

A Grade A or foundation mare will be of Suffolk type not currently registered in the Pedigree register of the Suffolk stud-book. She must be inspected by two inspectors appointed by the Suffolk Horse Society and passed as suitable breeding stock having acceptable colouring, confirmation and characteristics of a Suffolk.  The mare must be a minimum of two years old at the time of inspection.

Grade B will be the female progeny of a Grade A mare, the product of a union with a registered and licensed Suffolk stallion. Grade B mares equate to 50% Suffolk blood.

Grade C will be the female progeny of a Grade B mare, the product of a union with a registered and licensed Suffolk stallion. Grade C mares equate to 75% percent Suffolk blood.

Grade D will be the female progeny of a Grade C mare, the product of a union with a registered and licensed Suffolk stallion, will equate to 87.5% Suffolk blood and may be admitted to the Pedigree register following inspection.

Colts out of Grade mares are ineligible for the Grade register. They may be registered as part-breds or in Section X.

Grade animals may be shown as the owner wishes but are not eligible for Suffolk classes at affiliated shows used for the calculation of annual championship points.

Owners of mares submitted to the grade programme are eligible for breeding grants if the mare has been covered by a UK registered and licensed Suffolk stallion.

Owners who have recorded a suffix/affix with the Suffolk Horse Society may use their suffix/affix when naming grade register horses.

Fully paid up members of the Suffolk Horse Society who are owners of UK registered and licensed Suffolk stallions are eligible for grants in respect of grade register mares covered by their stallions.

Grade register horses are eligible for a passport from the Suffolk Horse Society.

This section of the stud-book was introduced to allow the Society to comply with EU legislation   (European Commission Decision 96/78/EC, which became mandatory in the UK in December 2005).  It allows for registration by breed societies of animals that would otherwise be ineligible for stud-book entry.  Males registered in Section X are not eligible for consideration for a stallion licence.

Owners who have recorded a suffix/affix with the Suffolk Horse Society may use their suffix/affix when naming Section X register horses.

Section X register horses may be shown as the owner wishes but are not eligible for Suffolk classes at affiliated shows used for the calculation of annual championship points.

Section X register horses are eligible for a passport from the Suffolk Horse Society.

The International Register

The International register exists to record Suffolk-type horses imported to the UK that are not already registered in the Suffolk horse stud-book but which are otherwise known as Suffolks.  This includes horses entered in the American Suffolk Horse Association stud-book that have been imported to the UK and Anglo-American Suffolks. Anglo-American Suffolks are defined as the progeny of a US registered Suffolk mare and a UK registered licensed Suffolk stallion or of a UK registered Suffolk mare and a US registered stallion.

The International register offers a facility for the owners of imported horses to have their animals recorded and to obtain EU compliant passports. As a benefit of registration horses entered on the international register are eligible for a passport from the Suffolk Horse Society and are allotted a Unique Equine Life Number (UELN) in compliance with UK legislation providing that a passport has not already been issued by another provider. The passport issued for International register horses will be a different colour to the standard Suffolk Horse Society passport and clearly titled for ease of identification.

Horses imported from North America are eligible for entry to the International register provided they have a pedigree authenticated by the American Suffolk Horse Association.  Owners may choose to enter their imported mares in either the International register or Grade register.

The progeny of males and females bred with horses entered on the International register are themselves eligible for entry to the International register. Alternatively owners may choose the Section X register for colt foals or the Grade register for filly foals.

Owners who have recorded a suffix/affix with the Suffolk Horse Society may use their suffix/affix when naming International register horses.

International register animals may be shown as the owner wishes but are not eligible for Suffolk classes at affiliated shows used for the calculation of annual championship points.

Transfers of ownership of International register horses will be recorded and published annually.