Microchip reporting and lookup are the culmination of an initiative announced at The Jockey Club’s Round Table Conference last August. In response to plans by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a National Animal Identification System (NAIS), The Jockey Club will maintain a central database of microchip numbers for Thoroughbreds.

Matt Iuliano, Vice President of Registration Services for The Jockey Club, reiterated what he said during a presentation on the topic at the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program symposium in December. “Micro-chipping will not be a requirement of registration,” he said. “But when used in conjunction with current means of identification, such as markings, DNA parentage verification, color photos and lip tattoos, micro-chipping can provide additional confidence when identifying a Thoroughbred.”

Microchip reporting and lookup are available only to individuals with an active IR account. To report a microchip implanted into a Thoroughbred, the horse must have a Live Foal Report on file with the Registry. To view a demonstration on reporting or looking up a microchip in a Thoroughbred, please visit the Registry homepage at www.registry.jockeyclub.com and click the link under Microchips.

In addition, personnel of racetracks that are InCompass customers can access the Registry microchip database for horse lookup through their Race Track Operations accounts, and this summer, The Jockey Club Information Systems will enable clients to record microchip numbers in its new Horse Farm Management System.

Several states already incorporate microchips to help monitor their horse industries. Louisiana has been micro-chipping horses since 1994. The California Horse Racing Board is developing a pilot program to use microchips to track racehorses at California racetracks and training centers. More than 600,000 horses have already been micro-chipped in the United States as part of the identification programs for livestock and companion animals.

Microchips are also in use internationally. Ireland and Great Britain have been micro-chipping Thoroughbred foals since 1999, and Puerto Rico has micro-chipped Thoroughbreds at the track since 2003.

The USDA Equine Species Working Group, which represents the horse industry on the NAIS, recommends that owners and breeders use 15-character RFID microchips that comply with ISO 11784, the international standard.

The Jockey Club has prepared a Q & A fact sheet on micro-chipping, which is available online at www.registry.jockeyclub.com. The American Horse Council has an in-depth section on NAIS and equine identification on its website at www.horsecouncil.org.

The Jockey Club recommends that breeders and owners contact their veterinarian for more information on micro-chipping their Thoroughbreds.