Weatherbys
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Weatherbys provides British Horseracing with its central administration, acts as its bank and maintains the founding Thoroughbred breed register. Weatherbys have been involved in British horse racing since 1770 and provide various administration services under contract to the British Horseracing Board.
For the majority of its history Weatherbys have been a family partnership, but in 1994 became a Limited Company. Weatherbys have its headquarters based at Wellingborough in Northampton with approxamtly 300 employee's.
Weatherbys have various subsidiary companies all generally with a horse racing relationship although in some cases not a direct association. At the end of 2005 three principal companies were created.
Weatherbys Thoroughbred Ltd is responsible for our Racing work under Contract to the BHB. Through its two subsidiaries, Weatherbys GSB and Weatherbys Ireland GSB, it is also responsible for our Thoroughbred Breeding Registry (“General Stud Book”).
Weatherbys Bank Ltd is responsible for Banking and financial services including a VAT Returns Service and Bloodstock Insurance. Asset Finance is run by Weatherbys Finance Ltd.
Weatherbys Ventures Ltd comprises of an Information Technology division (development and support), Racecard, Bloodstock Services, Publications, Bookshop, Printing, Marketing, Commercial Mailings, Event Ticketing and through its subsidiary Weatherbys Chase, publications and services for Point-to-Point racing.
[edit] History
The first Mr Weatherby (James) was appointed to serve the Jockey Club as its Secretary in 1770. He was an able and entrepreneurial man and over the next 25 years laid strong foundations for the business.
He was assisted by his nephew, whose work on racehorse pedigrees dovetailed neatly with James’s racing work. In 1791, he promoted the publication of The General Stud Book, a definitive record of the pedigrees of approximately 400 horses which were seen as the foundation for all thoroughbred stock worldwide.
For 200 years, Weatherbys was based in London, but in the late 1960’s migration to Wellingborough, in Northamptonshire, was undertaken, where they have been ever since.
