Retired Racehorses

In addition, the Silver Stirrup Awards continue to recognize performances of PHR horses at all
levels of competition in every major discipline, including widespread recognition in dressage and
eventing disciplines. The program also recognizes leading sires, owners and breeders. For the
2004 competition year, the PHR presented 53 national championship awards at the USEF Annual
Meeting, in addition to regional and state awards. Once registered with the PHR, a horse may be
nominated for inclusion in the awards program on an annual or a lifetime basis.
Does the PHR still require my horse to be of 50% or more Thoroughbred blood to be
registered?
No. The 50% or more Thoroughbred bloodline is no longer required. In September 2000, the
PHR moved to its new home at the United States Equestrian Federation (formally American
Horse Shows Association). The move came as a positive development for the registry. Support
over the years from various Warmblood registries began to play an important role in assisting the
PHR to move forward with the vision of providing meaningful information to owners and
breeders with regard to performance and pedigree in sport horse disciplines. Changes to the
registry have included the ability of Warmblood owners to now register their animals with the
PHR. Previously, Warmbloods were only eligible to be recorded with the PHR, which simply
lent their pedigrees to research. These horses were eligible to participate in the awards program,
which provided more performance-related information. Both the influence of the Thoroughbred
on their Warmblood counterparts and vice versa has become quite noticeable. All horses are now
eligible for registration with the PHR, which is a step beyond being simply recorded, to develop
a comprehensive database of all breeds, their pedigrees and influences upon each other.
Am I automatically joined in the Silver Stirrup Awards program when I register my horse?
No. The Silver Stirrup Awards program requires a separate nomination. Forms other than the
registration forms must be filled out to nominate the horse. This can be done for a one-time
lifetime fee, or on an annual basis. To join the Silver Stirrup Awards program, click here.
How does my horse earn points for the Silver Stirrup Awards?
The Silver Stirrup Awards are based on points earned in USEF recognized competitions.
Therefore, the first step is that the competition must be recognized by USEF. Secondly, the horse
must be recorded with USEF, and the owner must be a member. (Remember: Only recorded
horses earn points with USEF.) Finally, and most obviously, the horse must place in the class.
All points are based on USEF’s Horse of the Year program. Those rules and point calculations
can be found in the USEF Rule Book. For dressage and eventing, those point scales can be found
on the PHR website under Silver Stirrup - Award Rules.
American Performance Horse
The Performance Horse Registry and the United States Equestrian Federation has a new book
[registry] for American-bred horses only. Beginning December 1, 2009, the American