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The Aim of WASBA

To promote and foster the breeding of the Standardbred horse in Western Australia and to further the interests of breeders.

“Everybody benefits from a strong, local breeding industry“

History

WASBA in its current form was formed in 1970 by a group of Breeders and Studmasters who sought to improve conditions for Breeders (the original breeders organisation – the Western Australian Trotting Breeders Association was inaugurated in July 1946). A copy of our Constitution is available by clicking here.

Ethics

“It is a WASBA policy that we will, wherever possible, act in a positive manner and not engage in criticism or undermining of any other group, organisation or person.”

WASBA has a code of ethics for Studmasters to comply with in all their dealings with Breeders and Broodmare owners.

Join WASBA or renew your membership

The membership year runs from 1 September to 31 August to align with the breeding season.

You can complete an online membership form by going to the Membership tab, or click here . You can make a secure credit card payment after selecting that payment method then submitting your online form. Or you can complete the form and subsequently make an EFT, or send a cheque to WASBA, or catch one of our Committee members on course. Not comfortable with an online form? Click here to download and complete a hardcopy form – you will need to email or mail it in and arrange your EFT or credit card payment.

New member nominations are considered at the next available Committee meeting

Westbred Bonus Scheme

WASBA are keen supporters of the Westbred Bonus scheme, arguably the best such scheme in Australasia. The Westbred Bonus scheme applies to horses that were born, registered and branded in Western Australia.

WASBA supports the Westbred Bonus Scheme in its current form, including the following benefits to Westbred progeny :

  • the double Westbred Win Bonus to Westsired winners in WA 2YO and 3YO races under $22,000
  • First career win (first career win must be in WA) – Win Bonus payment of $3,000 to the Breeder and $3,000 to the (racebook) Owner
  • Extension of the Westbred Bonus to Westbred progeny who win their first ever race as 4yos or older, including the double Westbred win Bonus for these winners if Westsired
  • Payment of the Westbred Bonus for Westbred progeny placed 1st to 4th in all WA races under $22,000
  • payment of a Bonus to breeders of the placegetters in the $215,000 2YO and $100,000 3YO Westbred Classics ($5,000 to the winning breeder, $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third)
  • Commenced in 2023 following lobbying from WASBA, a First Start Bonus of $500.

All incentives are aimed at encouraging maximum participation rate from each foal crop.

National Initiatives

WASBA worked closely with HRA and RWWA to achieve benefits for WA (and national) breeders and sellers to change national rules for the following:

  • amend national rule 92 (in 2016) to ensure that as long as your mare was served on or after 1 September of the breeding year, the resulting foal shall be considered as being born on or after 1 September of the following year, regardless of when the foal was born. This removes the concern of breeders who have foals born in August, provided the mare was served on or after 1 September of the previous year.
  • amend rule 114 (in 2019) to enable the ownership of a horse to include 20 people in an ownership/partnership of a horse before the need for the ownership to be a formal syndicate registered with ASIC.
  • amend the rule on free returns (2024), strongly lobbied by WASBA and the Australian Standardbred Breeders Association (ASBA), to allow free returns on top of the 150 stallion cap applying to mares served in a season in Australia by a registered stallion. Some restrictions remain but this is a very positive beginning

These changes were major milestones. We appreciate the support of RWWA, ASBA and HRA in achieving these outcomes.

Westbred Initiatives

WASBA works closely with RWWA to achieve benefits for our Westbred breeders and owners. Some of these benefits included:

  • the introduction of a payment to the breeder, equivalent to 12.5% of the Westbred bonus payment, to breeders of placegetters (first to fourth) of 2 and 3yo races under $22,000. This applies to all WA races for 2yos and 3yos where race stakes is less than $22,000, including all “Westbred Only” 2 and 3yo races, and Country Council Derby races.
  • Other breeder and owner benefits including a Westbred first win owner bonus and a Westbred first win breeder bonus were introduced for Westbred foals born after 31 August 2008. The racebook owners of a horse born after this date and the breeder now receive $3,000 on the horse’s first win.
  • The Westbred Bonus scheme pays down to 4th in both metro and country 2 and 3yo races under $22,000.
  • The Westbred Bonus for 2yos racing in 2023 and subsequent crops has been increased to $7,500 for races above $15,000 and $5,000 for races above $6,000. Races with stakes of $6,000, and 3yos racing in 2023 retain the existing bonus levels. Bonuses are split between first to fourth (Westbred placegetters only).
  • Where a Westbred Bonus for first place is earned AND the winner is the progeny of a WA based (at time of service) sire, a “double” Westbred Bonus is payable.
  • Specific details of the Westbred Bonus, previously published in the now defunct RWWA magazines, are available from the RWWA website – please click here . For a brochure you can hand out to interested owners – click here

WASBA strongly supports the retention of sufficient  “Restricted to Westbreds” races to produce 50% race winners for each month of the race program, to ensure our local product can remain viable and encourage the breeding and racing of our local horses. We monitor the results continuously.

While predominantly made up of but not restricted to Westbreds, RWWA extended the 2yo Pearl Classic  (colts and geldings) and 2yo Diamond Classic (fillies) to a 3yo leg following a submission by WASBA. The first 3yo legs were run in May 2018 for $50,000. WASBA is lobbying for a change to the new timing of the 2YO Pearl and Diamond (August) to a more compatible timeframe for 2yos, and has requested an increase in stakes for the 2yo Pearl and Diamond to $150,000.

RWWA agreed to a WASBA request to program two 4YO/ 5YO Westbred Finals (Mares and Open) and 4YO/5YO Mares Final, with some eligibility restrictions to ensure there is a spread of stakemoney amongst the 4 and 5yos. The first Westbred Finals of $25,000 each were held in May 2016 (mares), and open (mares/stallions/geldings) in July 2016. The stakes for these races were increased to $30,000 in 2019, and the first open mares race was held in August 2019. The Westbred mares race is now known as the Harry Capararo. In 2023, RWWA will introduce two Westbred 4YO/5YO races (the Autumn and Winter restricted 4YO/5YO $30,000 races) in lieu of the single original restricted 4YO/5YO Westbred race.

Mares and Fillies Races

Initiatives and subsidisation of stakes by WASBA has seen the following Fillies and Mares races, totalling $180,000,  become a permanent part of the West Australian racing program:

  • WASBA Breeders Stakes ($50,000)
  • Dainty’s Daughter Classic (3yo fillies, $50,000)
  • Golden Girls Mile, Pinjarra ($30,000)
  • Harry Capararo 4YO and 5YO Mares ($30,000)
  • WASBA 4YO and 5YO Mares ($30,000).

In 2023 two new $50,000 races for mares, the $50,000 Laurie Kennedy and the $50,000 Kerry Clarke, will be run, following requests from WASBA for recognition of two great supporters of WA breeding. These will be open (3yo and over fillies and mares) races.

WASBA has worked hard to have more races for fillies and mares on the racing calendar, to ensure a better future for these mares and their owners, with more winning chances and better racing prospects. We will continue to push for more opportunities for this component of the industry, which comprises 50% of the foals born and represents the future of the industry by providing a racing pool and breeding our future champions.

Other initiatives, starting in 2013, and with minor changes to stakes to tie in with RWWA requirements include:

  • the $14,000 Virgil Queen Celebration Westbred Mares Pace* run at Northam in August,
  • the $14,000 Bob Humphries Memorial Westbred Mares Pace* at Bunbury in Nov/ Dec,
  • the $14,000 King-Lethbridge Memorial Westbred Mares Pace* at Pinjarra in April,
  • the new $14,000 Tribute to Color Glo Westbred Mares Pace* at Narrogin in June
  • $1,500 Sponsorship for the Busselton Sweetheart Series,
  • Commencing in 2015, sponsorship for the Bunbury Club to run the $30,000 WASBA Country Oaks (increased from $19,999 in 2018 and $25,000 in 2021),
  • Commencing in 2016, the 4 and 5yo Kerry Clarke Westbred and Harry Capararo Westbred Mares Finals, for those Westbreds that have not won a Group race. In 2019 the Stakes for these races was increased to $30,000. In 2023 the Kerry Clarke will be run as a $50,000 Group 3 Mares race.
  • Commencing in 2018, the $50,000 3YO Pearl and Diamond Classics
  • Commencing in 2019, the 4YO and 5YO $30,000 WASBA Mares, for any 4yo or 5yo mare that has not won a Group race
  • Commencing in 2024 the $14,000 Tribute to Color Glo Westbred Mares Pace (run at Narrogin in June) for MO Mares
  • Races that were for M0 mares are run as HWOE <$25,000 under HWOE.
  • WASBA will continue to seek opportunities for fillies and mares as well as our WA bred horses, and will continue to seek race concessions for mares.* for HWOE less than $25,000.

EPONA Mares Credit Scheme

WASBA continues to fully support the Epona Mares Credit Scheme, introduced by RWWA as possibly the best breeding initiative in Australia. From 1 January 2023 fillies and mares can earn up to $10,000 in breeding credits (previously $5,000) by winning races in WA. The credits stay with the mare regardless of her ownership and can be put toward stallion service fees until completely utilised, provided the mare is served in WA – a great incentive to race and breed your mare in WA.

WASBA has proposed some new benefits for the existing broodmare pool, and we will continue to seek support from RWWA to implement these improvements which will see the existing broodmare pool able to obtain breeding credits on the back of their successful progeny.

Publications

We have a monthly newsletter that is sent to each of our members. Refer to the Newsletter Tab for archived copies. Only members have access to the most up to date copies.

Each year our members receive a copy of the national Stallion Guide produced by Harness Breeders Victoria.

Harness Racing Consultative Group (HRCG)

As a recognised eligible body under the Legislation, WASBA has representation on RWWA’s Harness Racing Consultative Group. This group recommenced regular quarterly meetings from February 2019. Meetings are held February, May, August and November.

Harness Racing Committee (HRC)

A Committee was formed (a sub-committee of the RWWA board), under Section 16 of the Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003 to support the Harness Code Director in making recommendations on strategy, policy direction and planning for endorsement by the RWWA Board. The Committee, which commenced operations in late 2017, was expected give the industry more input into the decision making processes that impacted harness racing. This did not eventuate. This Committee was ineffective in WASBA’s view. RWWA abandoned the HRC in 2019.

Eligible Harness Racing Bodies

WASBA along with HROAWA, WABOTRA, WACHRA and GPHR participated in quarterly EHRB meetings to discuss various issues raised or affecting each of these bodies, to enable valuable interaction and consideration by each of the bodies for the various issues. Where there was concensus the view was taken forward to the HRCG meeting as an already agreed position.

At the request of some of these bodies EHRB meetings are not currently being held, with the last recurring meeting occurring in July 2013. These meetings are re-scheduled from time to time to determine issues that RWWA are not involved with – for example the selection of the Harness Code Representative on the RWWA Board. WASBA would welcome the resumption of EHRB meetings. 

WASBA as part of the EHRB continued to be involved with the industry formed representative group WARRG (the Western Australian Racing Representative Group), who made submissions to the government as part of the industry needs analysis in the possible sale of the WA TAB. This Committee was dissolved in 2018.

WASBA, along with all other Eligible Bodies, supported the sale of the WA TAB but only if it was in the best interests of the industry, built around an increasing recurring income to benefit the industry on an ongoing basis for the long term. Industry, through the Eligible Bodies, reserved the right to withdraw support should terms of a sale be considered as not in their best interests.

The proposed Sale of the TAB, shelved during the early days and peak of COVID, but reconsidered in 2021 and 2022, has now been abandoned.

WASBA is happy to participate in both formal and informal groups where we see a benefit to breeders and the industry in WA.

Committee

WASBA Committee meets the last Wednesday of each month, previously in the Radiant Oro room at Gloucester Park but currently by teleconference. WASBA welcomes input from our members.

Our next meeting is scheduled for 6 November 2024.The meetings are currently being held by Teleconference starting at 6pm. You can still raise any issues with a Committee member or email or write to WASBA or request attendance at the meeting as a guest.

Click on the name of the month below to read the minutes of the Committee meeting held in that month:

From time to time there are vacancies on the WASBA Committee. If you consider you have a genuine interest in promoting breeding and harness racing in WA, and you have relevant experience and the time to contribute to a Committee position involving meetings and undertaking various projects, please forward a brief profile to the WASBA Secretary for consideration in the event of a vacancy. All appointments to the Committee are in accordance with the WASBA Constitution.

WASBA Annual General Meeting

Under the old constitution, the WASBA Annual General Meeting was held February to April each year. The new Constitution (adopted at the 50th AGM held on Friday 7 February 2020, aligned the membership year with the breeding season. The 54th AGM was held on 24 November 2023, and the 2024 AGM has been scheduled for 29 November 2024, allowing for audit of accounts. Notices have been forwarded to members. General Business items and Committee nominations are welcomed by the due date advised on the Notice

For the 2023 Presidents Report presented at the 54th AGM, click here. For the ratified minutes of the previous (53rd AGM), click here. The Unconfirmed Minutes from the 54th AGM held in November 2023 are available here. The WASBA Constitution can be downloaded by clicking here.