Transfers of Ownership

The steps you need to take to complete a transfer of ownership of a Connemara pony depends on whether the transfer is of a pony already registered in the BCPS Stud Book (the pony is British Bred and/or has already been overstamped by the BCPS) or is from Ireland or abroad. Please see the relevant section below. If you are leasing/loaning your pony, there is a leasing/loaning certificate which can be downloaded from this page.

 

British Bred and/or already overstamped by the BCPS

If your pony is already in the BCPS Stud Book because it is British Bred or already has its passport overstamped by the BCPS as part of a previous transfer of ownership from overseas, then the transfer of ownership procedure is very simple.

If there is a “British Connemara Pony Society” stamp on the ownership page then the pony is registered in the BCPS Stud Book.

If you are not sure whether your pony is already registered with the BCPS please email the Office – secretary@britishconnemaras.co.uk.

Please use the IRISH/OVERSEAS TRANSFER FORM below for ponies who do not have the “British Connemara Pony Society” stamp on the ownership page.

Please complete either the Pure- or Part-Bred Transfer Form, which can be downloaded from this page, and submit the form along with the passport and appropriate fee to the BCPS Office.

Fees for transfers within the BCPS

If paying by BACS please ensure the payment has reached the BCPS account by the time the passport and Transfer Form reaches the Office.  This ensures a quick turnaround.

** Please be aware that payment will not be requested by the Office**

Non-Members Current Adult, Family or Joint Members
Transfer £25 £10
Please note, this benefit does not apply to Junior or Associate members

 

Transfers from Ireland/overseas

All equines resident in the UK for more than 90 days must be registered with a UK Passport Issuing Office (PIO). For Connemara ponies, the PIO is the BCPS. Please check DEFRA’s website for details: https://www.gov.uk/horse-passport/import-or-export-a-horse-or-related-animal. The application for registration must be made within 30 days of the equine’s arrival in the UK.

The BCPS can transfer the ownership of ponies with recognised Connemara passports from Ireland and/or other countries providing that the ponies are entered into the BCPS Stud Book at the same time. For foals, or adult ponies already on adult registrations, please complete the Irish/Overseas Transfer form, which can be downloaded from this page. Submit the form along with the passport and appropriate fee to the BCPS Office.

If the transfer of ownership has been processed by the pony’s original PIO and Stud Book, then the pony will still need to be transferred into the BCPS Stud Book. Please complete the Transfer into BCPS Stud Book form, available for download from this page. Submit the form along with the passport and appropriate fee to the BCPS Office.

Adult ponies from Ireland/overseas still on foal registrations

If your pony is over 4 years old and still on a foal passport, you will need to apply for adult status. Please check the registration status of the pony’s sire and dam before buying: if either or both are still on foal registration numbers (S3/M3), then this could impact whether your pony can gain adult status itself. If it cannot gain adult status (Class 1 or 2), then it will not be eligible for affiliated showing and cannot be used to breed ponies that are themselves eligible for adult status.

For adult geldings who are still on foal registrations, your vet must complete the relevant section on the Irish Transfer form. They will then be accorded Class 1 or 2 depending on their height.

Mares and stallions still on foal registrations will need to be presented at a Filly or Colt Inspection in order to gain adult status classification. For more information on how to get your pony inspected and what the different classifications mean, please see our Inspections page.

It is sometimes difficult to determine whether or not the passport is a foal registration or whether it has been upgraded to an adult. Here is a handy guide:

  • For older Irish passports, the foal registration numbers are in the format S3/M3/G3-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX with the letter denoting the sex and the number 3 denoting the foal status.
  • For newer Irish passports, the registration status can be found on Page 21, Item 4 – Class 3 denotes a foal registration. If the passport has been updated in Ireland, the new adult registration number will have a number 1 or 2 denoting a class 1 or class 2 adult pony, in place of the foal number of 3.
  • For older ponies, different foal registrations numbers apply. These incorporate the registration number and the year of birth, i.e. 03/123 for a pony born in 2003. A new number is issued when the passport is updated to an adult which will include a letter S,M or G depending on the sex.

If you have any doubts about whether your pony has a foal or adult passport, please contact the secretary who will be happy to check for you: secretary@britishconnemaras.co.uk

Fees for transfers from Ireland/overseas

If paying by BACS please ensure the payment has reached the BCPS account by the time the passport and Transfer Form reaches the Office.  This ensures a quick turnaround.

** Please be aware that payment will not be requested by the Office**

Non-Members Current BCPS Members
Transfer of ownership + transfer into BCPS Stud Book £50 £25

*Please note that this cost will come in addition to the cost of transfer of ownership with the pony’s original PIO. It is often simpler and more cost efficient for both aspects of the transfer to be handled by the BCPS.

 

Transfers of ownership

An equine passport does not constitute proof of ownership of the animal. However, it is a requirement under the Horse Passport (England) Legislation to register a change of ownership with the relevant PIO within 30 days of acquiring a horse. The issuing PIO may require a completed transfer form and fees. For more information on transferring ownership of a Connemara, please see our Transfer of Ownerships page.

It is an offence to sell a horse without a passport. Sale of any horse should not be completed if the passport has not been provided. The passport must match the horse in question. If the purchaser does not receive the horse’s passport, they will also be committing an offence when transporting the horse to its new home.

 

After the death of an equine

In the event of the death of any horse, the passport must be returned to the issuing PIO for cancellation within 30 days of the death.

Owners may request the return of a passport following cancellation. Any such returned passport will be clearly stamped ‘invalid’ to prevent any fraudulent use. Slaughterhouses will return passports to the PIO concerned directly.

Passport_3

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