Race Horse Names: How are horses named, rules and weird names

Horse racing names can be as random as you like… just don’t break the BHA names rules!

How are horses named

By / Guides, Horse Racing Guides / 3 weeks ago

Naming a race horse must be one of the most exciting moments for an owner. The opportunity to be a little too cheeky with their naming – does anyone remember Noble Ox and Passing Wind? – is obvious, but generally most owners that work in horse racing are sensible enough to follow the guidelines around race horse names.

When it comes to horse racing betting many casual punters rely on the name over anything else to place their wagers. Of course, there is no real telling how successful a horse will be based on its name alone. But there are sometimes clues in a name to the connections and lineage of said horse.

So how do horses get their names? In our latest Demystifying Racing guide, Paddy Power looks at the process to naming a race horse… and what the rules are about taste and decency!

 

How to name a race horse

All horses intended for racing or official breeding must be registered and given a proper name. To name a race horse, owners must apply via Weatherbys, which holds the register for all thoroughbred horses in Britain and Ireland within The General Stud Book. Each horse name also needs to be subject to approval by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

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The Weatherbys register contains the BHA names of thousands of horses and acts as a reference guide to ensure there are no name clashes.

Owners can register their horse’s name either online or via a written form. The registration sets out the details of the horse, including colour, sex, year of foal and names of its sire and dam. There are two boxes to provide a horse’s name (in case the first is rejected) and an opportunity to outline the meaning of the name.

Owners must also pay a £198.10 registration fee (up from £173 a couple of years ago!) for the horse’s name. Once the application has been accepted and approved, the horse can officially run under its name.

Do horse racing names matter?

You might not think there’s much in a racehorse name. Some owners go for funny names or standout ones, while others tend to get on the serious side.

For many bettors it’s the name that swings their betting options, especially in races like the Grand National when it’s tough to pick a winner anyway.

Names are pretty important in breeding and owning circles, too. A stand-out name could be what catches a potential owner’s eye as they look to purchase or claim a horse. Or perhaps a breeder’s eye. A horse’s name can sometimes offer a hint at its pedigree, which makes it stand out in the stud book.

For example, one of the foals of the 1970 Triple Crown winner Nijinsky was named Niniski. That horse went on to sire Norinski, Nocksky, Janiski, Sharinski and a host of other ‘-ski’ foals. This sort of naming convention doesn’t guarantee success at stud or on the racecourse but it’s a welcome throw-back to the lineage of the horse.

How many letters in a race horse name

The BHA rules state that race horse names cannot be any longer than 18 letters. Spaces and punctuation are allowed, but there are some banned words such as ‘filly’, ‘stud’, ‘colt’, ‘mare’ and ‘stallion’.

Here’s a snippet of the BHA names form that owners need to complete. As you can see, owners have to provide two proposed name for each horse. You also have to explain what the name means.

Horse racing names form

The form owners must fill out to name a racehorse

Banned horse racing names

There are plenty of restrictions placed on horse racing names, which mean owners need to be careful not to breach the rules. The BHA effectively puts the onus on owners to do their research before sending in their application.

Indeed, on the application form itself a statement reads:

It is the owner and their authorised agent’s duty to carry out appropriate searches and to ensure that a proposed name submitted for registration does not infringe any legal or proprietary rights belonging to any other person or company. This may require taking independent legal advice.

By signing this form (Section E below) and indicating that you wish to proceed with the application to register this name, you confirm that you will not infringe the legal rights of anyone else and that you are entitled to register this name.

The British Horseracing Authority accepts no liability whatsoever for claims that may arise resulting from the registration of this name. You complete this registration at your own risk.

So, if an owner named their horse “Gary Lineker” without permission then they might expect a stern rebuttal from the ex-footballer’s lawyers, assuming the BHA approved it in the first place.

The main restrictions owners must be aware of when deciding to name a race horse. These include:

  • Internationally protected names – Some horse names cannot be reused. Around 3,000 ‘internationally protected’ names exist, including Frankel and Red Rum
  • No duplicates – A horse cannot be given the name of a current horse in the Weatherbys register. The register contains around 250,000 names from all over the world
  • Character restriction – Horses cannot have a name longer than 18 characters, including spaces
  • Taste – The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has the final approval of all applications for names. Any names that include swear words or other distasteful language is rejected
  • Copyright – An owner has the responsibility to check if the horse’s name would infringe on commercial copyright rules. For example, it’s highly unlikely a horse names Pepsi would be accepted, but if it were then the owner could be liable for copyright infringement
  • People – A horse cannot be named after someone either alive or dead for less than 50 years, unless the owners have permission
  • Endings – Names cannot end in ‘filly’, ‘mare’, ‘stallion’, ‘colt’, ‘stud’ or other horse-related terms, nor can they have numerical designation, such as ‘3rd’ or ‘1st’
  • Retirement – The name of a previous horse cannot be reused until five years after said horse’s retirement

Weird and funny race horse names

Naturally down the years some people have tried to sneakily get horse names past officials. Hoof Hearted is perhaps the ideal punned name, where the naughtiness is hidden within horse-related terminology.

Other strange race horse names include:

  • Waikikamukau (pronounced ‘why kick a moo cow’)
  • Noble Ox
  • Mywifenosevrything
  • Thewifedoesntknow
  • Horsey McHorseface
  • Passing Wind
  • Odor in the Court
  • Potoooooooo
  • Arrrrr
  • Do Re Mi Fa Sol
  • Harry Trotter
  • Wear The Fox Hat

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