19 characters?

[Overcall]

Hello All

Has the USTA changed the number of characters that a horse's
name can contain? At Cal Expo a horse named GARDEN GATE ADMIRAL
ran in the 8th race, Saturday night (01Jul09). Used to be a maximum of
18 characters....that one is 19 characters. ....Made my database hiccup.

Thanks for responses
vince

[LottaKash]

Hello All

Has the USTA changed the number of characters that a horse's
name can contain? At Cal Expo a horse named GARDEN GATE ADMIRAL
ran in the 8th race, Saturday night (01Jul09). Used to be a maximum of
18 characters....that one is 19 characters. ....Made my database hiccup.

Thanks for responses
vince

Wow, that's a relief...whew !...I was always hoping they would do that....(just being silly)

best,

[Sea Biscuit]

Hello All

Has the USTA changed the number of characters that a horse's
name can contain? At Cal Expo a horse named GARDEN GATE ADMIRAL
ran in the 8th race, Saturday night (01Jul09). Used to be a maximum of
18 characters....that one is 19 characters. ....Made my database hiccup.

Thanks for responses
vince

The trials and tribulations of a handicapper.

Sea Biscuit

[Ray2000]

Of the 32,764 Horses in my base for 2008 only one has 19 characters in name..
GARDEN GATE ADMIRAL



Shortest, Horse named "G" ...(PPK 6/27/08 )

"A" thru "F" must not have made it to the races:lol:

[NY BRED]

hopefully this will soon apply to vanity license plates:eek:

[wilderness]

I'm thinking that there was a recent change in the USTA policy, however not sure that I'll be able to locate it.
Perhaps my recollection is mistaken and maybe what I'm recalling was the introduction of a rule change in one of the annual USTA meetings.

naming Standardbreds (USTA Policy) (http://www.ustrotting.com/usta/registration.cfm)
Tips on checking names

* Names are limited to 18 characters and four words including spaces, dashes and apostrophes.
* Name choices that sound like a name already in use are not allowed. For example, if a horse is already registered by the name Aladdin we can not accept the name choice Aladinn.
* Names of outstanding horses are taken forever and can not be used again.
* Registered farms may reserve names for their use only. These names can only be used with the permission of the farm. For example, HANOVER and PAN are reserved farm names.
* Some names are reserved for a family line. The sire or dam must have the family name in their own name before it can used for the foal. For example, the names DRAGON, BUNNY, and NIA are family names.
* Names become available 15 years after a horse last raced or produced a foal. If a horse is recorded as deceased before it races or is used for breeding the name becomes available. If a horse never races and is not used for breeding the name becomes available 15 years after the horse was born.

[wilderness]

Janet Forry, the USTA Registrar has been kind enough to reply (through the efforts of a friend).

This horse (GARDEN GATE ADMIRAL (http://pathway.ustrotting.com/search/index.cfm?action=result&horse_id=847128)) was Canadian Bred (British Columbia) and registered and as a results their procedures are apparently different.

[Overcall]

Don Replied:

"Janet Forry, the USTA Registrar has been kind enough to reply (through the efforts of a friend).

This horse (GARDEN GATE ADMIRAL (http://pathway.ustrotting.com/search/index.cfm?action=result&horse_id=847128)) was Canadian Bred (British Columbia) and registered and as a results their procedures are apparently different."


Thank you for the answer Don.

Tho I'm still surprised this is the first time a hiccup occurred in four years/40,000
races....which is a lot of names... think the name fell thru a crack in their system. :>)

[Worst To First]

I'm not sure how much the SC specifications differ from those of the USTA

ARTICLE 4 - REGISTRATION OF NAMES
4.1 The name of a horse registered with the Association shall not be:
(a) comprised of more than four words or the total of letters and spaces in the name exceeds 18;
(b) the same as the name of a horse previously registered and active in racing or breeding unless 15
years have elapsed since any racing or breeding activity, except further where the applicant is able to
establish to the satisfaction of the Registrar that one of the following circumstances has occurred:
(i) the horse died or had its name changed prior to becoming two years of age, or
(ii) the horse died or had its name changed before racing or being used for breeding purposes;
(c) misleading as to family, origin, relationship or sex;
(d) offensive or vulgar;
(e) in whole or in part the name of a famous or outstanding horse unless the famous or outstanding
horse is the sire or dam of the horse to be registered;
(f) in whole or in part the name of a living person unless that person consents in writing to the use of
his name;
(g) similar in spelling or pronunciation to a name already in use;
(h) the name of a famous or notorious person;
(i) a trade name or a name claimed for advertising purposes, except a name or part of a name approved
by the Breeders Committee pursuant to Article 4.2(a), unless the use of the name is authorized in
writing by the owner thereof.

[wilderness]

Hey Patrick,
How goes it?

It appears the SC rules are quite similar to USTA's. Janet did send the same as you after I had posted here,

In any event, it seems this exception to the 18-character has just slipped through the cracks.