FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is the International Cleveland Bay Registry (ICBR)?
The International Cleveland Bay Registry (ICBR) is a blood-based, tiered registry which utilizes DNA testing.
The goal of the ICBR is to offer an alternative to owners of animals of Cleveland Bay (CB) ancestry to help
insure their recognition as such. The ICBR is open to any Cleveland Bay, pure- or part-bred, regardless of
location. The use of the term “horse” here includes mules, hinnies, and ponies.
2. Why “International?” Isn’t that a bit pretentious?
We don’t think so. Actually, we feel the opposite is true. Yes, we’re based in a small Texas town but we’re
willing to help anyone with a Cleveland Bay, whether purebred or cross-bred, regardless of where the animal
and its owner are located.
3. My animal is already registered with another registry. Why register with ICBR? Are you trying to
undermine the established CB registry?
The ICBR is offered as an ALTERNATIVE registry, or it may be considered an additional registry. Many
owners have reasons why they may want to utilize the ICBR, just as many owners may have reason to ignore
ICBR and register elsewhere. Some owners like to double- or triple-register. Many owners have no desire to
register at all. That is a personal decision by the owner. A subsequent owner may wish to register their
unregistered animal or register their animal elsewhere. This is just another option.
4. Does ICBR inspect stallions or mares for breeding?
Some organizations inspect and/or license for breeding and each has specific requirements. We do not.
Inspection/licensing are no guarantee of athletic prowess or the temperament needed for a particular use. We
believe in the old saying: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
5. What is meant by “blood-based, tiered registry?”
The ICBR will record the pedigree of any horse carrying Cleveland Bay blood. The amount of Cleveland Bay
ancestry (“blood”) will determine what level (or “tier”) that animal is placed in within the registry, and is
reflected in the registration number. The purpose of this is to show, at a glance, whether an animal is a “pure”
Cleveland Bay or not, and if not, whether it is 1/8th, 1/4th, ½, 3/4 or somewhere in-between those figures.
6. I have an animal that came from auction. I have no idea of its pedigree but it was sold to me as a
“Cleveland Bay.” What can I do?
The ICBR will create a record for your animal and as more information [hopefully] comes to light, that
information will be added to your horse’s file. This started when searching for “lost” Cleveland Bays in 2001
and since then, many of their true identities have been ascertained. It will require detective work by all parties
involved, but ICBR will not penalize a current owner if a previous owner “dropped the ball” in some way. If
the identity/parentage of your horse is ever ascertained, its registration certificate will be re-issued to
accurately reflect this new-found information.
7. My horse background involved a different breed, but I have always liked the Cleveland Bay. Because of this admiration for the CB, I bred my mare and now have a Cleveland Bay crossbred. Since then, I have been told it cannot be registered (at best) or derogatory comments have been made about my “mutt” horse. My horse does the job I bred it to do. Can my horse registered with ICBR?
Absolutely! If you are happy with the foal your mare produced, then so are we. We have access to a worldwide
database of animals carrying Cleveland Bay blood. In it, there are 55 “known” breeds for the non-CB parent
and tons of others for whom the other breed is a known “mix” or may not be known at all. “Hybrid vigor” is
never a bad thing!
8. I have a purported CB whom I want to breed to another ICBR-registered animal. We still haven’t been
able to confirm how much CB blood my animal carries. How would the foal’s registration be handled in
this situation?
The foal which results from this breeding will be placed in a tier based on the quantity of CB blood from the
other parent. For instance, if you breed to a pure CB, your foal will be placed in “tier b” as it would carry at
least 50% CB blood. If you breed to a 1/2CB stallion, your foal would wind up in “tier c” as a ¼-CB. As
stated in answer to #6, above: if your “purported” CB is finally parentage-verified and new papers issued, the
foal registration would be reissued and number adjusted accordingly. Eventually, you may want to add even
more CB blood to that mare’s descendents. We are set up for horses to automatically climb up the tiers based
on quantity of CB blood.
9. What is “upgrading” and how is it reflected on the pedigree certificate?
As stated in Managing Breeds for a Secure Future – Strategies for Breeders and Breed Associations
upgrading is defined as “the sequential use of purebred animals over a series of generations to provide a
‘nearly pure’ result.” This is used in situations where the gene pool of the pure population is very small (and
therefore, highly inbred). It is done to help increase genetic variability (and reduce inbreeding) while retaining
the characteristics of the purebred, e.g. what “makes” an animal a Cleveland Bay. It is reflected on the
pedigree certificate as a subsection of tier A. For more specific information, please contact the Registrar.
10. Will you register purebred Cleveland Bays?
Yes. Because this is a blood-based registry utilizing DNA testing, a sample will still required for any horse for
which DNA is currently inaccessible. Pure status will be ascertained using [additional] DNA markers as these
have now been identified for pure CBs. DNA may also indicate that a horse does not carry those markers.
Those horses will be placed in tier “a”, based on quantity of CB blood as indicated by their pedigree. A horse
that is placed in tier “a3” carries a minimum of 96.875% CB blood, therefore carrying a higher percentage of
CB blood, based on pedigree, than many horses considered “pure” CB.
11. Do you have any awards programs?
Not at this time. There are clubs, societies, federations, and associations which offer awards programs but do
not register horses. If they are willing to accept ICBR horses, ponies, mules, or hinnies, then we’d certainly be
glad to work with them, providing any information they might need. That being said, we’d be happy to shout
your accomplishments from the rooftops if you will let us know what they are. There will be a “Brags” page on
the website.
12. Do you plan to publish a stud book?
Eventually, we’d like to do so. Of course, all that will depend upon how many horses are in the ICBR and
whether or not anyone is interested in having a listing of them.
13. What are the benefits of registering with ICBR?
Well, you will have a copy of your DNA analysis. If you choose to double- or triple- register with other
organizations, some will accept your DNA report without making you pay for another test. Likewise, if you
already have a DNA report on your horse, we’ll accept that, thereby saving you money. In some instances,
DNA sampling may be waived altogether. Please refer to the Rules.
All registry rules are published and followed without deviation. They are the same for everyone and every
animal we register, be they coon hunter or foxhunter, FEI-level dressage horse or destrier, show hunter or
working stock horse, endurance horse, pony club mount, or “babysitter” for the grandkids.
Reduced cost: you may complete the marking sheets and pull hair samples instead of paying a vet to do it.
Depending upon where you and the horse are located, a vet may be miles (or hours) away and due to finances,
only called out when absolutely necessary. It is in your best interest for the markings to be done accurately and
the DNA sample to be useable.
14. Why do you want DNA on my animal? What are you looking for?
DNA samples submitted for registration are used for parentage/ID testing, and a copy of the DNA analysis will
be provided to the owner. There are tests available for certain colors or disorders but most are tests licensed to
other labs. If you would like to have specific DNA tests run, we are compiling a list of available tests (and the
labs which run them), along with the cost. This list is only to assist owners who may be interested and is
outside the scope of this registry. Owners must contact that lab directly to make all their own arrangements
and payments. Whether or not we ever see a copy of that test is entirely up to you.
15. Do you require microchipping?
No, nor do we require brands. If your horse has a brand, tattoo, and/or microchip, we will record that
information. The purpose of a pedigree certificate is to identify your horse. If something should happen and
your horse be stolen or otherwise disappear, ANY information that can be included could aid in locating your
missing animal.
16. May I complete the animal identification chart myself, or am I required to have a veterinarian fill out the paperwork?
You may complete the identification chart OR you may ask your vet to complete it. It is in your best interest for
the description to be as complete and accurate as possible (see response to numbers 13 and 15, above). Also, if
completed by your vet, check to make sure he or she didn’t miss any identifiers. After all, they too are only
human.
17. May I pull and submit the DNA hair samples or must it be done by a veterinarian?
You may pull hairs for the DNA sample but make your hands are clean (and/or wear exam gloves), and without
exception MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT TOUCH THE BULBS OF THE HAIR FOLLICLES. Also WASH YOUR
HANDS and/or change gloves between horses if you are pulling hairs on multiple animals to avoid crosscontamination
of the samples. Failure to do so could really foul up the results of DNA testing and wind up
costing you money by having to perform the process all over again.
18. What does an ICBR number look like and what does it tell me?
The first four digits indicate the year the animal was foaled, the second set of four digits indicate the accession
number (where in the list they “fall” when recording animals born that year). Those digits may be followed by
an “x” and then the letter a, b, c, d, or e. The “x” indicates the animal is a non-pure and “a-e” indicate the
tier in which the animal qualifies. Tier “a”= at least 75.0% CB blood, “b” = at least 50.0%,”c” = at least
25.0%, D = at least 12.5%, E = less than 12.49% OR unknown quantity of CB blood. Absence of an “x”
indicates the animal is considered a pure CB based on DNA markers. Finally, there is a two letter extension at
the end of the number. This two letter extension indicates the state/province (if foaled in North America) or
country of origin (if foaled outside North America).
19. Why are my ICBR papers of a different color from my friend’s ICBR papers?
Papers are color-coded based on DNA. Animals carrying the DNA markers of a pure CB will have papers of
one color; animals whose parentage has been confirmed by DNA testing but lack the “pure CB” markers will
have papers of a second color; animals of purported/possible CB ancestry (tier e) will be issued papers of a
third color, etc. If a “tier e” animal’s CB parentage is eventually confirmed, that animal’s registration will be
upgraded in both tier and color-code.