FOLLOWING Friday’s announcement that the fee for microchipping of R350, excluding Vat, would be added to the buyer’s invoice and paid over to the vendor as from the National Two Year Old Sale, BSA Chairlady Susan Rowett has issued a statement retracting this instruction.

Rowett writes:

The TBA represents the interests of breeders, and there have been a number of complaints over the years of high costs of foal registrations. Microchipping in particular has been a source of discontent in that it is essential for the regulation of racing but yet the costs are borne entirely by the stud book department of the NHA and thence by the breeders.

Another claim by breeders is that when microchipping was first introduced it was stated that it would be done at no cost to breeders.

Accordingly, the matter has been raised with the NHA board and requested that the microchipping cost be borne centrally by the regulator, so that the cost be spread between operators, owners and breeders who all fund the NHA.

This was unsuccessful and with continuing complaints from members about the microchipping, BSA made the decision to introduce this charge with effect from the National Two Year Old Sale.

However given the feedback now received by BSA from both vendors and buyers, it appears that a microchip fee on buyers would be detrimental to the competitive positioning of BSA in the throroughbred auction marketplace. It also appears that breeders, despite their complaints about the cost of the microchip, do not actually wish to pass these on to buyers.

Accordingly BSA have decided to postpone any implementation of a microchip fee.

I confirm that all purchases on the National Two Year Old Sale of 2015 will not attract a microchip fee.