Apply for this licence
You need a licence to train racehorses for entry into steeple chases, hurdle races or flat races anywhere in Ireland.
How to apply
Download an application form from the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board (IHRB) website.
To apply you must:
- be at least 21 years of age
- have held either an assistant trainer’s licence, restricted trainer’s licence, jockey’s licence or a qualified rider’s permit for a minimum of 3 years
You must also complete a portfolio showing that you are competent in 10 different areas of stable and yard management.
You will also be asked to sit a written exam. If you successfully complete this, you will be accepted on to the Racehorse Trainers Assessment course.
Once you have completed the course, you will be given a date to submit a business plan to the IHRB.
Your training establishment will be inspected by stewards of the IHRB and you will need to pay an inspection fee for this.
You will then be invited to attend an interview with the Licensing Committee at the IHRB in Kildare at which the decision to grant your licence will be made.
Conditions
Once licensed, you must have public and employer liability insurance for the training of racehorses and the IHRB must be listed as a ‘notice party’.
Licences only allow training from a specified training establishment. If you wish to train from a different stable or yard you must have approval to do so.
You must have a minimum of 5 horses in training and their details must be notified to Horse Racing Ireland.
You must also have a minimum of 12 runners in the year during the course of your licence. Racehorses must be named and registered with Horse Racing Ireland before you can enter them in a race.
You must produce your licence for inspection by stewards or officials whenever asked to do so.
Licences must be renewed each year on 1 March.
In order to enter and run a horse in a Point to Point Steeplechase in Ireland, a person must obtain a Point to Point Handlers Permit, full details are available here or by contacting the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board by telephone on number 045 445617.