Transfers of Ownership

Transfers from Ireland/overseas

All equines resident in the UK for more than 90 days must be registered with a UK Passport Issuing Office (PIO). For Connemara ponies, the PIO is the BCPS. Please check DEFRA’s website for details: https://www.gov.uk/horse-passport/import-or-export-a-horse-or-related-animal. The application for registration must be made within 30 days of the equine’s arrival in the UK.

The BCPS can transfer the ownership of ponies with recognised Connemara passports from Ireland and/or other countries providing that the ponies are entered into the BCPS Stud Book at the same time. For foals, or adult ponies already on adult registrations, please complete the Irish/Overseas Transfer form, which can be downloaded from this page. Submit the form along with the passport and appropriate fee to the BCPS Office.

If the transfer of ownership has been processed by the pony’s original PIO and Stud Book, then the pony will still need to be transferred into the BCPS Stud Book. Please complete the Transfer into BCPS Stud Book form, available for download from this page. Submit the form along with the passport and appropriate fee to the BCPS Office.

Adult ponies from Ireland/overseas still on foal registrations

If your pony is over 4 years old and still on a foal passport, you will need to apply for adult status. Please check the registration status of the pony’s sire and dam before buying: if either or both are still on foal registration numbers (S3/M3), then this could impact whether your pony can gain adult status itself. If it cannot gain adult status (Class 1 or 2), then it will not be eligible for affiliated showing and cannot be used to breed ponies that are themselves eligible for adult status.

For adult geldings who are still on foal registrations, your vet must complete the relevant section on the Irish Transfer form. They will then be accorded Class 1 or 2 depending on their height.

Mares and stallions still on foal registrations will need to be presented at a Filly or Colt Inspection in order to gain adult status classification. For more information on how to get your pony inspected and what the different classifications mean, please see our Inspections page.

It is sometimes difficult to determine whether or not the passport is a foal registration or whether it has been upgraded to an adult. Here is a handy guide:

• For older Irish passports, the foal registration numbers are in the format S3/M3/G3-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX with the letter denoting the sex and the number 3 denoting the foal status.
• For newer Irish passports, the registration status can be found on Page 21, Item 4 – Class 3 denotes a foal registration. If the passport has been updated in Ireland, the new adult registration number will have a number 1 or 2 denoting a class 1 or class 2 adult pony, in place of the foal number of 3.
• For older ponies, different foal registrations numbers apply. These incorporate the registration number and the year of birth, i.e. 03/123 for a pony born in 2003. A new number is issued when the passport is updated to an adult which will include a letter S,M or G depending on the sex.

If you have any doubts about whether your pony has a foal or adult passport, please contact the secretary who will be happy to check for you: secretary@britishconnemaras.co.uk

Fees for transfers from Ireland/overseas

If paying by BACS please ensure the payment has reached the BCPS account by the time the passport and Transfer Form reaches the Office.  This ensures a quick turnaround.

** Please be aware that payment will not be requested by the Office**

*Please note that this cost will come in addition to the cost of transfer of ownership with the pony’s original PIO. It is often simpler and more cost efficient for both aspects of the transfer to be handled by the BCPS.