NZ Standardbred Breeders' Association

NZSBA Showing Passport

We are currently reviewing the future of the NZSBA Showing Passport

The Standardbred Showing Passport has played an important role in protecting the integrity of the breed and upholding the showing standards that have been carefully developed and nurtured over the past decade under Julie DeFilippi's leadership. That work is not something we want to lose sight of.

At the same time, we've been listening to the community. The cancellation of HOY 2026, ongoing feedback that the passport process is acting as a barrier to entry for new competitors, and the practical reality of manual processing — which has historically caused delays of up to six weeks — have all prompted us to take a fresh look at how this should work going forward.

We don't have a final answer yet, but we want to be open about where things stand.

Subject to review. The rules and information in this section are under active review by NZSBA.

What's happening in the meantime?

While we work through the review, we don't want anyone to be locked out of competing at upcoming shows. So we're putting a simple interim process in place.

If you intend to compete this season, we will capture the same details we would have collected for a passport application and hold them in our internal records as a short-term form of registration. This gives you a recognised record with NZSBA and lets you compete while the longer-term passport pathway is being finalised.

How to register (interim process)
We are setting up a Microsoft Form to capture the required information. Submissions will flow through to a centralised list accessible to the team, so we can verify registrations quickly and respond to show entries without the postal and processing delays of the old system.

Information we'll collect

Your personal details

  • Full name
  • Postal address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

Your horse's details
You can look up your horse's details on the Harness Racing NZ website by searching with your horse's brand or microchip number. The sire and dam names sit alongside your horse's HRNZ Registered name.

  • HRNZ Registered Name
  • Show Name
  • Sire name
  • Dam name
  • Date of birth
  • Sex
  • Colour
  • HRNZ Brand number or Microchip number (whichever your horse carries)

Your horse's performance details (Ridden Section only)

  • Whether your horse currently holds Novice or Open status — see the Showing page for clarification

Photographs to upload

  • Off side — one clear photograph of your horse's off side
  • Near side — one clear photograph of your horse's near side
  • Brand — one clear photograph of your horse's HRNZ brand (HRNZ-branded horses only)

Photograph requirements

To keep our records consistent and useful, the same photo standards that applied to passport applications still apply here. The summary below covers the essentials in three parts.

  1. Must be an actual photograph — not a screenshot.
  2. Do not crop the image. Keep it rectangular with plenty of space around your horse.
  3. Photos must have been taken within the last month.
  4. The horse must be clean — free of mud and dust.
  5. Skip busy or cluttered backgrounds that pull focus.
  6. Stand back at least 3 metres before taking the shot.
  7. The whole horse must be in frame — all four hooves, both eyes, both ears, the nose and the tail.
  8. The horse must be on a flat, clean surface, with hooves clearly visible.
  9. The horse must be standing still — no movement.
  10. The horse must be wearing either a halter or a bridle.
  11. No ribbons, number holders, tail bags, covers or any other saddlery in the photograph.
  12. Hoof black is not permitted.
  13. Photos need to be clear, in colour, and stay sharp when enlarged.
  14. File format must be .jpg
  15. File size must be no larger than 5MB.
  16. If you take the photos on your phone, the easiest method is to email them to yourself, open the email on your computer, then save the images into a folder ready to upload.

Microchips and your Standardbred — important information

  • If your Standardbred is freeze-branded and registered with Harness Racing NZ, you do not need a microchip.
  • If your Standardbred is freeze-branded and HRNZ-registered, but you'd still like a microchip for your own reasons, you can — but you must go through Harness Racing NZ first, who will arrange an official sequenced microchip for your vet to fit.
  • It is entirely the owner's responsibility to contact Harness Racing NZ to make sure this is done the right way. Skipping this step can mean being turned away from the show ring for a non-compliant microchip.

Questions?

For any questions about the interim registration process or the passport review, please contact [email protected].