The famous First World War recruitment poster of Lord Kitchener with the strapline “Your country needs you” could apply currently to the TBA appealing to all members and breeders to pay the sales levy, both through the ring and via private sales.
Although many owners and breeders are not aware, the TBA is a charitable organisation whose funding is received via two principal sources: firstly, membership, which is purposely kept at a very commercial £180 per annum; and secondly, the majority of the income comes from the voluntary sales levy, which is 0.75% applied to all sales via both Goffs and Tattersalls.
It should be said that we are incredibly grateful to all of you who pay the sales levy annually or provide a similar contribution when private sales are achieved – your recognition of all the activity we do for thebreeding sector is appreciated.
The most frustrating thing I hear sometimes is, “What does the TBA do for me?” In every case, that question is answered by a copy of the TBA annual report dropping on the doormat. But let’s not hide the TBA’s light. Here are just some of the things that we are responsible for, which breeders and the breeding industry cannot do without.
Let’s talk direct impact first: the Great British Bonus is perhaps the flagship benefit, a scheme designed, delivered and managed by the TBA with significant financial support from the Levy Board. The discount that TBA members receive of £200 per filly foal (which is cumulative) on first stage registration pays for your membership fee straight away and with the scheme having paid out over £22m in cash payments already, incentivising buying, breeding and racing of British-bred fillies, this has been a game-changer that is hard to argue with.
Add to that for NH breeders the Elite Mares’ Scheme, which contributes towards stallion nominations and in some cases covers them in their entirety. It continues to grow in momentum with its total fund doubled to £400,000 for 2026 thanks to support from the Levy Board and is directly contributing to supporting breeders breed quality British-based mares to quality British-based NH stallions (see TBA Forum).
There are then all the additional benefits of the TBA membership itself, including post-mortem support, tax and legal advice, education and training, employer support, the digital learning latform TB-Ed, along with the recent Stud Employee Accident Benefit Scheme, all of which can conservatively be valued at over £700. This already seems a lot of benefits for the TBA to be paying members £20 to join if they use a GBB discount to benefit from and surely offers the best value in racing!
Behind the scenes, however, it is the hidden value that counts for more and ensures the breeding industry both continues and that the TBA delivers for the membership.
Take as read the lobbying and representation of breeding and breeders at government and industry level, ensuring that the importance of the supply line is never taken for granted or overlooked.
This is vital and essential, and if it wasn’t done breeders would know it swiftly!
The TBA is also the first line of defence against major disease outbreaks. Covid, although not equine-centric, was a good example. The TBA was at the front of representation to government that the 2020 breeding season should be allowed to continue.
This alone had a high degree of difficulty but once the case was agreed, the TBA was charged to devise and deliver all the protocols that ensured the breeding industry continued.
In the past two years there have been isolated instances of disease breakouts that the TBA has acted swiftly upon, with crises averted. On this same subject, much recent insight on equine reproductive loss came about because of TBA financial and resource support for research over many years. The whole industry benefits directly and ongoing from this, as is the case around the support and development of welfare, environmental sustainability and legislation strategies.
Next year the TBA is embarking upon four major projects, all essential for the future health and sustainability of the thoroughbred, encompassing genetic diversity, traceability, the future pipeline of breeders, and a long-term breeding strategy for the sector and the wider sport.
We are committed to all breeders, but particularly our members, so please support the TBA by paying the sales levy. The above should convince you that this is an investment, not a cost, and you are guaranteed returns.
