The Performance Horse Registry, Inc. (PHR) was originally launched in September, 1994 by the Jockey Club to document the influence of the Thoroughbred in sport horse activities. They felt the quest for Thoroughbred excellence, along with breeding the best stallions and mares, produced an equine athlete of outstanding all-around ability whose influence is felt in many sport horse activities far beyond the realm of Thoroughbred racing. In the hunter/jumper show ring, in dressage, eventing, and endurance competitions the breed's exceptional athleticism has been widely sought and respected. Without a means for measuring these equestrian performances against their pedigrees, there was no tangible evidence upon which to enhance sport horse breeding policies. The result was a reliance on other breeds where record keeping better integrated pedigree and performance.

The Jockey Club established the first central database on the continent to combine pedigree and performance records of Thoroughbreds and half-Thoroughbreds competing in non-racing equestrian events. Though the PHRŽ got off to a rough start, with initial registrations not fully reaching the anticipated expectations, interest in the registry slowly began to flourish. The concept of the PHRŽ has begun to attract ever-widening attention in the sport horse media and in the sport horse industry at large.

In 1996, spurred by the support of industry organizations such as the Federation of North American Sport Horse Registries, the American Horse Shows Association and the United States Equestrian Team, the PHRŽ, expanded its scope to focus its attention on building a comprehensive database for the entire sport horse industry. This fulfilled one of the registry’s primary commitments to provide complete information on which to base buying and breeding decisions. A comparison of Thoroughbred performance and pedigree in sport horse disciplines was made more meaningful, by providing the industry with information already available in Europe and many other countries. Despite its youth, the PHRŽ uncovered sires and broodmare sires which were producing successful sport horses on a consistent basis. Those initial findings increased in frequency and significance as more horses were registered.

During its formative years, warmblood registries such as the Belgian warmblood Breeding Association/North American District (BWP/NAD), the Hungarian Horse Association, and the Dutch Warmblood Studbook in North America (NA/WPN) began recording their stallions and foal crops to add another dimension to the pedigree research already in place for the full Thoroughbred bloodlines. The PHRŽ were now able to follow the bloodlines of their 50% Thoroughbreds

In 1995, the first full year of operation, the PHRŽ developed the Silver Stirrup Awards™. Created as part of an incentive program, the comprehensive awards recognized performances of PHRŽ horses at all levels of competition in every major discipline. In this first year, the PHRŽ distributed Hunter/Jumper awards in over 90 categories at the state, zone and national level. In 1996, new divisions were added after securing State Line Tack as a corporate sponsor for the Jumper divisions. In 1997, the PHRŽ expanded the Dressage program when Nutramax Laboratories Inc. signed on as sponsor of the CosequinŽ Dressage division of the Silver Stirrup Awards. These alliances and unwavering support from key organizations and individuals within the sport horse industry were crucial to seeing the PHRŽ through its formative years.

In September 2000, the PHRŽ moved to its new home at the American Horse Shows Association. The move came as a positive development for the registry. Support over the years from various warmblood registries, began to play an important role in assisting the PHRŽ to move forward with the vision of providing meaningful information to owners and breeders with regard to performance and pedigree in sport horse disciplines. Changes to the registry have included the ability of the warmblood owners to now register their animals with the PHRŽ. Previously the warmbloods were only eligible to be recorded with the PHRŽ, which primarily lent their pedigrees to research, but did not provide the owners with information available to those possessing full to 50% Thoroughbreds through the Jockey Club. These horses were eligible to participate in the awards program, which provided more performance related information. Both the influence of the Thoroughbred on their warmblood counterparts and vice versa has become quite noticeable. All horses are now eligible for registration with the PHRŽ to help develop a comprehensive database of all breeds, their pedigrees and influences upon each other.

The Silver Stirrup Awards program has continued to track the various sport horse disciplines and their involved breeds. Once registered with the PHRŽ, a horse may be nominated for inclusion in the awards program on an annual or lifetime basis. For the 2000 competition year, the PHRŽ presented fourteen National Dressage awards in all levels of open and open freestyle competition at the USDF annual convention and five National Hunter/Jumper awards at the AHSA annual convention. Awards on the Regional/Zone/Area and State level were mailed to winners soon after standings were finalized. Continued support from corporate sponsors State Line Tack for the Jumper divisions and Nutramax Laboratories Inc./ CosequinŽ for the Dressage divisions made for a successful competition year for all competitors.

Hunter/Jumper participants in the Silver Stirrup awards program may view their standings throughout the year on the PHRŽ web site. National Dressage and Eventing standings are provided to the PHRŽ by the USDF and USCTA respectively and will be available for viewing at the close of their competition years. Regional and Area levels will be available for viewing as results are submitted for consideration to the PHRŽ. Forms for participation are available for download on the PHRŽ web site.