Home of the General Stud Book

THIS week I paid a visit to the headquarters of Weatherbys at Wellingborough. My host, Nick Craven, chose to remember the occasion with a photograph taken in their library.

What is very striking about the offices is the quietness, even though it is home to a multitude of services to the industry. Most famously associated with the production of the General Stud Book, Weatherbys celebrated their 250th birthday in 2020, a milestone that perhaps went under the radar a little due to the pandemic.

An attorney in Northumbria, James Weatherby was appointed in 1770 by the Jockey Club as their secretary and Keeper of the Match Book at Newmarket, and the business passed to his son Edward 14 years later. To put it in some context, 1770 was the year that Captain Cook discovered Australia.

Now Weatherbys is a seventh-generation family owned and run business, a quite remarkable achievement when you think about it. The General Stud is the record of thoroughbred breeding in Ireland and Britain, and it is the world’s ‘mother stud book’. Weatherbys sustains an unbroken 30-generation record of the breed from the early 18th century to this day.

Modern company

While retaining its core responsibilities, Weatherbys has not stood still and is a very modern company. Alongside Weatherbys Bank, it has diversified into financial services, including an asset finance business and a private client insurance brokerage in Weatherbys Hamilton. Sitting alongside its registration work for equines, it operates in the wider field of genomic testing of agricultural stock and dogs.

While it is involved in large areas of business such as those listed above, it prides itself on its ability to produce bespoke services to stud farms, stallion owners, bloodstock agents and more. It is proud to say that putting the customer and the industry first remains a key focus.