What is a Certificate of Pedigree?

A Certificate of Pedigree (often referred to as a CP) is a white papered document equivalent to a birth certificate that is issued to an eligible horse that is considered to be crossbred. A horse qualifies for an AHS Certificate of Pedigree if it is either sired by an AHS (or HV) approved Hanoverian papered stallion or is out of an AHS Hanoverian papered Main Studbook mare. In other words, one of the parents must be a Hanoverian that has been entered into the AHS breeding program.

A horse may be issued a Certificate of Pedigree at any age provided it has not been issued papers by any other breed society or registry. A Certificate of Pedigree is an official document attesting to the horse’s lineage (ancestry), date of foaling, breeder and owner. It readily identifies the horse and imparts significant value to the horse to which it is issued.

Certificate of Pedigree horses are enabled participation in the performance divisions of the AHS Awards Program. These horses are not eligible to participate in the breeding program, and as of 2008 they are ineligible to participate in AHS-sponsored breed show High Placing Awards, AHS-sponsored Hanoverian Individual Breed Classes and AHS-sponsored year-end awards in Sport Horse breed show divisions. For USDF and other awards (eventing, hunters, jumpers), the AHS requires that the Certificate of Pedigree horse be properly transferred into the ownership of a current-year AHS member.

Certificate of Pedigree horses are eligible to be advertised in AHS publications, however they may not be inspected and entered into the AHS breeding program, nor may they be branded.

To request a Certificate of Pedigree for your horse, please contact the AHS office at ahsoffice@aol.com or call (859) 255-4141 and our staff will be happy to assist you. Costs for this service are listed on the AHS Current Fee Schedule page.