Under the Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015 and its regulations, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is responsible for the licensing of racetracks, teletheatres and racing participants.
This Guide contains detailed information to assist you in applying for the following licences, registrations and certificates (see Section 1 for a description of licence types and Appendix A – for a reference guide to licence types).
1. Apprentice Jockey |
8. Hot Walker | 15. Program Breed |
2. Assistant Trainer | 9. Jockey | 16. Rider |
3. Association Official | 10. Jockey Agent | 17. Spouse of Licensee |
4. Authorized Agent | 11. Jockey Valet | 18. Stable or Corporate Manager |
5. Driver | 12. Occupational | 19. Tradesperson - Employee |
6. Exercise Person | 13. Owner | 20. Tradesperson - Employer |
7. Groom | 14. Pari-Mutuel Ticket Seller | 21. Trainer |
22. Veterinarian |
In addition, this Guide also contains detailed information to assist you in submitting a Regulatory Submission for:
Note: You must submit your application online through the iAGCO portal. To access iAGCO, click on the “iAGCO Online Services” button at the top of the AGCO’s webpage. iAGCO provides an easy, convenient way to apply for, change and renew your horse racing-related licences and registrations anytime, from anywhere.
For complete details about your legal responsibilities as a licence holder, please refer to the:
Note: No horse will be eligible to race in Ontario unless all parties required to be licensed pursuant to the Rules are in good standing.
Note: In iAGCO, you must first select “Horseperson” as the primary licence type, and then select the applicable secondary licence from the following list.
For more information on licence types, please see Appendix A – Licence Type Reference Guide. If you need assistance, please contact AGCO Customer Service, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (EST), at 416-326-8700 or 1-800-522-2876. You may also submit your inquiry anytime via the iAGCO online portal.
The Horseperson classification permits an individual to participate in horse racing in the Province of Ontario. Applicants must be an active participant in Standardbred, Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse racing or be actively engaged in his/her occupation or profession at a Standardbred, Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse racetrack.
Note: A Horseperson licensee must also hold a secondary licence.
If you have not renewed your licence for five (5) years or more, you will be treated as a new licence applicant.
Application Name | Code | Description |
---|---|---|
Authorized Agent |
AAGT | Permits an individual to act on behalf of an Owner for the purpose of claiming a horse. |
Driver | DRV |
|
Exercise Person |
EXER |
|
Groom | GRM |
|
Hot Walker | HWKR |
|
Jockey | JKY |
|
Apprentice Jockey | AJKY |
|
Jockey Agent | JAGT | Permits an individual to make engagements for the Jockey he/she represents to ride. |
Jockey Valet | JKYV | Permits an individual to assist a jockey in pre- and post-race activities and to manage a jockey’s equipment. |
Veterinarian | VET |
|
Occupational | OCC | Permits an individual employed by a Racetrack to perform duties relating to areas such as security, parking, catering, maintenance, housekeeping, admissions, program department or publicity. |
Owner | OWNR |
|
Pari-Mtuel Ticket Seller |
PMTS |
|
Rider | RUS | Permits an individual to ride a Standardbred horse in a Racing Under Saddle (RUS) race. Applicants will not be permitted to race unless they have (1) qualified and (2) met the requirements of Standardbred Canada or the United States Trotting Association (USTA). |
Spouse of Licensee | SPOL |
Spouse means either of two persons who:
|
|
TDER |
|
|
TDEE |
|
|
TRN |
|
Assistant Trainer |
ATRN | Permits an individual to perform the duties of a Trainer under the direction of an AGCO licensed Trainer. |
Program Breed |
BRDR | Permits an individual who owns breeding horses that are not currently racing to participate in Horse Improvement Programs in Ontario. |
Association Official |
AO |
|
Stable or Corporate Manager |
SMGR | Permits an individual not otherwise licensed by the AGCO to act for a racing stable or multiple ownership entity as a Stable or Corporate Manager. |
Application Name |
Code | Description |
---|---|---|
Claiming Certificate |
CLM |
|
Lease Registration |
LEA |
|
Stable Licence |
STBL |
|
Partnership Registration |
PTSP |
|
Estate/Trust Licence |
ESTR |
|
You must scan and upload to iAGCO any required additional documents.
Under risk-based licensing, the Registrar may attach one or more conditions to your licence to help you minimize risks identified during the assessment process.
You may apply to remove and/or add conditions on your licence if there has been a change in circumstances.
As a courtesy, you will receive a renewal reminder from the AGCO sixty (60) days prior to the expiration date of your licence.
You must apply to renew your licence and submit the appropriate fee online via the iAGCO portal prior to the expiry date.
If the AGCO receives your application and fee(s) on or before the expiry date, you will receive a Renewal Confirmation Notice allowing you to operate until you receive your licence.
If the AGCO has not received your renewal application by the expiry date on your licence, your licence will expire.
If you do not renew your licence within five (5) years, you will be treated as a new applicant if you choose to apply to be re-licensed (NOTE: applicable only to Horseperson, Stable, Partnership and Estate/Trust applicants).
To add a category (i.e. add Standardbred to a Thoroughbred Owner licence):
To remove a category:
Under Existing Licences / Permits / Authorizations / Registrations:
Regulatory Submissions must be made online through the iAGCO portal to report (1) a change in employment relationship, (2) a declaration for transfer of trainer, (3) an EIPH Program horse opt-out, (4) add or remove a horse to or from the EIPH Program (5) a notification of an equine surgical procedure and (6) a notification of an equine fatality. To submit a Regulatory Submission on iAGCO, click the Submit Regulatory Submissions and Notification link on the Main Menu, select the Regulatory Submission you wish to submit and follow the steps as instructed. For more information on the five types of Regulatory Submissions, please see below.
A Regulatory Submission must be submitted to report a change of employment relationship between an Employer (to report on any occupational licensee terminated from their employment) and an Employee (to report changes in their employment relationship(s) to the AGCO) by the following licensees:
Note:
It is a requirement for select licence categories (i.e. Groom, Hot Walker, Exercise Person) to be employed by an AGCO licensee.
Any addition or removal of a licence category must be submitted through a separate “Request a Change” submission.
You may have the option to submit documents with your submission. This may include:
To report a change in employment relationship, you will be required to answer a number of questions and provide information relating to your employment.
A Regulatory Submission must be submitted by a Trainer to declare a transfer of Trainer. AGCO Racing Official approval is required for a transfer of one or more horses from a Trainer of record to another Trainer of record under the Rules of Racing. A Regulatory Submission – Declaration for Transfer of Trainer must be completed by the new Trainer prior to the transfer.
If the licence of a current Trainer of record is suspended or revoked, or the Trainer of record is unlicensed or otherwise ineligible to train horses in Ontario, the horses under his or her care and control are not eligible to be entered or to race in the province of Ontario until the Racing Officials have approved a transfer of the horses to one or more other Trainers of record.
Note:
If horses being transferred are owned by different owners, Declarations for Transfer of Trainer must be submitted separately for each ownership group.
No person (1) whose licence is suspended under the Rules of Racing under the Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015 or (2) who is not licensed, may provide goods or services for which a licence is required with respect to race horses.
If you are not new to racing in Ontario and this is your first time using iAGCO, you must obtain a one-time access code prior to creating your iAGCO account. Contact Customer Service Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM at 416-326-8700 or toll-free 1-800-522-2876. You can also ask an AGCO Licensing Agent at any open track office or email racinglicensing@agco.ca
If you are new to iAGCO, watch these 2-minute tutorials:
How to Create an iAGCO Account
How to Make a Regulatory Submission
To declare a transfer of Trainer, you will be required to:
To submit your Regulatory Submission on iAGCO, follow these steps:
Enter your horse information, using the Add Horse button to create any additional horse entries. Click “Add Horse” button to to add additional horses.
Answer questions and upload required documents on the following screens.
Submit the Regulatory Submission using the Submit button.
A Regulatory Submission – EIPH Program – Horse Opt-Out (Shipping in to Compete in Ontario) must be submitted by an Owner, Trainer or Assistant Trainer to opt-out horse(s) shipping in to compete in Ontario from another jurisdiction who are on an Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) Program (Lasix) in another jurisdiction from the Program.
You may be required to submit a Notification Document with your submission and you will be required to provide the name and tattoo/microchip of the horse.
A Regulatory Submission – EIPH Program – Add or Remove Horse (Ordinarily Competing in Ontario) must be submitted by a Veterinarian, Trainer, Assistant Trainer or Owner to place or remove a horse ordinarily competing in Ontario to or from the Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) Program (Lasix). The signature of an authorized veterinarian is required.
You are also required to submit an Authorization of Trainer (EIPH Program) with your submission to place the horse on the Program.
Note:
To add a horse to (or remove a horse from) the Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) Program in Ontario, you will need to make an online regulatory submission through the iAGCO portal at www.agco.ca/iAGCO.
To ensure your horse is eligible to race, you are advised to go online and make your regulatory submission several days before the entry date for your intended race date.
To add a horse to (or remove a horse from) the EIPH Program:
A Regulatory Submission – Notification of an Equine Surgical Procedure must be submitted by a Veterinarian, Trainer or Assistant Trainer to notify the AGCO of an equine surgical procedure (i.e. posterior digital neurectomy).
To notify the AGCO of an equine surgical procedure, you may have the option to submit documents with your submission. This may include:
You will also be required to provide the following information:
A Regulatory Submission – Notification of Equine Fatality must be submitted by a Trainer, Assistant Trainer, Owner, Stable Licence, Partnership Registration, Estate/Trust Licence or Veterinarian to notify the AGCO of a race horse fatality.
Note:
Race horses in Ontario that die within 60 days of entering a race, a workout or a qualifying event must be reported to the AGCO. Horse(s) may be sent for a post mortem examination.
The AGCO wishes to convey condolences on the loss of any horse. A member of the AGCO Veterinary Services team will contact you for more information to advise whether the horse is required to go for a post-mortem examination.
You will also be required to answer a number of questions and provide information relating to the Trainer and fatality (i.e. date, time, location).
To submit your Regulatory Submission on the iAGCO online portal, follow these steps:
Select the Notification of Equine Fatality link.
NOTE: only users with certain types of Racing licences linked to their account will be able to submit this type.
Select a licence from the licence drop down and fill in the Horse Information section.
If applicable, answer any questions and upload any required documents on the following screens.
Submit the Regulatory Submission using the Submit button.
Feed & Supply Companies | Licence Type |
---|---|
Company | Tradesperson - Employer |
Delivery | Tradesperson - Employee |
Employee | Tradesperson - Employee |
Sales Representative | Tradesperson - Employee |
Tack Shop | Tradesperson - Employee |
Veterinary Supplies | Tradesperson - Employee |
Waster Removal | Tradesperson - Employee |
Industry | Licence Type |
---|---|
Bloodstock Agent | Tradesperson - Employer |
LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society Representatives | Tradesperson - Employer |
Racetrack Employees | Licence Type |
---|---|
Backstretch Kitchen Staff | Occupational |
Contractor | Occupational |
Entry Clerk | Association Official |
Maintenance (Community Service Volunteer) | Occupational |
Outrider | Association Official |
Silk Maker (incl. Assistants) | Association Official |
Tattoo Person | Association Official |
Tote - Staff | Occupational |
Vet Tech - Racing Forensics Staff | Association Official |
WEG Driver | Occupational |
Veterinarians | Licence Type |
---|---|
Equine Chiropractor | Tradesperson - Employer |
Equine Dentist | Tradesperson - Employer |
Equine Massage Therapist | Tradesperson - Employer |
Registered Veterinarian Technician | Tradesperson - Employee |
Veterinarian Assistant | Tradesperson - Employee |
Trades | Licence Type |
---|---|
Apprentice Assistant Trainer (QH Only) | Assistant Trainer |
Apprentice Blacksmith | Tradesperson |
Assistant Blacksmith | Tradesperson |
Assistant Farm Manager | Stable Manager |
Blacksmith | Tradesperson - Employer |
Blanket Repair | Tradesperson - Employer |
Blanket Repair Assistant | Tradesperson |
Chaplain | Tradesperson - Employer |
Farm Manager | Stable Manager |
Pony-Barn Manager | Stable Manager |
QH Pony Person | Exercise Person |
Van Driver (aka Horse Transport) | Tradesperson - Employer |
Media | Licence Type |
---|---|
Freelance | Tradesperson - Employer |
Industry Publications | Tradesperson - Employee |
Newspaper/Magazine | Tradesperson - Employee |
OnTrack | Association Official |
Photo Finish | Association Official |
Photographer | Tradesperson - Employer |
WEG Media/Broadcasting | Association Official |
Association Officials | Licence Type |
---|---|
Ambulance Driver | Association Official |
Paramedic | Association Official |
The following individuals will not be issued licences, but should register with Racetrack security as a Guest: