Categories of Licensing

Effective March 2, 2020 all transactions with the AGCO must be completed online through iAGCO. Paper applications are no longer accepted for horse racing-related licenses and registrations. For more information, visit the iAGCO Guide for Horse Racing.   

To obtain a licence from the AGCO, an individual needs to complete a licence application indicating the licence category(s) and breed required.  A licensee who has not renewed their licence for five (5) years or more will be treated as a new licence applicant.

The following are the applicable licensing categories and their associated requirements:

  • Owner

Any person owning all or part of a horse that is racing in Ontario must hold a valid AGCO licence. Owners must have their name on the horse’s papers and these papers must be registered with Standardbred Canada, or in the United States with the United States Trotting Association (USTA), before an AGCO licence will be issued.

Owners must (1) have a horse of racing age in Ontario, (2) declare their trainer on their application and (3) include the name(s) of horses they own.

The corresponding officer of record, lessee and/or syndicate manager of all stallions registered in the Ontario Sires Stakes program in Ontario must obtain an AGCO licence, if they do not currently hold a valid AGCO licence in any other category.

  • Driver
  • Rider
  • Trainer

Trainers and drivers must have passed Standardbred Canada, or in the United States the USTA, accreditation before applying for an AGCO licence in any of these categories. Potential drivers must contact the Judges to arrange for assessment and should refer to Chapter 25 of the Rules of Standardbred Racing for further information.

  • Groom

An individual applying for a groom licence must be acting in a groom capacity.

  • Occupational

Occupational personnel are persons employed by the racetrack association (i.e. security, parking, catering, maintenance, cleaners, admissions, program department, publicity and office staff).

  • Veterinarian

Veterinarians applying for an AGCO licence must hold a valid licence with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario and be affiliated with a practice that is accredited to practice on horses.

Licensed veterinarians must be familiar with all applicable provincial and federal rules and legislation concerning horse racing, including the AGCO’s Rules of Racing and the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency’s elimination schedule for therapeutic medications.

  • Authorized Agent

An authorized agent is a person who has been authorized to act on behalf of another individual to claim a horse. When acting in this capacity an individual needs to obtain a licence in this category.

  • Pari-Mutuel

All pari-mutuel staff must hold a valid AGCO licence prior to working in the capacity. Failure to be licensed may result in fines for the racetrack association. An individual applying for a pari-mutuel licence must be over the age of 18.

  • Tradesperson

A tradesperson is a person not employed by the racetrack association, either directly or indirectly, and could include blacksmiths, feed supply persons, etc.

  • Spouse of Licensee

A spouse of an owner may apply for a spouse of licensee licence; the owner must hold a valid AGCO licence.

  • Association Official

Association official licences are issued to individuals employed by the Association, or who are working on behalf of the Association, and include: department heads of the Association, any employee needing access to the backstretch or paddock, Official Veterinarians, test inspectors, Lasix veterinarian technicians, OnTrack Media employees and ambulance attendants.

  • Commission (AGCO) Official

A Commission official licence is issued to employees of the AGCO and would include AGCO veterinarians, investigators, horse racing licensing agents, head office staff and Judges/Stewards.

Non-residents

Any individual residing outside Ontario must apply for a licence in the same manner as a resident of Ontario. All fees apply.

Multi-Jurisdictional Licence

The National Compact and Racing Commissioners International (RCI or ARCI) both offer a form of multi-jurisdictional licensing. These memberships are intended to ease the application paperwork for owners who intend to be racing in many jurisdictions. Multi-jurisdictional licensing is not considered reciprocal licensing.

For further information on these memberships:

Under Age Licensing

Applicants under 18 years of age will be required to submit a Parental Consent form. Applicants under 10 years of age may only be licensed as an Owner, unless otherwise approved by the AGCO.

 

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