HBNSW: We’ve fought the Stallion Tax from day one

Harness Breeders New South Wales (HBNSW) is ramping up pressure on Harness Racing Australia, vowing to fight on against the much-maligned Stallion Tax.

Benstud Standardbreds principal Craig Judd, has led the recent public charge against the controversial levy, and in a Harnesslink article on August 11, “The million-dollar question: States challenged on Stallion Tax”, called on breeders and studs to be proactive in demanding answers – particularly New South Wales and Queensland.

HBNSW President Flora Robson stressed that breeders in NSW have been fighting the impost from the very beginning.

“As President of Harness Breeders New South Wales (HBNSW), I can assure you the Committee of HBNSW endorse the comments by Craig Judd of Benstud,” Robson said.

“The Committee of HBNSW have vehemently opposed this unjust impost on a struggling breeding sector from the very first announcement made by the then HRA CEO Mr. Andrew Kelly in May of 2021,” she said.

“It was the Committee of HBNSW who led the charge in 2021 and stopped the initial introduction of this Stallion Levy/Tax.

“In 2022 HRA renamed the Stallion Tax the ‘Stallion Registration Fee’. HRA are the keepers of the Australian Stud Book – I leave you to draw your own conclusion.”

She also shared correspondence from Kelly, dated May 2025, in which Kelly dismissed HBNSW’s concerns.

“He replied informing us: ‘It seems that Harness Breeders New South Wales misinterpreted the intention of the Stallion Registration Fee and there is no data to support the HBNSW suggestion that the 15% Stallion Registration has harmed the Australian breeding industry or come at the expense of breeders.

“He also stated it was misleading to look at aggregate numbers of foals when discussing Stud Book fees, and more specifically, Stallion Registration Fees.”

Robson detailed HBNSW’s continued campaign of opposition, including lobbying both Harness Racing Australia (HRA) and Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW).

“The Committee of HBNSW have not sat back in silence – we have and continue to actively oppose this unjust impost,” she said.

“The HBNSW Committee have engaged in ongoing correspondence with Harness Racing New South Wales (HRNSW) and the State’s HRA representative Ken Brown seeking their support re our opposition to this HRA Stallion ‘Registration Fee’.”

Robson said HBNSW had also written to State and Federal MPs highlighting the lack of economic or financial justification for the tax and warning of “dire consequences it will and is having on our breeders and race fields into the future”.

Robson reiterated HBNSW’s determination to have the Stallion Tax scrapped, joining Judd and other industry figures in urging breeders to keep pushing for accountability.

From Harnesslink Media