The Weatherbys Group is a UK conglomerate involved in a wide range of activities largely within banking and horse racing. The original business was founded by James Weatherby in 1770. History James Weatherby was appointed to serve the Jockey Club as its secretary and stakeholder in 1770. He was an able and entrepreneurial man and over the next 25 years laid strong foundations for the business. Under his aegis, his first racing calendar was published in 1773, followed, in 1791, by the publication of The General Stud Book, a definitive record of the pedigrees of approximately 400 horses which became the foundation for all thoroughbred bloodstock worldwide. He was assisted in this by his nephew, whose work on racehorse pedigrees dovetailed neatly with James's racing work. For the next 250 years, Weatherbys has continued in the role of administrators to the Jockey Club. Today, every data detail relating to horses, owners, trainers, jockeys, stable employees and races is processed through Weatherbys. All of the 10,500 Thoroughbred races held in Britain each year are drawn together at the company's Northamptonshire HQ. The firm still owns and publishes the General Stud Book, recording the production of thoroughbred bloodstock in Britain and Ireland. There has been diversification. Into printing – the Racing Calendar, racecourse racecards and even publications entirely divorced from racing and breeding form an impressive portfolio. Into laboratory testing - with Weatherbys owning one of Europe's most prestigious genomic-testing facilities for equine and agricultural stock. And into banking. There was always the handling of money. From the guineas of 18th century aristocrats to more than £160m of prize money in 2018, the role of “Stakeholder” has always remained vested in Weatherbys. For the principal participants in the sport, Weatherbys offered accounting facilities. Holding their winnings to fund their future race entries. By the 1980s, the firm was effectively offering racehorse owners a current account alongside an option for short-term borrowing. Discussions with the Bank of England in 1994 resulted in Weatherbys acquiring a banking licence and the founding of their banking division. For the first few years, Weatherbys Bank served its traditional client cohort – racehorse owners, breeders, trainers and a payroll office for jockeys. The banking licence enabled a full suite of financial offerings. Clients had chequebooks, debit cards, loans, term deposits and foreign exchange services. In 1997, Arkle Asset Finance, a 100% subsidiary of Weatherbys Bank, was established to