In 1961, the Horseracing Authorities of the United States of America, France, Great Britain and Ireland decided to coordinate their action in order to protect the integrity of horseracing and keep their basic aim, which is the organization of competitions to select the best horses in order to improve the quality of breeding.


In 1967, they created the International Conference held in Paris every year which brings the main Racing Authorities in the world together.

The Federation now organizes every year the International Conference which updates the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering endorsed by the Conference in 1974.

The Federation publishes the main statistics of each member-country concerning breeding, racing and betting.
 
In 1981, the Jockey Club (US) started the Blue Book. The Blue Book is a publication which lists the highest standard of thoroughbred horseraces in the world, which are collectively known as Group races. Its publication is overseen and approved by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) of the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers (SITA). The ICSC plays a central role as regulator of international stakes quality, and provides a process for requests to have races sanctioned as Group races.

Since its formation, the International Cataloguing Standards Committee has worked to achieve uniformity of cataloguing standards throughout the world in a time of increasing internationalization of Thoroughbred breeding, racing and marketing. The Committee representatives of the racing authorities, breeders, organizations and international auction houses of  4 major breeding and racing countries (England, France, Ireland and the United States). The organization of South America (OSAF) has had 1 rep since 1995 and the Asian Racing conference had also had 1 since 1996. 

The committee seeks to achieve uniformity by making International Cataloguing Standards the single most authoritative, comprehensive, practical, and accepted publication dealing with "black type" throughout the Thoroughbred world.

This Committee set up the start of the what we now know as PART racing.

In 1985 the committee set forth conditions under which a country could make the transition from Part II to Part I, and invited applications from those countries seeking to make this transition.

In October of 1985, after careful evaluation of the various applications, the committee welcomed Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay into Part I.
The committee found:
1) that racing in these countries is of sufficient stature in terms of number of horses competing, number of races contested, and purse monies distributed to justify their classification as being among the world's major racing countries;
2) that the number and percentage of races given Group, Graded or "Black Type" status in these countries is consistent with the pattern of racing in them without being disproportionate to the ration of such races in the countries already in Part I; and
3) that the Group or Graded and Listed races in these countries are, in fact, the highest class races contested within them.
 
Following a complete review of all countries in Part I for the 1992 publication, the number of Graded and Listed races was reduced for several countries and Uruguay was demoted to Part II.
The International Cataloguing Standards Committee realize that its goal can be achieved through annual review and continuing refinement of its criteria. It is also the Committee's hope that al countries offering thoroughbred racing will strive to meet its international criteria.
To give an official shape to these efforts, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in 1993, amalgamated  around sixty members.
 
Their main objectives are:

1. to coordinate and harmonize the rules of the member-countries regarding breeding, racing & wagering;
   
2. to ensure the quality and fairness of racing in the interest of both the breeding and the public;
3. to provide the organization on racecourses of the protection of the welfare of horses, jockeys and the people attending;
4. to update the organization of horseracing on account of the technical, social and economical evolution

 
Part I Racing Countries:
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
France
Germany
Great Britain
Ireland
Italy
Japan
New Zeland
Peru
South Africa
UAE
United Sates
 
Part II Racing Countries:
Hong Kong
India
Macau
Malaysia
Panama
Puerto Rico
Scandinavia
Singapore
Turkey
Uruguay
Venezuala
Zimbabwe
 
Part III Racing Countries:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Hungary
Jamaica
Korea
Mauritius
Mexico
Netherlands
Poland
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Slovakia
Spain
Switzerland
Trinidad & Tabogo