Cloned Horses To Compete In The Olympics
Keta
Member
Equestrian Group Clears Way For Cloned Horses To Compete In The Olympics
Will the London 2012 Games be remembered as the last Olympics of the pre-clone era? The answer is maybe — because the group that oversees equestrian events has given its OK to allowing cloned horses to compete in the Summer Olympics.
As National Geographic reports, the Fédération Equestre Internationale once banned cloned horses from participating in the Olympics. But the group based in Lausanne, Switzerland, changed its stance this summer.
If you're thinking, "They don't clone really horses, do they?" — brace yourself, because the first successful horse cloning took place in 2003. And in 2006, NPR reported on a cloned horse in Texas. The FEI estimates that more than 110 horses were cloned in 2010.
And if that makes you think: "So why change now?" — consider that the minimum age for a horse to compete in Olympic equestrian events is 9 (2003 + 9 = 2012).
The option of cloning horses is particularly attractive to breeder and trainers, who sometimes castrate their animals to make them more trainable. But castration also takes away their long-term value as contributors to the gene pool — and keeps breeders from capitalizing on their winnings.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetorch/2012/08/07/158373631/equestrian-group-clears-way-for-cloned-horses-to-compete-in-the-olympics
Will the London 2012 Games be remembered as the last Olympics of the pre-clone era? The answer is maybe — because the group that oversees equestrian events has given its OK to allowing cloned horses to compete in the Summer Olympics.
As National Geographic reports, the Fédération Equestre Internationale once banned cloned horses from participating in the Olympics. But the group based in Lausanne, Switzerland, changed its stance this summer.
If you're thinking, "They don't clone really horses, do they?" — brace yourself, because the first successful horse cloning took place in 2003. And in 2006, NPR reported on a cloned horse in Texas. The FEI estimates that more than 110 horses were cloned in 2010.
And if that makes you think: "So why change now?" — consider that the minimum age for a horse to compete in Olympic equestrian events is 9 (2003 + 9 = 2012).
The option of cloning horses is particularly attractive to breeder and trainers, who sometimes castrate their animals to make them more trainable. But castration also takes away their long-term value as contributors to the gene pool — and keeps breeders from capitalizing on their winnings.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetorch/2012/08/07/158373631/equestrian-group-clears-way-for-cloned-horses-to-compete-in-the-olympics
Comments
Mr Haskins had an article on Bloodhorse...10 greastest geldings of all time....those were his....and my....top three...
But whole article is worth a look.....just to see who the other 7 are...sure to start a discussion
@ Pati, they'd clone a supremely talented horse in order to get another supremely talented horse. You could never get an exact duplicate, as the cloned horse's environment and training wouldn't be identical to its parent, but at least the inherent physical aspects would be predictable.
Now, TB's are still old technology.
So, will this step into the future encourage TB to rethink their process?
Do we want to see a Zenyatta clone, even if she is never raced?
So many interesting possiblities.
I LIKE that TBs still require live cover. I dislike that QH use AI and surrogates because I've seen the results of the "love" of type with the Impressive link to HYPP, as well as other issues, (tiny feet, navicular, laminitis). I WISH that american breeders would think more about breeding strong and swift instead of just swift...
And, no Keta, I don't want a Zenyatta clone- there can only be one. The closest we can come to her is her get. I love the thought that she is unique.
AQHA doesn't allow any cloned offspring to be registered, so any of Claytons offspring can't be registered as AQHA. Of course, no horse has to be registered to compete in NFR barrel racing or any barrel racing.
My concern is that we do not know the long-term effects of cloning.
At this point is time, there is simply not enough data.
Dolly the cloned sheep was bred (I think) & had a normal lamb.
But, do we really do not know what will happen over several generations.
So, for me, love the ones/horses we have.
But, I will be watching with interest when the clones are in the Olympics.
And, so will others. Comparisons of original to clone will be talk of the commentators.
...
if Cigar was cloned.....would not his clone be sterile too?
I look at it the same way I look at genetically modified food. What is it being genetically modified for? Is it being done for the "good" of mankind or for the "good" of the huge farming conglomerates. There's no long term data to say whether or not GMO foods are going to be healthy for us in the long run, same with cloning. Is it going to help or hinder. Need more research.