cloned elite showhorses
A project to clone elite showhorses reported its first success with a cloned foal of Pieraz, an Arab endurance champion.
Clones are banned from thoroughbred racing, but a French scientist has stored tissue from champion showhorse geldings (castrated horses) for the creation of breeding stock. Pieraz 2 is the second horse clone and the first produced for the creation of a breeding animal from a sterile one.
The first cloned horse, Prometea was announced in August, 2003, by Professor Cesare Galli, of the Laboratory of Reproductive Technologies in Cremona, Italy, who also works with a French company, Cryozootech.
''This new approach opens the possibility of preserving the genetic heritage of many exceptional horses whose genes are presently lost because of the castration,'' said Dr. Galli. ''Prometea was just a scientific experiment and, scientifically, there's not much new about the new clone.
''But from an industry viewpoint, the new horse is the real thing.''
Pieraz, an Arab horse, was the world champion of endurance races in 1994 and 1996 and is now retired in the United States in the stables of its owner, trainer and rider, Valerie Kanavy.
Endurance horse racing involves races of 50 miles or more across open country, with horses making regular ''pit stops'' for food, water and veterinary inspection.
Pieraz's foal -- formally known as Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion -- was born on Feb 25. It weighed 92 lb. and is in good health, like Prometea.
''Repeatability of the technique is now proven,'' said Dr. Galli.
The cells of Pieraz used for the cloning work were provided by Cryozootech, a company founded in 2001 by Dr. Eric Palmer, a horse IVF pioneer. Dr. Palmer had been approached in 2002 by Ms. Kanavy, who was impressed by the idea that, in spite of having been castrated, her champion could transmit his qualities to future generations.
Dr. Palmer's genetic bank of cells stored in liquid nitrogen now contains the cells of 30 different horses, each of them exceptional in its specific category. Among these are samples from ET, the world's top showjumper, and from Rusty, a top dressage horse.
The cells of Pieraz were passed to Dr. Galli, whose company performed the cloning procedure and the embryo transfer that led to the clone birth. The idea of cloning him was to ''recreate his testicles'' for breeding purposes, said Dr Palmer. ''The plan is to make this horse a stallion.''
The clone will be mature enough to breed within two years. But although the new clone is Pieraz's genetic twin, there is no guarantee that it will perform as well, Dr. Palmer said.
© National Post 2005
Clones are banned from thoroughbred racing, but a French scientist has stored tissue from champion showhorse geldings (castrated horses) for the creation of breeding stock. Pieraz 2 is the second horse clone and the first produced for the creation of a breeding animal from a sterile one.
The first cloned horse, Prometea was announced in August, 2003, by Professor Cesare Galli, of the Laboratory of Reproductive Technologies in Cremona, Italy, who also works with a French company, Cryozootech.
''This new approach opens the possibility of preserving the genetic heritage of many exceptional horses whose genes are presently lost because of the castration,'' said Dr. Galli. ''Prometea was just a scientific experiment and, scientifically, there's not much new about the new clone.
''But from an industry viewpoint, the new horse is the real thing.''
Pieraz, an Arab horse, was the world champion of endurance races in 1994 and 1996 and is now retired in the United States in the stables of its owner, trainer and rider, Valerie Kanavy.
Endurance horse racing involves races of 50 miles or more across open country, with horses making regular ''pit stops'' for food, water and veterinary inspection.
Pieraz's foal -- formally known as Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion -- was born on Feb 25. It weighed 92 lb. and is in good health, like Prometea.
''Repeatability of the technique is now proven,'' said Dr. Galli.
The cells of Pieraz used for the cloning work were provided by Cryozootech, a company founded in 2001 by Dr. Eric Palmer, a horse IVF pioneer. Dr. Palmer had been approached in 2002 by Ms. Kanavy, who was impressed by the idea that, in spite of having been castrated, her champion could transmit his qualities to future generations.
Dr. Palmer's genetic bank of cells stored in liquid nitrogen now contains the cells of 30 different horses, each of them exceptional in its specific category. Among these are samples from ET, the world's top showjumper, and from Rusty, a top dressage horse.
The cells of Pieraz were passed to Dr. Galli, whose company performed the cloning procedure and the embryo transfer that led to the clone birth. The idea of cloning him was to ''recreate his testicles'' for breeding purposes, said Dr Palmer. ''The plan is to make this horse a stallion.''
The clone will be mature enough to breed within two years. But although the new clone is Pieraz's genetic twin, there is no guarantee that it will perform as well, Dr. Palmer said.
© National Post 2005
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