"Famous" TB stallion cloned.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

So there’s a lawsuit going on in TX at the moment where the AQHA is being sued to accept clones in the QH stud book so that clones can race. There’s an article on it here.

Horse cloners try to force their way into the starting gate

Anyway, mentioned in the article is that one of the companies that clones horses claims to have cloned a famous TB stallion.

Meeker said he also has cloned a “famous thoroughbred stallion” that he would not identify. But he and other cloning proponents say they have no intention of trying to elbow their way into thoroughbred racing, which mandates that horses must be born as a result of “natural cover” – actual mating – to be included in its registry.

anyone have any idea who it is?
i’m guessing Storm Cat.

[LaurieB]

I bet they’re talking about Gem Twist.

[bugsynskeeter]

I thought Gem Twist was a gelding?

[Ibex]

He was. His clone however has been kept intact since that was the reason for cloning.

[merrygoround]

[QUOTE=bugsynskeeter;7074815]
I thought Gem Twist was a gelding?[/QUOTE]

Cloning doesn’t depend on a breeding sound horse. Cloning can involve a mare, stallion or gelding, dead or alive.

[furlong47]

Gem Twist is mentioned separately in the article. I think someone noted he was a gelding because the article specifies a stallion was cloned. Yes, the resulting clones would be intact, but the original genetic material apparently came from a stallion.

Not sure why you would clone Storm Cat. It’s not like his offspring are in short supply. Maybe one like Cigar or War Emblem to see if the clone has better breeding luck :lol: although you’d then be stuck with the offspring you can’t race except maybe as an exhibition.

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=merrygoround;7074887]
Cloning doesn’t depend on a breeding sound horse. Cloning can involve a mare, stallion or gelding, dead or alive. ;)[/QUOTE]

I think bugsynskeeter’s point was the man in the article claimed to have cloned a thoroughbred “stallion”. I hope he just misspoke and they meant Gem Twist/Gemini. And I hope no one cloned Storm Cat…on the list of “horses whose DNA we need more of”, he’s not even in the top 100…

[furlong47]

Cryozootech cloned Gem Twist. The guy claiming to clone a famous TB stallion is Alan Meeker of Crestview Genetics. So no, I don’t think he’s talking about Gem Twist.

[Roxyllsk]

Or maybe Barbaro ? :rolleyes:

[skydy]

Storm Cat could be a good guess. He was being used for breeding Quarter horse race mares by AI after his fertility became an issue with the thoroughbred breeders.

They may still want him for QH mares if the AQHA is forced into allowing clones.

[drsmcc]

Barbaro was cremated very shortly after his death. I believe one reason was to be sure no one did try to clone him.

[Roxyllsk]

[QUOTE=drsmcc;7076999]
Barbaro was cremated very shortly after his death. I believe one reason was to be sure no one did try to clone him.[/QUOTE]

I was actually being sarcastic LOL … he has quite a few full siblings around so I don’t think he’d be high on the list anyway