Horse Racing Forum - USA Thoroughbred Races

Read via the Paulick Report, this was linked in the article.

Apparently world renown polo player has now cloned two Storm Cat replicas. I'm wondering how/why Overbrook would have ever even allowed this?

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/07/ ... cambiaso#7

The two Storm Cat clones...

There are so many things about that article that bother me that I hardly know where to start. But using ovaries from slaughtered mares has to be first on the list.

ThreeMustangs wrote:There are so many things about that article that bother me that I hardly know where to start.

Yes, this. And this:

She pauses before musing, “The knowledge that we’re gaining by cloning justifies the fetal loss and problems.”

When a supposed scientist - who one would think should be bound by some sense of ethics and morality - basically says the end justifies the means... that's frigging scary.

First...do NO harm!

I was under the impression there are no more legal equine slaughterhouses in the U.S. That they've all been closed. Illegal is another story. I personally don't think horses like storm cat SHOULD be cloned. Storm Cat was so influential on the thoroughbred breed and was a once in a lifetime horse. I feel like this detracts from his legacy

TapitsGal wrote:I was under the impression there are no more legal equine slaughterhouses in the U.S. That they've all been closed. Illegal is another story. I personally don't think horses like storm cat SHOULD be cloned. Storm Cat was so influential on the thoroughbred breed and was a once in a lifetime horse. I feel like this detracts from his legacy

The facility they are talking about is not in the US, but Argentina. (Gutirrez's property). Dunno where they get the eggs from for the South Carolina farm though.

Ethics aside my main issue with cloning is a practical one: popular sire syndrome is already an issue that can plague closed studbook breeds like TBs, Arabians, etc. It's already a miracle that the JC still requires live covers, because can you imagine how many more foals popular stallions would have a year? There's enough linebreeding and inbreeding in many TBs today, I shudder to think of the genetic ramifications it would have if AI and cloning were accepted by the JC.

One of the clones died:


"From the Storm Cat sample in its possession, Crestview was able to produce clone embryos of Storm Cat, and earlier this spring, they had two [colt] foals who were clones of Storm Cat. Both were pictured and mentioned in the Vanity Fair article, but [Chris] Young said that one of the colts has since died in a paddock accident."

http://www.paulickreport.com/features/p ... cat-clone/

That's okay, they'll just make more. /sarcasm

lurkey mclurker wrote:That's okay, they'll just make more. /sarcasm

Yeah, because all horses are wanted and never end up in the slaughter pipeline. We need more responsible breeding practices, not making more.

serenassong wrote:

lurkey mclurker wrote:That's okay, they'll just make more. /sarcasm

Yeah, because all horses are wanted and never end up in the slaughter pipeline. We need more responsible breeding practices, not making more.

I am with you 100%. That's why I am opposed to IA.