Reasons players now prefer cloned ponies

But with the search for the perfect mount becoming increasingly advanced, cloning is attracting growing interest among breeders.Finding a horse that combines the speed and acceleration of a thoroughbred racehorse is difficult, leading many to investigate whether cloning is a viable way of preserving the genetics of the best horses into future generations.On the expanses […]

But with the search for the perfect mount becoming increasingly advanced, cloning is attracting growing interest among breeders.
Finding a horse that combines the speed and acceleration of a thoroughbred racehorse is difficult, leading many to investigate whether cloning is a viable way of preserving the genetics of the best horses into future generations.
On the expanses of Argentina’s pampas grasslands, cloning techniques are being developed by Adolfo Cambiaso, regarded by many as the world’s best player.
“Cloning is growing by leaps and bounds here,” says Adrian Mutto, the molecular biologist in charge of cloning for Mr Cambiaso’s Crestview Genetics, one of two companies pioneering the technique in the South American country.
Crestview was founded in the US in 2008 but relocated to Argentina after catching the eye of Mr Cambiaso, who is backed by investor Ernesto Gutiérrez.
Although the first horse was cloned by Italian scientists in 2003, cloning polo ponies has taken off only recently, with Crestview having cloned about 35 horses. Those 35 have produced almost 70 foals, while another 30 cloned foals are expected to be born over the coming year.
The plan is for Crestview to be a kind of horse factory, creating a bank of clones of some of the finest horses in the world and then selling their embryos. The first official auction of these embryos is expected this year. Last year buyers paid about $70,000 for the embryo of a clone of one of Mr Cambiaso’s star horses.
Cloning is legal in Argentina, and at an institutional level it has gained widespread acceptance worldwide. Major international breeding associations accept the registration of cloned horses and clones have been permitted to participate in equestrian sports in the Olympic Games since 2012.
Mr Cambiaso played polo with a clone for the first time last year in the Palermo Open in Buenos Aires, polo’s most prestigious tournament. Mr Mutto says this year Mr Cambiaso will play only with clones.
“No one can assure that a cloned animal is going to be as good a player as the original,” says Mr Mutto, who explains that in general players clone horses so that they can carry on breeding from the clones with the same quality of genetics as their star horses, rather than with the intention of playing on them.
Perhaps the main barrier to cloning is the high cost, as the process requires a complex laboratory with a team of biologists. With much still to be learnt, techniques remain inefficient and a very low percentage of embryos that are developed go on to be born.
Cloning is cheaper in Argentina than elsewhere, costing around $100,000-120,000 to clone a horse, according to Mr Mutto. The average high-goal polo pony costs about half as much for a player to buy.
There is resistance to cloning among most players and breeders. Guillermo Buchanan, who runs Argentina’s breeding association and says he has a neutral attitude, estimates that of more than 600 members, no more than 30 of them may be adopting the technique.
Most prefer traditional breeding methods, he says, questioning whether cloning will have the revolutionary impact on breeding polo ponies as the “embryo transfer system”, which became popular in Argentina about 15 years ago. Ft.com