The number of mares being bred is not only on a decline in Australia & New Zealand but also in harness racing’s heartland North America.
Recent statistics released by United States Trotting Association (USTA) conform what breeders’ associations across the world have been telling us for some time.
North American figures show a conditioned decline in the number of mares bred in 2015 the decline was 6.3% from 2014 and a whacking 27.7% from 2010.
Canada gained 12.9% from the 2014 level while US declined 10.9%.
Total numbers show 12,009 mares were bred in 2015 compared to 12,810 in 2014.
Five years ago in 2010 that number 16,612, down 4603 in just 5 years.
The biggest gain was Ontario in Canada up 365 from 2014 while US states New Jersey, Alberta and Delaware, home of the little Brown Jug, also had small increases.
However Ohio (down 255), Pennsylvania, New York (down 341), Indiana and Illinois all had declining numbers.
Ohio despite its decline of 255 mares bred retained the number one state/province ranking with 2339 mares bred (mainly due to their lucrative Sires Stakes program), ahead of Ontario with 2031 and Pennsylvania with 1931.
Source: USTA’s David Carr
Here in Australia breeding numbers have fallen from 6369 in 2001/2 season to just 3495 in 2015/16.
Fears are held by analysts that our foal numbers could fall under 3000 live foals with figures like the following to back up their predictions.
Sportswriter fell from 284 last season to 115 this season
Art Major from 299 to 248
RocknRoll Heaven 205 to 131
Auckland Reactor 210 to 176
Alta Christanio 126 to 86
And while not all figures are in from studs which in its self needs to be addressed by HRA, one would assume that most stallions will take a hit.
Mr Feelgood served 347 mares in 2014/15 one would assume that figure, once in, will not be many more than a couple of hundred.
Beating the trend is Courage Under Fire who has had a resurgent in recent times up from, 51 to 103 and Betterthancedder up 30 from 131 to 161.
A Rocknroll Dance in Australia held his own with 150 mares served but in New Zealand he fell from 161 to 81, barn mate Changeover in NZ from 120 to 38.
In 2011 HRA commission a panel lead by John Bagshaw to investigate and put forward a white page on how to address the dramatic fall in numbers of foals being bred each year, that panel put forward a number of ideas of which hardly any have been put into place by the governing body.
In our next issue we will look at those issues and suggestions put forward and speak to Mr Bagshaw and other panel members to get their thoughts some 5 years on.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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