With breeders now turning their attention to stallion selections for their mares this season Harnessbred thought it might be valuable (especially for smaller breeders on a tight budget) to seek an independent view of what to look for when selecting a consort for their mares
We asked the private breeding consultancy equineexcellence.biz what the comprehensive research they have conducted over the last decade had taught them on this subject
Hopefully their reply might be of assistance to all of our breeder friends
Hi Dean,
For what it is worth, more than happy to respond to your request to comment on – “What makes a successful stallion?” and provide yet another opinion to the breeding debate
It would be great if others would do the same to get an even wider viewpoint
I wish to state clearly right up front that there is simply no silver bullet that can guarantee breeding success as there are too many influences that can affect the result
That being established I have no doubt that breeder’s can increase their chances of a better outcome by following a few basic principals whether they have the money to breed to the expensive stallions or a seeking a low price stallion that perhaps has not received the numbers of genetically matched mares needed for above average success
For this discussion I have selected three sires that have stood in Australia and were reliant upon the gene pool of the Australian broodmare band for success
The first is the outstandingly bred Art Major a champion track performer and proven champion sire, the second Life Sign again a brilliantly bred a champion track performer and Champion sire together with the lesser know Allamercian Ingot another very well bred millionaire pacer who has left a millionaire and other top class progeny
To set the scene for the evaluation, your readers would have heard of these two expressions; one for male success “behind every good man is a good woman” and the other for sporting superstars “it’s all in the genes”
These expressions in thirteen words pretty much sum up sum up the answer to your question
Here’s my opinion as to why
- The maternal (dam line) of the progeny of any stallion genetically contributes more to progeny performance than does the paternal sire line which has a primary sex determinate function
- This does not mean that the sire is not important – he is, but this is in the context of how the “excellence” genes carried by the dam can reinforce the maternal line of the sire
- The more that the mating of a sire and dam can create an affinity(magnetic attraction if you like) between the excellence genes carried by both the greater the chance (everything else being equal) of an above average breeding result
Obviously at conception many other factors come into play including rogue or corrupted genes, which excellence genes are either expressed or suppressed and then once the foal arrives issues related to type, temperament, health, injury, horse management etc; which will always mean that no matter how hard we try, there will be a waste factor associated with the breeding industry
Whilst phenotype is obviously important to try and get right it would seem that the weighting apportioned to this by some stud farms may be overstated given the results achieved by many great stallions both on the race track and in the breeding barn which have been criticized by some expert horseman as having type impediments (e.g. Bettors Delight and In The Pocket)
Taking the three stallions nominated one by one and applying this research provides the following insights
ART MAJOR
Champion pacer in the highest company
By a champion sire (Artsplace)
From a maternal line that produced multiple champions
Stood at leading USA stud and received large numbers of genetically compatible
well performed broodmares
Champion USA sire with progeny earnings in excess of $US 91,000,000
Stood in Australia at a leading stud in the leading breeding state
Received large numbers of genetically compatible well performed broodmares
Potent genetic excellence affinity with leading broodmare sire Fake Left
Champion Australian sire
RESULT – TICKED ALL THE BOXES TO BE A CHAMPION SIRE IN BOTH USA AND AUSTRALIA
LIFE SIGN
Champion pacer in the highest company
By a champion sire (Abercrombie)
From a maternal line that produced multiple champions
Stood at leading USA stud and received large numbers of genetically compatible
well performed broodmares
Champion USA sire being ranked the eleventh highest ever pacing sire by progeny earnings now exceeding $US 115,000,000
Stood in Australia at a leading stud in the leading breeding state
Compatible Australian broodmare gene pool significantly smaller than that of USA
Australian stud results inferior to that of USA for this reason
His average earnings per foal is around seven times less than his USA results
RESULT – TICKED ALL THE BOXES TO BE A CHAMPION SIRE IN THE USA
SAME STALLION BUT NOT AFFORDED THE SAME GENETIC POOL OF QUALITY MARES TO EMULATE HIS USA RESULTS IN AUSTRALIA
ALLAMERICAN INGOT
Millionaire pacer against the elite company (Art Major, Mach Three, McArdle etc)
By a champion sire (Western Hanover)
From a maternal line that produced multiple champions
Stood at USA studs which did not attract large numbers of genetically compatible
well performed broodmares
Successful sire in USA from limited opportunities (Over $US 22,000,000 in progeny earnings)
If Allamerican Ingot’s earnings per foal of $51,270 were applied to the same number of foals as Art Major this would equate to progeny earnings of $US 56,000,000
Stood all Australian seasons to date in the small Western Australian market
Received very limited numbers of well performed genetically compatible broodmares
Did not receive the opportunity to tap into the much stronger numbers of appropriate gene pool well performed broodmares mares available in the major Eastern states markets of Victoria and New South Wales
RESULT – WELL ABOVE AVERAGE SIRING RESULTS WHEN MATED WITH SMALL NUMBERS OF GENETICALLY COMPATIBLE BROODMARES IN THE USA
WELL ABOVE AVERAGE SIRING RESULTS WHEN MATED WITH VERY SMALL NUMBERS OF GENETICALLY COMPATIBLE BROODMARES IN WESTERN ASUSTRALIA
IN CONCLUSION
These three examples demonstrate that even the best bred stallions that have succeeded against champions on the racetrack all rely heavily upon the genetic compatibility of the “gene pool” in the territories in which they stand; together with the numbers of well performed broodmares they receive, which at conception create the genetic excellence affinity required to produce well above average performers
This is why stallions that receive small numbers of the right mares find it impossible to compete in the breeding barn
These stallions can often provide breeders with low cost and very successful options if they are clever enough to identify which sires best genetically suit which mares that also have some proven evidence of above average performers in their maternal line
Regards,
Ray Chaplin
Equine Excellence
July 27th 2016
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
