Horse Board aims to improve genetic evaluation

IRISH Horse Board director general Nicholas Finnerty concedes that genetic evaluation is not perfect, because results from other countries cannot be included in the Irish system, but says the board is working with European-based organisations to gain access to competition data from abroad.

“At present we cannot get access to international competition data. We are working with the FEI and the WBFSH (International Equestrian Federation and the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses) to get access, but it is not there in accessible form,” he said. “We are a couple of years from achieving this”.

He says genetic evaluation should be used as “a tool” by breeders. “We want to educate breeders, and genetic evaluation does work,” he said.

The board is working towards getting access to Eventing Ireland’s competition data.

The IHB describes the breeding values derived from genetic evaluation as “an objective estimate of the ability of a stallion to produce progeny capable of competing in and winning high-level show jumping competitions. The estimates for breeding values for show jumping ability are based on information on show jumping horses competing in Ireland, as recorded by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland.”

An accuracy figure for each breeding value reflects the amount of information recorded for each stallion; more information means greater accuracy. If there is a deficiency of information — as there is with foreign-bred stallions in Ireland — the accuracy of a breeding value is decreased.

The IHB recommends that breeders seek information from abroad on foreign stallions standing in Ireland, to get a more accurate assessment of their breeding merit.