Clones set to feature in Irish horse breeding

Cloning has become an important technique for some Irish breeders, says Horse Sport Ireland.

He was speaking after news that two clones of champion stallion Cruising — Cruising Arish and Cruising Encore — will be available to Irish Sport Horse breeders in 2015.

Damian McDonald, Horse Sport Ireland chief executive, said artificial insemination and embryo transfer are in wide use in sport horse breeding. “The international governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale, allow clones to compete and we altered the rules of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook in recent years to permit the registration of clones,” he said.