110 • THE PLAID HORSE
Equestrian Watch: Sapphire Clones Seen in Saratoga
“She was one of the greatest horses of the century,” American show jumping icon George Morris says of the late Sapphire. The horse of a lifetime, the ultimate competitor or companion, one of a kind, irreplaceable- if only they could be replicated. With the advent of new genetic technology, the option of cloning is available to the public. What is a clone? Technically, a cloned horse is not an exact replica of their DNA donor. It is defined as “an organism developed asexually from another and genetically identical to it, such as an animal produced from an egg cell into which the nucleus of an adult individual has been transferred.” To achieve a horse clone, the DNA of one horse is transferred into a donor mare egg which has had its genetic material removed. The resulting embryo is implanted into a host mare for gestation. If all goes well, eleven months later she will produce a foal that is a clone of the DNA donor. While clones are genetically similar to their DNA donor- in this case, Sapphire- they are not identical. As the embryos develop, they receive the mitochondrial DNA of the donor egg. After birth, the mitochondrial DNA reproduces and distributes new cells, creating a road map for a genetically unique horse. The resulting offspring will have traits of the DNA donor, but will not be identical. Sapphire has two six year old clones, named Kidjaz BC and Kara BC. Both owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock, owners of Sapphire, these mares are debuting on the American showjumping circuit. Kidjaz BC bears a striking resemblance to her famous relative, with her rich, chestnut color and unusual star and stripe. Ridden by Senan Hayes, the mares competed in the Training Jumper division at the Saratoga Classic Horse Show in Saratoga Springs, NY. Cloning is a hotly debated topic. Many question the ethics of genetic manipulation or claim an unfair advantage to breeders using the cloning process. Others laud the opportunity to perpetuate the “one in a million” genetics of champions. Either way, the American equestrian world will always hold Sapphire dear and root for the success of these two young horses. ◼ BY HEIDI KEENEY