In the past few years horse cloning has become a big industry, largely in Australia. Entrepreneur and horse enthusiast John Farren-Price started Catalina Equine in 2017. On its sprawling grounds near the Hawkesbury River, just outside of Sydney, this operation has successfully cloned more than 80 horses. High among these inspired accomplishments is that of Rex, a champion racehorse and heir to the turf’s greatest legacy – his unmatched skills. Rex has only six clones, but one of the six is Rex’s fifth clone, Charlemagne. Farren-Price expects to produce nine clones in total in the near future.
Cloning has become a more accepted practice within the equine industry, as its benefits in preserving desirable traits are more widely recognized. Whether or not the clones of Rex will show the same demeanor is uncertain, but Farren-Price is optimistic about it. With a 60 percent success rate in transferring cloned embryos to surrogate mares, Catalina Equine is at the forefront of this innovative field.
Cloning animals is not a new concept. It first caught the world’s imagination when scientists cloned Dolly the sheep back in 1996. So much has changed since then that it’s resparked interest in cloning horses and in cloning domesticated animals.
The Process of Cloning at Catalina Equine
At Catalina Equine, we start the cloning process with a herd of broodmares. We “flush” these mares each month to retrieve their eggs. This process is similar to the IVF techniques employed in humans. Farren-Price explains that it has taken them 2 years to research and develop the technology necessary for the actual embryo transfer. Because of that, she got a foal from the pairing.
As you would expect, the operation uses cutting-edge technology to guarantee an effective cloning process. According to Farren-Price, “Then you lose about 10 percent [of those embryos] following transfer at about 45 days.” Even with these hurdles, the upside is substantial enough that investment and research into cloning technology presses onward.
Her commitment to cloning horses is driven by a wish to be able to reproduce the all-important special spark that makes great animals so great. He noted, “We looked overseas, looked at the technology and came to the realization that it was certainly doable … to clone a horse in Australia.” The strides taken in this field are a testament to the technological progress being made to the world of genetics.
Business Implications and Market Demand
Demand for horse cloning has also boomed, with Catalina Equine now costing around $50,000 per clone. The total cost of our service is competitive with other animal cloning services available. In fact, the American company Viagen charges upwards of $76,000 to delete and recreate cats and dogs.
The impetus for cloning is usually presented as wanting to ensure we can replicate genetic lines for stellar animals. Richard Fry, a professional in the field, remarked on the niche nature of this market: “It’s still a very niche market because the thing about cloning is that you don’t actually improve the genetics.” Some owners are motivated by a need to retain rare genetics, stating, “Sometimes it might be because someone has bought the last live Brahmans into Australia, and so they want to keep those genetics going.”
Just like the success stories of cloned horses, these add to the allure of the industry. For instance, Adolfo Cambiaso, an Argentinian polo player, rode six clones of his champion horse Cuartetera during a single match in 2016. Fifteen clones of Cuartetera have sold for as much as $800,000 at auction, demonstrating the money-making possibilities that cloning holds, particularly in equestrian sports.
Ethical Considerations and Future Prospects
The ethical issues of animal cloning remain a contentious point between researchers and animal supporters. Professor Russell Bonduriansky emphasizes that while significant progress has been made, many questions remain unanswered: “More generally, we still don’t really understand the issues around aging with cloning.” As cloning techniques grow more advanced, conversation about their use will grow louder.
Clyde Prestowitz of the scientific community supports both the promise advances in cloning technology and the dangers cloning poses. As Bonduriansky pointed out, “Now that we can clone all these other mammals, including monkeys, there’s nothing stopping somebody from cloning humans.” This declaration about state activity poses critical questions about the future of genetic manipulation and what ethical borders it might transgress.
Despite these reservations, horse cloning offers promising new options for breeders and owners alike hoping to replicate superior equine traits. As Farren-Price stated regarding Rex’s clones: “She can hopefully do what the original was going to do.” The groundbreaking research and treatment success at Catalina Equine still have roots that reach up the tree and into the future.
