In the News: ‘Cloned quarter horses get victory in federal court’

A challenge to the American Quarter Horse Association’s ban on cloned animals has resulted in an overturn of the rule.

The action was filed in Amarillo last year by rancher Jason Abraham and veterinarian Gregg Veneklasen, both of Texas. The plaintiffs asserted that the AQHA’s ban on registration of cloned horses and their offspring violated the federal Sherman Antitrust Act and the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act.

According to a NBC News story published this afternoon,

Abraham and Veneklasen, both members of the association, had argued that cloning would strengthen the quarter horse breed by re-introducing champions who are deceased or unable to breed, and could help reduce disease by enabling breeders to “silence detrimental genes.”

Opponents of cloning within the association countered by saying that natural breeding produced the most desirable traits and that cloning undermines the progression of the breed. They also pointed to the chance of growth defects displayed in other cloned animals.

An overview of the case, with comments from an AQHA spokesman:

[Pronews7]

The issue isn’t unprecedented in horse sport. Last year, the FEI Bureau reversed its position in regard to cloned horses, saying it would not forbid clones or their progeny from participating in FEI competitions.

Read the full story here.