a vet, I found nothing wrong with her and mounted her. That was when I perceived she had superior sensitivity. The problem was that if you gave her counter instructions, the mare would become displeased; she felt bad. She had a special sensitiveness, which is why I bought her, for her superior sensitiveness.”
MG:“ And she was the founder of your breedingstock through her bloodline.” APH:“ Al my breeding stock was based on Polo Nevadito, Polo Pureza and Polo Sol Puro. They are the founders of my bloodstock.”
MG:“ Did they all share that characteristic of great sensitivity?” APH:“ I started to hold on to the most sensitive. When Purita proved that she was a crack player, Eduardo Harriott gave me Highlander, already old, as a gift. A son of Seductor, winner of 5 races, very small. I also bought High Host, a son of Highlander so as to keep up the bloodline, all of the same blood.”
BB:“ High Host, sire of Polo Pureza.” APH:“ I line-bred Purita— daughter of Highlander— and High Host— also a son of Highlander— and the result of this union was Polo Pureza. In the exaggerated quest of following blood-lines according to aptitude, I use consanguinity, which is also arguable, and as one has to apply strict selection, it is probably not the best choice financially, but in order to fix a characteristic or quality, consanguinity fixes special characteristics. You must be prepared to discard what does not work.”
MG:“ Talking, for example, of Nevadito, he was a horse of great sensitivity, and he passed on this trait almost inevitably when mated to any mare.” APH:“ Selection, after the choice of biological parents requires that we look into which transmit or pass on the traits you expect them to and which don’ t through progeny testing.”
MG:“ And did Sol with Polo Sol Puro add anything to your bloodline?” APH:“ Sol displayed to advantage as a superior horse on the Polo field, but his male offspring were rather violent; too strong. With Polo Pureza, her great sensitivity was an added value. When I follow bloodlines and when I practice consanguinity, I probably seek superior sires to transmit different qualities, which does not mean that they are superior in their direct use. But when bloodclashing occurs between two different individuals, we have hybrid vigor; sometimes that vigor hides limitations; it not always transmits what we seek, as opposed to bloodlines that transmit their special qualities properly when they are superior.”
MG:“ Hypothetically, if someone with an unlimited budget were to hire you as an advisor regarding their breed, what would you advise them to do?” APH:“ As a breeder, I would advise them to follow bloodlines, to the point of consanguinity in some cases. Maybe in order to produce a crack player one may have to cause blood clashes, which in zoo-technology is known as commercial cross breeding. For example a Shorthorn bull with an Aberdeen Angus cow: it produces a commercial product, but nobody breeds from commercial products. The most exaggerated example is that of hybrid chickens, but that chicken is not used to breed from. The cross is for consumption and the bloodline is for upholding the breed.”
MG:“ Of all the well-known bloodlines, which would you recommend to a breeder who is starting up?” APH:“ I would seek among the superior mares that are the offspring of a bloodline and not the result of blood clashing. In the case of Cuartetera, I’ ve known her from her roots: Ranchera was her
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