ENGLISH TEXTS practiced in Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands— but not( yet) in France.
AXELLE NÈGRE DE WATRIGANT:“ ABUS- ES THAT ARE HARD TO CONTROL”
Breeder and president of the AFAC( French Association of Arabian Racehorse Breeders), Axelle de Watrigant explains that artificial insemination is essential for this breed:“ Our industry is 100 % international, and we have many stallions in France that are highly sought after by foreign breeders. Artificial insemination is a fantastic technique in terms of sanitary safety and because it avoids transporting mares— but unfortunately, regulations evolve more slowly than scientific progress.” The French studbook for Arabian Thoroughbreds allows a mare to produce two foals per year: one she carries herself and another carried by a surrogate. But this rule is being bypassed, as a mare can have two foals registered in France plus others-by one or several stallions- born abroad through embryo transfer. These offspring are registered in the studbook of their country of birth. Although ICSI is strictly prohibited by the WAHO( World Arabian Horse Organization), it is beginning to be used in this context because it facilitates the transport of frozen embryos. As a result, it is not impossible to see two maternal half-siblings born the same year starting in the same race.“ The France Galop racing code prohibits the participation of two full siblings of the same age,” notes Axelle de Watrigant.“ If that very rare case arises, a draw determines which horse remains in the race. Unfortunately, the code does not forbid two same-aged horses from the same dam but different sires from competing in the same event.” AFAC advocates for aligning international regulations with the French model: no more than two offspring per mare per year( one carried, one by transfer). But reforms are difficult to implement.“ At the last WAHO meeting in April, the idea began to gain ground but has not yet become mandatory-only strongly recommended. However, mindsets are changing, as the biggest sponsors of our races, like Qatar and Abu Dhabi, have decided to support the French rule. Animal welfare and genetic diversity must come first.” Axelle de Watrigant is not in favor of introducing artificial insemination for English Thoroughbreds.“ Beyond the issue of genetic narrowing, I see it as a major risk overall. If it were ever authorized, a very precise and extremely strict regulation would have to be established in advance-and on a global scale- to prevent any abuses.”
IMMEDIATE ARTI- FICIAL INSEMINA- TION IN TROTTERS
In French trotters, natural covering has become very rare. Instead, immediate artificial insemination using fresh semen is the standard practice: the stallion is collected, and the ejaculate is divided into doses that are used within a very short timeframe on mares present on site. The number of breeding certificates is limited— ranging from 20 to 100 depending on the stallion’ s performance. Stallion semen can be frozen for export abroad, but foals resulting from such inseminations are not eligible for registration in the French Trotter studbook. Embryo transfer is only permitted in very rare cases and only for infertile mares that have competed at the highest level. Since the French Trotter is a breed with its own national studbook, the regulation of reproductive practices is easier to oversee and adapt in this breed than in the vast and diverse world of equestrian sports with its many“ planets”!
173 # 8