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The shuttle horses were coming out of Canadian stud farms and slowly the number from the states has increased, just happens it has taken place
along with the rise of the Aussie Dollar$$$$$ and the introduction of the limited service books.
Six years or so the limiting of their service numbers started at 210 for pacers and 180 for trotters? this I read somewhere.
G'day all. To clarify the above, I’m having a fair jab at Thomas there but obviously he’s not Ken Jackson. However it does remain my contention that this 'gene pool is shrinking' routine largely began to get air-play in the lead up to then reached a crescendo upon the arrival of Christian Cullen at Kentuckiana. Further to this I believe it was irresponsible as it was used a marketing angle, one that was co-opted for stallion promotional purposes and it served to put an unfounded scare into breeders who invariably seek to do the right thing by their mares and the breed as a whole. Perhaps Noel & Dobby pulled a kind of ‘National Broadband Network’ thing, like that dreamt up on a short flight between Canberra and Sydney by Oz’s former PM Kevin Rudd & Sen. Stephen Conroy? Maybe little or no more thought went into it than that? Who knows? Whatever it was, in my opinion breeders and the breed were done a significant disservice greatest at the time. The absence of contrary thoughts being aired anywhere else saw an idea with no real scientific basis nevertheless grow wings & fly in the wider consciousness....instead of it being clubbed into submission ‘juvenile Mutton Bird’ or ‘baby Harp Seal’ fashion (apologies for the gruesome imagery there). Maybe it was simply that both back then and apparently right through up until today, some people either forgot or were just not old enough to remember back to the very same Chicken Little 'the Sky is falling' routine being pulled by those who was said the breed had been irreparably saturated with Meadow Skipper influence? History has shown those fears to have been completely unfounded then, just as the regurgitated and rebadged version thereof is today.
Whilst on the subject of History, it is of course the greatest of all predictors of the future. The fact is that the breed always finds an out. That is the basic nature of Nature, it is the basic nature of Genes. It is the basic nature of Life itself. Given even only half of half of half of an opportunity it will always find a way to continue. As I said above, we’re now blessed to have front row seats to what promises to be one of the greatest shows of our generation. We might well see a couple of trans-generational horses that took things to a whole new level on the racetrack go on to take things to a whole new level in the breeding barn. Now wouldn't that be something?
I still think the limit should be at least 200, to level the playing field.
I think that free enterprise should rule. Let every cat take care of its own mouse.
Pussy do what?
G'day Peachey,Quote:
Originally Posted by peacheymagic
Australia and NZ will not follow suit, not in a million years, and here's why.
In citing the regulations in the US/CAN as support for their cause, many people in this part of the World are overlooking the SOLE ECONOMIC REASON why there is support for restricted books in the USA/CAN. Up there the sole focus of the major studs/breeding farms/breeders is selling Yearlings in order to make their $.
On the other hand, down here the major focus of the Studs, both major and otherwise, is to sell semen/services in order to make their $.
There is a VAST difference in the respective economic factors that drive and directly influence the financial viability of each approach.
Introducing to the Southern Hemisphere, for the most part no doubt hand on heart altruistic motives, that which is in place in the US/CAN for wholly, solely, totally Economics driven control the supply chain to match the demand motives...simply will not work within the current structure/financial framework of the Australian and NZ Breeding Industries. In fact it would serve to kill off the shuttle importations of the top echelon of sires virtually overnight. Restriction Of Trade legislation here in Australia would knock any such move over in a heartbeat...but even if that legislation were not in place, would you honestly risk a return to the not so distant (for me at least) bad old days of half baked never were's, glorified ex claimers & the tried and failed ?
The AU dollar being where it is makes it attractive for both parties, I will look up some numbers that stallions breed. The top ten sires from last year.
TripleV123 has the AI in thoroughbreds court case finished, was it based on Restriction Of Trade?
Not sure about the TB's AI case justdoit. As an aside, Gerry Harvey is one of its biggest supporters I believe.
Gerry is of course blessed with enormous ability and common sense, unlike the anti AI argument spouted by the likes of John Messara & Co. One only has to review Messara's comments during the early days of the EI outbreak here in Oz to realise, and if the truth be known initially much to my horror, that the Emperor has no clothes...but I digress.
The only exception where Oz Restriction Of Trade legislation does not apply is a situation that is arrived at where an Industry unanimously agrees to voluntarily restrict whatever the subject product or service happens to be. Though they could of course 'self limit' individual high profile/high demand sires should the economics allow it or more likely the fertility of a popular horse dictate it...but there is no way known the big Southern Hemisphere Studs ever go for it as a broad brush Industry rule/regulation.
Hi Triplev123
Its going away from the topic for a second but i thought if anyone would know you would is Rocknroll Hanover standing at Nevele r stud next year.
G'day Mango,
No definitive yes or no here, sorry. Haven't heard a peep. It would make a great deal of sense however.
Perretti & Nevele R are pretty tight, have been for quite a while (Falcon Seelster, McArdle & so on + some Trotters too I think? ) and that shit-bag Gov. Christie & the rest of the AC Lickspittles & Lap-dogs in his administration are Hell bent on scuttling racing in NJ, the same State where RnR Hanover stands.
Add to that the fact his son Rock N Roll Heaven has now gone straight to NY State after initially looking like he was going to Perretti in NJ & the money-for-jam extra income from shuttling any profile sire down here to stand in the NA off-season... and I think we have 9/10ths of the puzzle completed.
The general tip I got was that the Oz/NZ Sires Roster for the 2011/2012 Season will be all but indistinguishable from the current season's USTA Sires Roster so that gives you some idea of the number of sires being considered for shuttle duty. Save physical infirmity or fertility issues, looks like it will be on for young and old.
The Oz $ running at parity +++ against the USD is doing the possibility of that happening no end of financial good as well. Several pundits are actually tipping 1.10+ & pretty soon too.
That makes sense to me also because while ever the economic policies of old mate Obama and that stunningly incompetent Trickle-down Clown come Goldman Sachs beholding Glove Puppet in Ben Bernanke...cause the US Fed to keep on printing money...money that's notably backed by nothing save IOU's to the Chinese....then the OZ $ will stay as solid++++ as Granite.
Sadly we can't escape the machinations of the folding stuff, not even for a minute and even when breeding our beloved horses. :-(