SOME breeders expressed frustration this week at being effectively caught in the middle of an apparent DNA impasse which is leading to lengthy delays in registering their warmblood foals for certain studbooks.
In some cases, potential sales of foals have already fallen through and the affected breeders are now becoming more frustrated as the weeks pass by with no resolution in sight.
It’s understood there are over 15 warmblood foals affected and that figure could be higher.
One breeder told The Irish Field this week: “I have everything paid and the DNA samples submitted to the Horse Board. My foal was sold subject to the passport being issued. But it went on so long that my buyer walked away, he told me he could not wait. It’s not fair. I believe the Horse Board are doing all in their power. There seems to be a tussle between Horse Sport Ireland and the Warmblood Studbook of Ireland over the DNA but it’s people like myself and others like me who are stuck in the middle.”
Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have been in touch with several of the affected breeders over the DNA issue.
Another small breeder outlined to The Irish Field how they sent off fees and kit in October to HSI to register their warmblood foal, only to encounter the same long delays, which are still ongoing.
“I did not want to register the foal with the WSI, I wanted to register the foal with HSI. I paid a release fee to WSI for that and was told that everything had gone in to HSI and that the delay must be an issue from the HSI side.
“I rang HSI who seemed to be doing all they could. I then rang Weatherbys and was informed there was a note on the file stating that the samples cannot be used without the permission of (a named WSI person). I felt I was being given the runaround by WSI and when I rang WSI again, I got nowhere, it has all been a huge hassle to say the least.
“I now have a yearling out in the field that has not got the green passport I wanted or any passport at all at this stage. I can only get a white passport or I have the option of going with a foreign studbook but then being ruled out of some of the good HSI classes and the RDS that I hoped to aim my horse at in a few years’ time. The fact is that my options are severely restricted now. If someone came to buy the yearling now, the price is going to be a lot lower.
“It’s disgraceful and quite frightening that this could happen in this day and age, breeders like me are really being held to ransom. I also met people online in the Irish Breeders’ Forum who have the same problem. We counted 15 warmblood foals affected between us, but there could be more, and certainly people should be made aware that this is happening with the breeding season coming up again. I am a small breeder, involved all my life, I never heard of anything like this happening and it’s a really eye-opener.”
DNA BLOCK
Horse Sport Ireland’s Director of Breeding, Alison Corbally, told The Irish Field this week: “We have been trying to register foals for a number of breeders since last year. However, Weatherbys will not process the DNA due to a block being placed on the use of specific horses’ DNA profiles.”
The Irish Field also contacted Weatherbys DNA section on Thursday and was told: “Weatherbys cannot comment. It is a matter for HSI and WSI.”
There was no reply to a press query to WSI on this DNA issue by the time of going to press yesterday.
Meanwhile, WSI’s Facebook page posts include: “Among the many studbooks that cooperate with WSI in sharing DNA profiles are KWPN, HOLST, SF, BWP, sBS, OLDG, OS, Z, SWB.
“WSI shares DNA profiles on a reciprocal basis with studbooks throughout the world so all our breeders benefit from cooperation.”