Animal cloning is a reproductive technique that makes it possible to produce genetically identical individuals. This technique has been used in various fields, such as medicine, agriculture and livestock (research). In the field of equestrian sport, animal cloning is becoming an increasingly popular tool.
Recently, “Otterongo Alpha Z”, a cloned horse, won the CSI5*-W 1.55m Grand Prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Otterongo Alpha Z is a 9-year-old KWPN (Dutch Warmblood) horse. The original horse, “Otterongo van de Kopshoeve”, was a horse with a top sporting career. He won a number of major prizes, including 4th place at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.
The cloning of ‘Otterongo van de Kopshoeve’ was carried out by a team of scientists from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The team used a cloning technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In this technique, the nucleus of a somatic cell from an animal is transferred into a recipient egg cell without a nucleus. The resulting embryo is then transferred into a recipient mare.
Cloning makes it possible to produce horses that are genetically identical to other important horses. This can help breeders and riders to obtain horses with the desired characteristics.
