Planning breeding with the best stallions without having to interrupt the mare’s activity for a year and a half is now a reality. Thanks to OPU-ICSI, this is possible. This revolutionary procedure allows you to schedule the foal’s birth according to competition and training calendars, providing unprecedented flexibility for owners.
Tomorrow, January 9, 2024, at Ovohorse, two magnificent Show Jumping stallions will be available for this procedure: “Conthargos” and “Cornet Obolensky”.
Conthargos
This chestnut Oldenburg stallion, standing at 1.72 meters, has had an impressive career both in sport and breeding. At four years old, he triumphed in the Deister Championship in Dobrock with an outstanding score of 9.5. His legacy is remarkable, with renowned offspring such as “Conthalou,” Double Champion Stallion, and “Coeur Rouge,” Westphalia Champion Stallion. “Conthargos” passed away a year ago, and since then, his genetic material has become even more valuable, as it is now limited to the straws already available. Today, owning a “Conthargos” is both a promising sporting bet and a “romantic” gesture for high-level Show Jumping breeding enthusiasts.
Cornet Obolensky
This 1.72-meter grey stallion, born in 1999, is one of the great figures in Show Jumping. His career includes major achievements: victories in three Nations Cups (2008, 2011, and 2012), the CSI5* Grand Prix of Zurich, and the Samsung Super League Final in Barcelona (2007 and 2008), several second-place finishes at CSI5* events in Doha and Bordeaux, and participation in the Beijing Olympics, among others.
The quality legacy transmitted by “Cornet Obolensky” is reflected in his sons, especially “Comme il faut,” who ranked in the top 10 of the WBFSH 2013 ranking. Additionally, “Clooney,” “Cornet d’Amour,” and “Cornado NRW” compete at the highest level. In Spain, he is one of the breeders’ favorite stallions, evidenced by his numerous representations at the latest Ancades edition.
What is the OPU-ICSI technique?
This technique involves the in vitro production of embryos from elite mares and stallions. Through follicular aspiration (OPU), oocytes (eggs) are directly extracted from the mare’s ovaries via transvaginal access. These oocytes are then carefully matured in the lab before being fertilized using Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
The resulting embryos are vitrified and stored in liquid nitrogen, allowing owners and veterinarians to select the best recipient mare and schedule the transfer for the most suitable birth dates.
At Ovohorse, this technique is applied to both mares and stallions with reproductive issues, ensuring optimal results. From older mares with reproductive challenges to stallions with low sperm motility, OPU-ICSI provides solutions to all these cases.
Being able to schedule foal births with assisted reproduction techniques, using surrogate mares to carry the embryos, streamlines the management of competition stables, where pausing a mare for a full season plus nursing time can disrupt competition calendars and affect the mare’s performance. Thanks to these reproductive techniques, the mare can become a mother while continuing her competition career.
