Abstract

Currently there is no genetic evaluation of sport horses in New Zealand. The aim of this study was to develop a prototype model for genetic evaluation of New Zealand sport horses. Official performance data for the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons were obtained from Equestrian Sport New Zealand. Data on dressage points per start (Dpps), eventing points per start (Epps,) and show jumping total prize money (Stpm) were examined using descriptive statistics. There were between 902 and 1,472 horses registered in each discipline. All three data sets were skewed but approached normality after a log10 transformation. Overall between two and eight percent of sires in each discipline had five or more progeny records available for genetic analysis. A sire model with fixed effects of season, gender and age and a random effect of animal were used to calculate estimated breeding values (EBVs) for each discipline. EBVs for Dpps ranged from -0.066 to 0.158, for Epps from -0.076 to 0.182, and for Stpm from -0.523 to 0.993. The use of EBVs could lead to increased genetic gain and improved performance of New Zealand sport horses. However, the current data recording has several limitations.

FE, Creagh, N Lopez-Villalobos, RE Hickson, and Rogers CW

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 72, Christchurch, 3-7, 2012