Critical Mass

The Tipping Point of Sport Gene Saturation

Our goal as Sport Horse Breeders is to produce high quality sport horses on a consistent basis. We can increase the odds of success in our breeding programs by "stacking" the genetic deck in our horses.

The Thoroughbred experts have coined a phrase:"critical mass" to describe the state when pre-potency for sport success reaches a level and consistency that the winners are produced on a regular basis.

"There can be no doubt that careful balanced inbreeding and linebreeding to superior strains (especially those that reflect the background strength of the pedigree) will maximize the likelihood of producing a superior performer." (Porter & Peters)

Sport Horses, not being pure-bred like Thoroughbreds, make this goal appear to be very difficult. If you approach your sport breeding aims with the idea of building up special bloodlines rather than focusing on the "breed", I believe you will find it an easier task.

Depending on the quality of your starting breeding stock, if you carefully select their mates, it can take anywhere from 1 to 3 generations to reach the "critical mass" point. It is important to take the time, and possibly an extra generation if needed, to build up the genetic power in the far reaches as well as a focal concentration closer up.
Even the master (Tesio) took 2 or 3 generations to develop his winners. The surest way to see what constitutes critical mass, or that genetic tipping point where the quantity and quality of superior sport genes start producing winners is to look at the lineage of individuals that demonstrated the ability to produce many good horses.

Flugeladjudant is a Hanoverian sire of the past who will be a good subject for our study. He not only sired many sport winners, but he also begot 2 stallion sons who established lasting pre-potent performance lines. We discussed the dressage line of his son Wohler on the World Cup I-V page, he also is the sire of Florestian II who started a very successful jump dynasty. I think it is fair to say that Flugeladjudant had reached that tipping point of genetic power. His pedigree should be an illlustration of critical mass.

Flugeladjudant's lineage, while possessing many great duplications of good genetic transmitters is clearly dominated by inbreeding 2x3 of the full siblings Alonia/Alkoven. Alonia and Alkoven are themselves 3x4 to full siblings (sisters). This powerful configuration is further intensified by the sire Alderman and grandsire Alnok having additional lines with other individuals. You will also see a similar concentration in the sire line where the line founder Fling is 2x3 to sisters, the daughters of King.

Let's take a look at another. Landgraf I is a more recent example of a producer of multiple champions. In fact, he is still rated #1 in progeny earnings, and he was the most important sire of jumping horses in the world. Landgraf is interesting also because he is a cross-breed (Pedigree). He is by a Thoroughbred sire out of a Holstein dam. This should make breeders take notice, that Landgraf, possibly the most pre-potent Warmblood sire of all time is in fact a Thoroughbred cross. His sire Ladykiller is 3x3 to the 3/4 brothers Fairway and Colorado (Phalaris line). His dam, the Holstein Warthburg, is 3x3 through her dam to the 3/4 brother and sister Olina and

Loretto. So Landgraf is out of two inbred parents- we have seen this pattern before in some very good producers. -such as Mumtaz Mahal.

In Landgraf there is background reinforcement for both of the pairs of 3/4 siblings. And there is also some far back duplications that cross and connect the pedigree halves (Dark Ronald and Isinglass)- so this is not a total outcross. Studying the pedigrees of the most successful horses of the past is the best way for us to determine what really works.

We can see from these two historic super sires that full and 3/4 siblings play an important role. Even in a cross-bred individual we can see that concentrating the bloodlines in the individual seperate breeds, is something that works very well. The reinforced Thoroughbred lines clearly being as important in Landgraf as the Holstein contribution. This should tell us not to be afraid to build up the good Thoroughbred lines in our sport horses.

Both of these examples are "stacked" genetic decks, able to significantly upgrade their descendants for generations, and an illustration for us of what works.

Even breeders with limited resources can build up genetic power in their horses by making the most of the lines their breeding stock contains.

This author is always financially challenged, yet is able to get in the sport horse game. If you would like to see a glimpse of my struggles to build critical mass on a shoe string see Joy.

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