Siblings

The Positive Genetic Impact of Close Siblings
in a Sport Horse Lineage

Statistically, adding close siblings of important ancestors has proven to be one of the most significant pedigree designs you can create to upgrade your sport horse's potency. The power in the presence of siblings, especially full or 3/4 will be explained here.

In a previous article we discussed the big breakthrough for Thoroughbred breeders and pedigree researchers was when they discovered that for champions they needed both the x and the y chromosome material. Even today many breeders don't value the contribution coming from the mare or from female descendants of great horses. History has shown that breeding back to only the male decendents of great sires causes loss of ability and potency, usually completely by the 3rd generation.

That is the general truth, but there is more to this than just adding the female ingredient. Research has uncovered that a dramatic upgrading occurs when 3/4, 7/8 and full siblings are brought together in a lineage. We can thank all the Thoroughbred pedigree scholars once again for this break through. And then we can be intelligent and apply it to our own breeding decisions.

"Only by reducing the genetic pool by duplicating superior ancestors can certain gene groupings be reinforced." (McLean)

The Thoroughbred researchers, by studying the pedigrees of not only performance champions, but the individuals that have a lasting impact on the breed, it became apparent to them that siblings, especially full and 3/4, are the strongest and most lasting genetic power in the champions of yesteryear.

Our own studies shown on this website show the same findings. See Flugeladjutant and Landgraf on the Critical Mass page for a couple of very good sport horse examples of this power.

The scholars were all rightfully fascinated by the success of Tesio, he produced 3 of the major lines of the modern Thoroughbred: Nearco, Ribot, Donatello. But perhaps a more telling fact of his success was that he was able to produce winners of the top races year after year after year- more than anyone else before or since, and he did it with less capital.

One of Tesio's favorite lines to build into his herd was Tracery, and so we will use him as our illustration of sibling power. Tracery, a Rock Sand son, was bred by August Belmont- the breeder of Man O'War, and he was sent to England to race. While there he won several stakes including the St. Leger and he sired a few crops with many stakes winners.

In those crops were Cottage, who will be familar to Sport Horse breeders. Cottage heads a fabulous jump line and he sired 3 Grand National winners. Cottage Son, one of the premier jump and surprising, dressage lines of today, is out of a Cottage daughter. Sport breeders will also recognize the Tracery daughter Nera da Bicci, a Tesio product, sold to Germany where she created a racing dynasty, including the German Derby winner Neckar. And Princequillo is by a daughter of Tracery's son Papyrus. Papyrus won the English Derby.

Maybe Tesio was the only one who realized how great a genetic gift Tracery was, for he was soon sold to Argentina. With Tracery out of Tesio's reach, he would use Papyrus, Tracery's son, to get the valuable Tracery bloodlines. When it was realized in England the error that was made in shipping Tracery to Argentina, he was bought back by a racing syndicate in England, at a huge price.

Read more about Tracery and his sire Rock Sand.

Looking at his pedigree you will probably come to the same conclusions the researchers did.

Tracery 7 generation pedigree

Tracery has sex balanced inbreeding 3x3 to St. Simon and his full sister Angelica. Moreover, he has the hard to find female lines of the super mare Pocahontas, plus multiple other duplications of note. Ken McLean says "Very few pedigrees with such intense concentration could be found in the Stud Book to match Tracery's genotype...".

There are 4 sex balanced lines of Stockwell in Tracery and he too is a worthy study for the power of siblings in a pedigree. Stockwell is 4x4x4 to the full brothers Whalebone, Whisker and their full sister Web. Stockwell was called the "Emperor of Stallions" because of his pre potence for racing greatness. Rataplan is a full brother to Stockwell and Ayacanora is a 3/4 sister to both of them.

This much concentrated full sibling presence is rare even in Thoroughbreds. As Sport Horse breeders we will not have as many opportunities to make the full and 3/4 sibling progeny duplications of a superior ancestor, but we should strive to. The results are spectacular.


Ramiro- a study of sibling power through the generations

World Cup I-V, full Hanoverian Brothers
Calypso I-V, Holstein Full Brothers
See also Matcho, an Anglo-Arab with multple full siblings
Man O'War and his 4 Full Siblings