12/08/08 Scampy's clone

Would you spend thousands of dollars to own a clone of Trevor Brazil's roping horse Texaco or Charmayne Jame's barrel horse Scamper? Not me, but I am from the "old school" that still believes in breeding for quality. I'm Jeff Keane after the break I'll be back and add my "two cents" on cloning. With the horse market venerable to economic downturns and over breeding why do we need cloning? But again, that 's just this my opinion. What do you think Susan ? Jeff my first response to those folks in line to breed to Clayton cloned from Charmayne Jame's famous barrel horse Scamper would be, prove it! Prove to the world that Scampers clone can run barrels in record time. If he could then you can be sure Charmagine James would have him in training and not offered as the first commercial breeding clone in the U.S The Olympic show jumper Gem Twist was cloned last year in France and again the yearling clone will by pass the show jumper circuit and go right to the breeding barn. Come on, is it all about money&.or more about letting the cat out of the bag; that a clone can't guarantee a champion. So Jeff, do you think the circumstances Scamper faced in the feed lot prior to running barrels could have created his extra grit and drive? Would Gem Twist have jumped the moon under someone other than Leslie Howard? I think we all know those answers and that is what makes working with horses a daily adventure not, in my opinion, a science experiment. I'm Jeff Keene.