Apr
11
2023
Last year, the PRE Stud Book (LG PRE ANCCE) registered 12.607 new Purebred Spanish Horses (PRE) in its Birth Register (6,141 stallions and 6,466 mares) and registered 2,943 new stud farms. Thus, as of December 31, 2022 the breed's census stands at 275,018 horses (136,213 mares and 138,805 stallions), belonging to 46,345 active stud farms in 67 countries. PRE Horses represent 70% of all equines registered in Spain.
Of the newly registered stud farms, 46% are outside of Spain, mostly in the USA, Italy and Germany. The other 54% of the stud farms are located in Spain, with Andalusian leading the ranks (46%), followed by Castilla-Leon and Madrid.
Likewise, 10,389 changes of ownership were processed. Of these international changes, most were from the United States, Mexico, Italy and Germany. Also, 5,979 Basic Assessments for Breeding Stock were carried out. It is noteworthy that authorized LG PRE ANCCE veterinarians took 23 trips abroad for assessments (revisions); including but not limited to the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Sweden, New Zealand, and New Caledonia (France). This fact shows that the promotional efforts in recent years to make Purebred Spanish Horses known the world over are beginning to pay off.
Quality Certification
The quality of LG PRE ANCCE services is certified by UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 standards. Year after year, the indexes for quality, efficiency and reliability increase, which has earned the Stud Book office international recognition, to become a reference for other equine breeds, especially in Europe.
The ANCCE Molecular Genetics Laboratory has the latest in equipment and performs genetic parentage analyses on all PRE horses seeking registration, wherever they are located in the world. This laboratory is one of the few in Spain that has Quality Certification based on UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 Standards, and with ENAC accreditation based on UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards for the “Genetic profile identification, identity and parentage verification using microsatellite analysis (Short tandem repeats or STRs) and AME marker by means of PCR and capillary electrophoresis” for equines. It is noteworthy that this is the first and only laboratory in Spain that is certified to “analyze the genetic markers involved in equine coat colors.” This certification, backed by ENAC, places this analytical laboratory at the forefront to the business to guarantee that all services meet the highest standards. This endorses the excellence of the work carried out, thus resulting in greater efficiency and improvements in the services offered to Purebred Spanish Horse (PRE) breeders the world over, as well as other breeds and species. Moreover, the laboratory is authorized by the Andalusian Regional Government and Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as well as being certified by the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG), which includes this laboratory in Ranking 1 for accuracy, with 100% of the samples coinciding in the external quality control tests performed.
Genomics
Currently, scientific research is making tremendous progress, which is revolutionizing horse breeding. This, in turn, translates into improved equine performance, welfare, longevity and health. ANCCE is involved in a genomics project that facilitates an increase in the speed and magnitude of the genetic progress in PRE Horses. It also leads to the early detection and verification of inherited traits that entail considerable economic costs, which translates into financial benefits for stud farms. ANCCE will also implement a digital tool for breeder to integrate all of this easy-to-use information when anticipating selection or performance problems and to make rational breeding decisions based on reliable data to avoid losses, reinforce resources, and attain faster and more efficient genetic progress to establish quality PRE standards on national and international markets.
Genetic Selection
From the standpoint of genetic selectin, the LG PRE ANCCE Stud Book published the genetic values and indexes for all horses that were genetically assessed throughout 2022. These horses were evaluated based on the registered performance controls (11,024 control for Dressage and 158,179 controls for Conformation (Lineal Conformation Score)). When it comes to conformation aptitudes for Dressage, the genetic values for 37 different conformation traits and the Global Genetic Index (GGI) were also published. In the case of Dressage, the genetic values for six (6) variables and the GGI for each horse were also published.
The 103 horses earning any one of the genetic categories included in the PRE Breeding Program were published in the 2022 PRE Breeding Stock Catalog. 62 earned the category as Young Recommended Breeding Stock, 22 were considered Improver Breeding Stock, and 18 earned the category as Elite Breeding Stock.
Throughout 2022, ANCCE and LG PRE ANCCE Stud Book representatives participated in trade ferias, congresses, provided breeders and enthusiasts with training courses and held meetings with authorized veterinarians and international collaborating associations to refresh and learn about new procedures and legislative changes. Likewise, contacts were made with a number of organizations, establishments and institutions, including, but not limited to Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Governments, ASAJA (Agribusiness Association for Young Farmers), the MERAGEM Research Group. Also, ANCCE, as active members, participated in a number of meetings with WBFSH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses), WHIRDEC (World Horses Identification, Registration and Data Exchange Committee), FEAGAS (Spain’s Royal Federation of Select Livestock), FEACC (Spanish Federation of Horse Breeders’ Associations), COPA-COGECA (European Farmers-European Agi-cooperatives), among others.
