HSI Geneticist Dr Jennifer Doyle Presents Irish Sport Horse research at 74th EAAP Congress, Lyon

HSI geneticist, Dr Jennifer Doyle presented the ‘Genetic covariance components of conformation, movement and athleticism traits in Irish Sport Horses’ at the 74th annual EAAP + WAAP + Interbull Congress in Lyon, France.

The Irish Sport Horse studbook utilizes the linear profiling system to evaluate animal traits during the studbook selection process. Genetic parameters of linear descriptive traits have been extensively researched in continental warmbloods but no such research has been conducted in the Irish Sport Horse population. Therefore, the objective of this work was to estimate the genetic parameters of the linear scored conformation, movement, and athleticism (jumping) traits in the Irish Sport Horse and to determine their suitability for inclusion in a national genetic evaluation for sport horses.

This research was co-authored by HSI Head of Breeding, Innovation and Development, Dr Sonja Egan and Associate Professor Alan Fahey at UCD’s School of Agriculture and Food Science. The presented conference abstract is available to read HERE and a copy of the presentation available HERE.

This research was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine research Stimulus fund 2019R588. Genetic Indexing supported through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Equine Technical Support fund.