Regarding sport aptitude the ABFP-tests provide the most essential information for the stallion selection. During the sixth stud season twenty descendents will be selected for testing to establish the genetic gift for sport aptitude. The estimation of breeding values for sport aptitude will be based on the ABFP-tests. Stallion information regarding their offspring’s aptitude for sport based on IBOP-results or competition sports won’t be available until much later. However, it’s interesting to consider the average IBOP-results of the stallions’ offspring and to weigh this outcome against their ABFP-test results and their achievements in sports.
Diagram 1 reflects the average scores of a stallion’s offspring in IBOP-riding tests and IBOP-driving tests. The diagram incorporates IBOP-tests from 2005 until May 2013. Only those stallions are listed who have at least fifteen descendents with recorded test results. The differences prove to be substantial, with a significant gap of five points between the highest and the lowest stallion. Additionally, the diagram shows the breeding values for sport aptitude which are based on the ABFP-tests of a stallion’s offspring. As it turns out there is a strong link between a stallion’s breeding value for sport aptitude and the average IBOP-scores of his descendents. Good indicators The relation between breeding values for sport aptitude and IBOP-averages is significant. It is interesting to take a closer look at how the outcome of aptitude tests translate to results in competition sports.
Diagram 2 provides an overview of stallions who have at least five descendents with the Sport predicate. Since the number of descendents vary considerably from one stallion to the other, this fact in itself is not too convincing. To get a more realistic picture the number of descendents with the Sport predicate has been matched against the number of Studbook-registered mares born before 2006. On the whole it is safe to assume that stallions whose offspring are doing well in aptitude tests have a higher average number of descendents that acquire the Sportpredicate. However, there will always be exceptions to the rule. Nevertheless, it may be concluded that the aptitude tests are good indicators for sport aptitude and therefore of great value to breeding.
As posted in the July Phryso 2013
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