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On a quiet stretch of Grose Vale Road in North Richmond, world-leading science is taking place. At Catalina Equine, a local facility that has become the heart of Australia’s horse cloning industry, more than 80 foals have already been cloned putting the Hawkesbury on the global map for cutting-edge equine genetics.
The story was recently spotlighted on ABC News Radio’s The World Today program, which explored how horse cloning has moved from experimental science to a commercial reality.
Why Clone Horses?
For horse breeders, particularly in elite polo, racing and performance sports, cloning offers a way to preserve bloodlines that might otherwise be lost. A stallion that dies unexpectedly or a mare that cannot carry a foal can still pass on their genetics. Skin cells, even taken after death, can be used to create a genetically identical horse.
“Cloning isn’t about replacing nature it’s about protecting it,” explained John Farren-Price of Catalina Equine, in the ABC report. “It gives breeders a chance to preserve the genetic excellence of animals that have proven themselves at the very highest levels.”
Local horseman Ben Kay, a polo player who now owns a cloned horse, told the program the process allows players to keep legendary lines alive: “These are horses you could never replace any other way.”
An Ethical Debate
Not everyone is convinced. Professor Russell Bonduriansky, an evolutionary ecologist at UNSW, warns that cloning narrows the genetic pool. “If we rely too heavily on cloning, we lose diversity,” he said. That could leave animals more vulnerable to disease or reduce resilience in future generations.
Others point out that the foals, while genetically identical, are not perfect copies. Their upbringing, environment, and training still shape who they become. A cloned champion is not automatically a new champion.
North Richmond Leading the Way
For the Hawkesbury, Catalina Equine has made the region a centre of international attention. The facility offers not just cloning, but a full suite of advanced reproduction technologies including embryo transfer and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection).
As ABC reported, it’s a far cry from the days when Dolly the sheep the world’s first cloned mammal made headlines nearly 30 years ago. What was once experimental is now available as a service to Australian breeders, right here in North Richmond.
A Point of Pride for the Hawkesbury
While the debate continues, one thing is clear: the Hawkesbury is home to groundbreaking science shaping the future of animal breeding worldwide.
For our region, better known for its farmland, polo fields, and horse studs, the fact that North Richmond is home to Australia’s premier cloning centre is a story worth telling. It shows how local expertise can play a part in global innovation blending tradition, technology, and a fair share of community pride.
Explainer: How Horse Cloning Works
Cloning might sound like something out of science fiction, but it’s a process that has been used in animal science for decades. At facilities like Catalina Equine in North Richmond, cloning has become a practical breeding tool. Here’s how it works.
1. Collecting Cells: A small skin sample is taken from the horse to be cloned. These cells contain the animal’s complete genetic code. In some cases, the sample can even come from a horse that has already passed away as long as the tissue is preserved in time.
2. Preparing an Egg: An egg cell is collected from a donor mare. The nucleus (which contains the donor mare’s DNA) is removed, creating a “blank” egg.
3. Transferring DNA: The nucleus from the skin cell of the horse being cloned is inserted into this empty egg. The egg now carries the DNA of the original horse.
4. Jump-Starting Life: The reconstructed egg is given a tiny electrical pulse to kickstart cell division. At this stage, it begins behaving like a normal embryo.
5. Implantation: The embryo is implanted into a surrogate mare, who carries the foal to term.
6. The Foal is Born: The result is a foal that is a genetic twin of the original horse. However, environment, upbringing, and training still shape how the young horse develops meaning the clone won’t necessarily have the exact same personality or abilities as the original.
Why It’s Used
Preserving elite bloodlines: Protects valuable genetics when a horse dies young or cannot breed.
- Extending performance success: Polo and performance horses with proven records can be replicated.
- Insurance against loss: Owners can safeguard genetics that might otherwise be gone forever.
While cloning preserves genetics, it does not replace the need for good breeding practices. Every horse cloned or not still needs care, training, and a chance to develop its own story.
