Many years ago my father created a model: a formula for breeding on ‘selection’.

It was primarily based upon his genetic models for breeding high-quality dairying cows when he was a New Zealand Friesian breeder of 40 years.

The adaption of this procedure screened those genotypes on general conformation, strength, size, capacity and temperament.

He found certain thoroughbred blood-lines fell into ‘categories’ and the identified Bruce Lowe numbers conducted as female-traits.

It worked over 5 generation pedigrees with the concentration of blending highly successful individual horses presented by present and past breeding and racing performances.

It illuminated the ‘bands’ of horses, whether they’re in-bred too close (to narrow) or the outcross a too wider scope.

Over time it gave specific relationships and also the family lines which impressively  impacted.

As it was his opinion, many are genetically  too much of nothing – as same with thoroughbreds which had fallen to commercial ‘interest’ sires rather than revolutionizing the thoroughbred pedigree  to its source strength.

The homework he emphasized was always at the 5^th – 8^th remove where blood-lines converged & amassed their genetic arrangement. This zone, is very specific & very demanding as to accuracy of prior breeding.

It meant where or how, the genetic breeding arrangements clicked into place for the progeny to ‘fire’.

As a stockman he would calculate the model, his expectation in physicality. Meaning the conformation must carry ‘weight’ correctly and action ‘weight’ correctly. It was ‘physics-in-action’ of what he really meant as most stockpersons would appreciate, a something-about-it, the animal that you cannot express. Only that… it-meets-the-eye, rightly.

Equally, astute judges of stock will always appeal to ‘feet up’. Feet, legs to support structure and purpose of physique.

In presence of horse talkers…”it’s a good one”, has over-generalized subjective tones.

As proud, graceful creatures they are yes, good ones. They will all, in a sense, carry royal blood breeding within, but the determination is different from sire to sire.

Pedigree works on paper but it is the foal as it grows which is to express the spirit of equine racing.

View it with intelligence, the intelligence from a strong ‘knowing’ head, the eye alert to its terrain interpreting information upon a strong, supple neck, wide girth and an action of movement which is simply ‘harmonics’.

Each, every element goes into consideration of what the thoroughbred is capable of.

Pentire, sire of Prince of Penzance