Some 20 years ago, I was inspired to explore thoroughbred maternal families & to thoroughly examine the evolutionary roots.

The principles to TBL writings … always carry principle to the matri-lineal with their mitochondrial heritages where these come into genetics & what has ‘selection’.

The research focuses superior genetic configuration – something more ‘hidden beneath the layers’  and  beyond the commercial analysis narratives to a ‘how’ superior breeding might be crafted. 

Pheno-type is absolute to accompany a special latent factor to superior type.

My  father always said… ‘how it hits you in the Eye’.

The hidden defining character and how it ALL comes to together for that special horse, called The Champion.

I am a regular commentator to the Facebook group Bloodlines in the Sport of Kings and St Simon,

I sincerely hope you Enjoy and take great benefit from this site.

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Post my fathers death, I wrote this article which was published in the New Zealand Farmers Weekly.

Not of a thoroughbred subject it is to conveys or emphasize the practical breeders acumen.

“When the old dairy farmer deceases he takes his theories and unwritten practices with him.

His knowledge lost in the midst of today’s breeding structure.

Ray Bielski was a Friesian breeder of 40 years who figured genetics into efficient, economical models. He skilfully integrated the scientific nature of epi-genetics and transposing genetics through all difficult times.

The cows were of exceptional conformation which maximized production on diverse old-pasture varieties with native species upon a small acreage. The grass would hold through the dry.

He had a familial approach with cows rather than exclusive production. The soil and herbage in all climates resisted to maximise productive growth capacity and to drive high consistent averages with minimal unproductive expenditure.

His breeding model was common-sense designed on a three ‘T’ bovine stool measured by teeth, tits and toes.

The physics was a robust, squared mouthed cow which would graze and masticate correctly. Her teats good and even spaced on a well-structured attached udder supportive for calf and machine with hoof and feet for walking distance and support of weight.

The basic principles are obvious.

His objective as a young man was to breed a herd which focused the cows’ production equating to her body weight showing her ability of her conversion of grass to milk solids.

The results were that 30 cows in his herd were at the top of the region’s milk production; every cow did double the production of the average. His 50 cow herd matched the average herd production in the region.

He preferred to use the home-bred sires or used an A.I outcross when maternal blood-lines merged to close. He had long time departed from using Americanised siring lines.

The favoured idea of line-breeding was always breeding back to strong producing families which fitted his objectives and fitted the environment. He understood the peaks and the cycles within breeding as to fully explore potential crossing back over a grand-dam trait.

When the calves where born he knew whether his intention had succeeded, simply that the calf was strong, intelligent headed and of good bone.

He individualized all animals screening their components for production based on temperament, capability, constitution or strength and conformation. These elements got the animal to flourish at its best from birth to departure.

A practise in future-capacity-building was to rear calves all on warm whole milk and allowing them to have approximately 5 litres per day and with milk never older than 12 hours. Milk was by using the older ‘first-in’ cows as to reduce somatic counts. The results were that yearlings were comparable in size to most R 2’s and when going to the bull, were almost fully grown.

The work paid off. Two year olds went to peak production immediately. Their constitution endured and the consistent production endured while animal health bills hardly ever registered.

Dairy NZ and Fonterra representatives had wanted to know what his secret was. Numerous records of immaculate shed hygiene, and milk quality where enviable but he disallowed the interest preferring to focus on fundamentals called ‘his cows’.

Many may have scratched their heads at the old buggar but he took his principles and made his own solutions.”