Clone of high showjumping stallion Pacino revealed

A clone of the late showjumping stallion Pacino turns three this 12 months – as his proprietor says the similarities between them are “uncanny”.

Pacino, by Diamant De Semilly and out of a Muguet Du Manoir mare, was purchased as three-year-old and produced by Clem McMahon. Pacino competed on the World Breeding Championships for younger horses in Lanaken as a six-year-old, and as an eight-year-old was making his mark on Nations Cup groups. Clem and Pacino had been on the Irish crew that received the Hickstead leg of the Nations Cup in July 2012, and the next month did the identical in Dublin, leading to Eire lifting the Aga Khan trophy. Pacino completed the 12 months because the main eight-year-old showjumper on the planet.

Clem informed H&H that on the finish of 2012, there had been quite a lot of “critical curiosity” in Pacino, and he felt “on high of the world” fascinated with the place they’d go the next 12 months.

“I used to be wanting ahead to all the large exhibits and the championships. He was very nicely bred and the plan had been for him to even have a breeding profession. However then in January 2013 we found a problem together with his kidneys,” stated Clem.

“Inside three weeks he was lifeless and buried. It was a horrible blow for the entire household. We all the time thought if he was ever to get injured we’d have him in a stud capability, so to lose the whole thing introduced very low instances.”

Clem and the unique Pacino. Credit score Trevor Meeks.

Clem stated he determined to take tissue samples from Pacino.

“I had heard of horses being cloned beforehand,” he stated. “I simply actually believed in Pacino; the standard he had, the extent of scope and carefulness, and the rideability – these three issues hardly ever come collectively in a single package deal.

“I made a number of inquiries. I knew I wasn’t capable of [clone him at the time] however I assumed it’d give me the choice later down the road, so I made a decision to take pores and skin samples and put them in storage.”

Two makes an attempt had been made to clone Pacino, in 2015 and 2016, which had been unsuccessful, however Clem tried once more in 2019.

“I bought a mare referred to as Paparazzi who was positioned within the Dublin grand prix, and promoting her gave us the chance to attempt cloning once more,” he stated.

“The opposite factor that inspired us to attempt once more was seeing how profitable Pacino’s offspring had been that had been coming by means of. From very restricted numbers he had an unbelievable strike charge for producing high degree showjumpers and a few excellent four-star occasion horses.”

Pacino II, the clone of Pacino, was born in 2020.

Pictured: Pacino II. Credit score: Damien Eagers/The Irish Area

“He was a cracking foal – and three years on he’s a lovely, huge, scopey mannequin that is sort of a carbon copy of the unique,” stated Clem.

“It truly is uncanny. The way in which he even appears to be like at you, it’s important to do a double-take. They’re so related in character. I had Pacino from when he was three which is good, and this horse shall be produced precisely the identical manner, so it’s attention-grabbing instances forward.”

Clem determined to maintain the delivery of Pacino II quiet till he was older whereas they watched how he would end up, however now the MacMahon household is wanting ahead to Pacino II’s future. A few of Pacino’s offspring embrace Bertram Allen’s Tokyo Olympic journey Pacino Amiro and Max Kunher’s five-star grand prix winner Cooley Bounce The Q, and the plan is for Pacino II for use as a breeding stallion.

“Pacino was very profitable, in order that’s why this was finished as a breeding challenge. From April we’ll be supplying semen from Pacino II,” stated Clem.

“Perhaps later down the road he would possibly compete, however this was about breeding. I would like Pacino offspring again within the yard once more. We had been fortunate to have them for 3, 4 years, however I’ve to say you actually miss them within the yard. They had been all good sorts, all very nice to journey – and then you definately had the prospect of additionally falling on a celebrity.”

You may also be focused on:

Cloning is an idea that, for many individuals, continues to be shrouded in thriller. Right here we deliver you solutions to some

Horse & Hound journal, out each Thursday, is filled with all the most recent information and reviews, in addition to interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and coaching recommendation. Discover how one can get pleasure from the journal delivered to your door each week, plus choices to improve your subscription to entry our on-line service that brings you breaking information and reviews in addition to different advantages.