Racing Mule genes?

oleos93 · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:56 am Post subject: Racing Mule genes?

Sorry if not putting this is the correct category,

I love to watch the Mule racing when they have it in CA, not sure where elce they do. But am wondering is there a Mule pedigree data base for these racing Mules? Is there a board like this one where one talks about the great racing Mules of old times or the up and coming new ones?

They have some nice looking Mules and the breeding has to be intense when you can't bred a "champion" Mule to produce another one. There must be a lot related. Would they not have to keep rebreeding the same sire and dame every time, at least if they are a low scale breeding farm and are limited to one to three mares and one stud?

I am curious what their breeding is as I know they are mostly crossed with either TB's or QH's. Are there any well known TB's that sire or give birth these winning Mules?

casallc · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:55 am Post subject:

It will be nature vs. nurture when the University of Idaho's two mule clones Idaho Gem and Idaho Star take to the racetrack at Winnemucca, Nev., June 3 and 4 for the first leg of mule racing's triple crown. Sponsors believe the mules will become the first cloned athletes to participate in any sport.

After Winnemucca, the clones are expected to race at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton, Calif., two weeks later, and may continue racing on the California fair circuit throughout the summer.

Idaho Gem, born May 4, 2003, is the world's first clone born to the horse family. Idaho Star, born July 27, 2003, followed the birth of a horse clone in Italy and his triplet brother mule clone Utah Pioneer born June 9, 2003. The three were born as a result of Project Idaho, a six-year collaborative project, involving University of Idaho Veterinary and Animal Science Professors Drs. Gordon Woods and Dirk Vanderwall and Utah State University Animal Science Professor Dr. Ken White.

The three mules were cloned from mule fetal skin cells so there is no adult animal with which to compare them. More important, however, is they will provide a unique test of whether genetics or environment, nature or nurture, is most important.

The mules are leased by two mule-racing businessmen, Don Jacklin of Post Falls, Idaho, and Roger Downey of Albuquerque, N.M. The businessmen hired two trainers, who have different training methods, to prepare the mules for the track.

The mules' genetic heritage is from a racing line. Their Quarter Horse dam, Mesmerizer, and Spanish jack donkey sire, Coalee McGee, were paired to produce several outstanding racing mules, including world champion Taz. http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/index.php?query_type=horse&horse=MESMERIZER6&g=5&cellpadding=0&small_font=1&l=

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=6941

As a side note I inherited a daughter of Rocket Wrangler (QH) and out of a Gray Dream (TB) mare at the end of breeding season for the board bill. I gave her to a guy who was a mule racer who turned her in with a jack. The resulting offspring won the world championship mule races that were held in Albuquerque, NM back then.

Sailor Kenshin · Starters Handicap Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Posts: 606

Mule racing? Now you got me interested.

I want to see This gal.
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Somebody bet on the gray!

docjocoy · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:51 am Post subject:

A great treat for anyone who likes mule racing was to hear Trevor Denman call the mule races at the LA County Fair. It was great! Unfortunately they discontinued the mule races last fall, so I hope they bring them back. Trevor's calls were priceless. You would think Zenyatta was running down the stretch. And frankly it was nice that he did justice to the calls, no mule discrimination here! Very Happy

Shammy Davis · Chef de Race: Classic Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 4451

I too get a big kick out the mule racing. I wasn't aware that it had been discontinued at the LA fair. A race between two cloned mules will be interesting, but I'm not sure what it will tells us, unless of course, they finish is a dead heat.

griff · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:30 pm Post subject:

casallc

I was surprised to read a donkey jack was used for part of the genetic base for these clones instead if an ass jack, or jack ass

I've seem some donkey mules and was underwhelmed. But then I have not seen many.

griff
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"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]

casallc · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:15 pm Post subject:

oleos93 · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:40 am Post subject:

I guess what I want to know is, are they hand picked like TB's and is the breeding done on a whim or do they have thought behind it? Is there a Mule registry they have to be registered with to race or can anyone slap a Mule together and race it.

I am just wondering all the in's and out's of it as it seems to be as complex, and I believe there is betting, as the horse racing.

Do they except any bred cross with the Mule for example? And is it a Donkey mare and a horse sire or a Donkey sire and a mare horse?

So many questions... Confused

Bast · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 2:10 am Post subject:

Sailor Kenshin · Starters Handicap Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Posts: 606

Do they have the same size as TBs?
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Somebody bet on the gray!

ak1 · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 9:45 am Post subject:

They can be the same size as TBs. my grandfather had a matched set of grey saddle mules. DC was out of a TB dam and AC was out of a TWH or Saddlebred dam. They were large and build like their dams not like their sires. Lots of fun to ride! He preferred mules for hunting as they were better than a horse for night riding (in his opinion as I have no clue!)

casallc · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:58 pm Post subject:

oleos93 · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:30 pm Post subject:

Then what is it when the sire is a horse and the mare is a donkey?

casallc · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:44 pm Post subject:

oleos93 · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 4:36 pm Post subject:

Casallc.....why are they harder to come by? So one would not race a "Hinny" in the Mule race circuit?

Does anyone know of some Mules that have a different bred for a dame, say Arab, that races?

I don't know why after watching Mule racing for a few years, why now I am curious as to all that goes into it.