In several blogs recently I’ve looked at yearlings who have some level of line breeding or inbreeding, in an usual or particularly interesting way.
Joe Louis (Art Major x Snap Wilson) is Lot 456 at the PGG Sales of the Stars Premier yearling sale in Christchurch (17 & 18 February), and what caught my eye about his pedigree is how few double ups there are, especially to Meadow Skipper, in the first 6 generations.
You can see if for yourself using the TestMating programme on the Alabar website, or Tesio or equivalent if you have it. But basically the nearest double up across the sire’s pedigree and the dam’s pedigree is Albatross 4×6 and Bret Hanover 5×4. There is plenty of Adios on both sides, but only in the 5th and 6th generation, and Tar Heel pops up twice on both sides but only in the 6th generation.
So although there will be plenty of Hal Dale and Dale Frost beyond that in Joe Louis’ pedigree, he is beautifully outcrossed in his first four generations or so.
What sires are filling the gaps? In the dam’s pedigree those two outcross sires Falcon Seelster and In The Pocket certainly help, and throw into the mix Live Or Die and again the Meadow Skipper influence is pushed back a generation or two. Art Major’s damline includes another outcross sire in Big Towner (Gene Abbe), as well as Nihilator (who puts Meadow Skipper another three generations back), and his sire Artsplace is by Abercrombie who, thanks to his maternal line, is very much an outcross sire as well.
Joe Louis has a supporting cast of super broodmare sires in his corner who are extremely capable types – Big Towner, Overtrick, Adios Butler, Bret Hanover, Tar Heel, Shadow Wave, Good Time.
Closer up in his pedigree, Joe Louis’ maternal line is a series of “one offs” – His third dam (3 wins) had just one foal, and his second dam also has had just one foal. All of them have been winners. Joe Louis is the dam’s first foal and here’s hoping she has a few more – all winners – to give the family a bit of width!
Joe Louis is bred by Pat O”Brien in Blenheim and prepared by Lisa Daley at West Melton.
b4breeding 
So really, the genes passed on here could come from anywhere and it is likely they’ll not be the ones your want. As a one off, fine, could be awesome. Keep doing it and see how far you get.
Yes, but this yearling is one example of many – out crossing nowadays means pushing back the Meadow Skipper influence a few generations and letting other influences come through more strongly.Genes passed on can “come from anywhere”, true, it is a bit of a gamble. But is it that random? Out crossing – or as farmers put it “hybrid vigour” – has a long history of helping to keep breeds current and supple in their genetics. The truth is, we cannot keep out crossing because our standardbred pool is finite. But I am not sure what you mean about “see how far you get”, inevitable – yes – you go back to common ancestors. Like us humans. But that doesn’t invalidate line breeding or out crossing as techniques within the wider pool does it? Like to hear what people think on that issue.
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