136 SIDELINES JANUARY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
significant incident flabbergasted Mark: the clone crossed one
foreleg over the other to scratch the outside of his other leg. “We
went to see the clone in Texas when he was just 60 days old
and he did it in the stall,” Mark recalled. “Sapphire would do it in
crossties, in the stall and even with me riding him. I haven’t seen
too many horses do that – he looks like a circus horse, reaching
across and itching almost all the way up to his elbow. To see the
baby do it without even meeting the original was just a riot.”
It also opened a lot of questions about sharing cellular memories.
This could bode well for Saphir when he begins his competitive
career. “He’s only three and I’m hoping he makes it all the way to
grand prix,” Mark said. “That’s going to be our science experiment.
I definitely want to see what Saphir can do. His conformation is the
same, he’s a beautiful mover, has a beautiful shoulder, great hip, it
seems like he should be able to jump.”
As for Spectacular, Mark said, “I think we’ll start out in hand
and let him do the hunter breeding and get experience going
to horse shows. They’re both absolutely beautiful. I know looks
aren’t everything, but when you’re around them every day, they’re
stunning horses – beautiful faces, big expressive eye. We won’t
know about either one for a few years, but I ride six days a week
and I’m planning on staying in the game for another 10 to 20
years.”
Kathleen shares Mark’s opinion that Spectacular is an amazing
foal. “He’s super friendly, you can do anything with him,” she said.
“He’s perfect conformationally, has a huge eye, wide forehead,
beautiful face, and three great gaits. Sapphire’s first foal is very
exciting. It all depends on how he comes along. Time will tell. I
have to say, in 30 years of breeding, this is the nicest foal I’ve
ever had. The magic of the creative process is alive and well with
cloning.”
Author’s Note: Kathleen disclosed that it was not easy to
register. When the time came to register Saphir, the American
Spectacular and Bella
Spectacular, by Sapphire Z (Saphir) out of Bella Dancer. When
Kathleen McNulty emailed this photo to Mark Watring, he replied:
“I know that eye.”
Holsteiner Horse Association wasn’t willing to register a cloned
horse. However, in the Netherlands, the Zangersheide (mostly
Dutch, Holsteiner, French, and Belgian bloodlines) had registered
nine cloned horses before they accepted Saphir on the basis of
Sapphire’s outstanding show record. Their naming convention
registered Saphir as “Sapphire Alpha Z.” Nowadays most breed
registries are more open about accepting cloned horses. Since
Sapphire Z is only rising four, we’ve come a long way, baby.
