Tag Archives: Tiziu de Maripa

Breeding, Foundation MMs, Frozen Semen, History, SW Future Foals, SW News

SW Update – Vigor for the MM Breed

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by Lynn Kelley

We met the precious cargo at Scottsdale Equine Reproductive Center!

In 2011, we were unbelievably excited to receive the first shipment of frozen semen exported from Brasil.  Ho-hum, you say.  It happens all the time.  NOT!   We had worked for over four years to see this happen.  There were two main issues.

In Brasil, each breed is regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture.  For this to work, the ABCCMM had to modify its registration regulations, which had previously not allowed the use of frozen semen.  Then the Ministry of Agriculture had to create the rules for exportation for the MM and approve veterinarian clinics for collection and exportation.   To our knowledge, there are only 2 clinics in Brasil that have been approved so far.

 

Ximoio de Maripa semen arrived in 2011 from Agro Maripa! He is pure blood Abaiba of very old genetics.

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The second is that there is not much demand for frozen semen in Brasil.  With so many horses and land, often the preferred method of breeding is still live cover.  For us to get Brasilian Marchador semen, the breeder needed to want to do this for us — for the good of the Marchador breed around the world.

Enter Mr. Marcelo Baptista, owner of Agro Maripa who fulfilled our dream.   Agro Maripa collected and shipped 3 Maripa stallions of excellent quality and impeccable lineage to us in March 2011.

 

Frozen semen (and later frozen embryos) is very important for the future of the Marchador breed here in the U.S.  Imported frozen semen adds many things:

  • Talisma Kafe, from Haras Elfar, is a stallion whose semen has been collected and we are working through the importation process for 2012

    Diversity — new bloodlines, new individuals to the North American gene pool.

  • Quality — these stallions are first-rate individuals, champions in their own right and proven producers.  Often not for sale, frozen semen offers a way to bring their blood here.
  • Excitement — it is exciting to be able to have a larger catalogue of beautiful Marchador stallions to choose from.

 

 

 

Connie Claire with La Paz Jivago foal DaVinci do Summerwind. DaVinci was the first MM foal born using frozen semen in the U.S. We are expecting a 2012 foal from Oma de Maripa using his frozen semen!

 

For us the diversity and quality were the key items.  The excitement is just an added bonus!  We could have an immediate boost in quality in one generation.  For diversity, one could argue that we are okay there for now.  Because we  are fortunate to have many breeding stallions here in the U.S., enough to breed the mares and cross-breed the resulting next generation.  But what about the third, fourth and fifth generation?

We may not be alive to see those MM foals born, but we are doing this for them.  Continued importation is the key for maintaining and improving the quality of the Mangalarga Marchador breed here.  We plan to import more semen, from different bloodlines and make it available  – a semen bank for eternity.

 

 

Frozen Semen, History, Press Release, SW Future Foals, SW News

SW Update – The Brazilian semen arrives!

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Four years of effort – numerous trips to Brazil!

You may think in these days of AI and technology breeding, even cloning of animals, that this would have been easier.

However, in Brazil, each breed has its own rules, regulations and approvals required by the breed association and the Ministry of Agriculture.  For the Mangalarga Marchador, the Association did not allow breedings using frozen semen.   Their rules had to be changed.  Then the Ministry of Agriculture and the ABCCMM needed to work together to set up the guidelines for semen and embryo exportation.

Finally, the rules were changed in 2009.  In 2010, the Ministry of Agriculture approved a few equine reproduction centers as export centers for the Mangalarga Marchador.  When we met with breeders, the response for exportation was lukewarm.  They did not need to collect or freeze semen for their own use – it was an inconvenience.  The North American market was tiny, with only 200 horses, perhaps 80 breedable mares.   (The Brazilians do not believe in crossing out to other breeds – their passion is the Mangalarga Marchador!)

The Maripa Stallions

Then, over the internet, we meet Sophia and Marcelo Oliveira Baptista, from Agro Maripa.  We imported one of their mares, Azenha de Maripa in 2004.  Mr. Marcelo graciously agrees to be the PIONEER – to collect and ship frozen semen to us.

In 2010, the shipment is ready and sent to the U.S.  We were so excited, but that first effort fell short.  A paperwork error caused the USDA in Tennessee to deny entry to the U.S.  The semen tank had to be returned to Brazil.  With time clocks ticking, the liquid nitrogen charge did not last and the shipment was destroyed at the airport.

Miracles do happen!  Mr. Marcelo wanted to collect and ship again!  At 12 noon on April 12th, we met the FEDEX truck at Scottsdale Equine Reproductive Center!   And our new dream became reality!

John and Lynn Kelley meet the FedEx truck for the precious cargo!

Three stallions were exported in this historic package:   Oma de Maripa, Tiziu de Maripa and Ximoio de Maripa.  They are shown in our stallion pages.  Great representatives of the Mangalarga Marchador breed and reproducers in Brazil and now here in the U.S!