Bookie Wants to Stop Race Horses From Having Sex

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Published on :

10 December, 2009

An Aussie former bookie named Bruce McHugh would like race horses to remain virgins....forever.

McHugh is challenging the worldwide ban on artificial insemination in thoroughbred breeding.

He has mounted the challenge to force the Australian Stud Book into accepting racehorses bred by artificial insemination (AI).

Arguments for the thoroughbred AI ban are principally the need to maintain genetic diversity and to keep small stud farms in business.

Semen from one current covering could be divided into several "straws", frozen and sold around the world. This plentiful supply would make top stallions a lot cheaper for mare owners, and loosen what McHugh sees as a big stud stranglehold, according to the Times of New Zealand report.

Australia argues that such a measure would "render the country unable to export horses to major markets where the ban remains in place - killing its breeding industry."

McHugh was responsible for causing Australia's biggest gambler, Kerry Packer, to lose big a few years back.

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