Jury Rules Against AQHA Cloning Rules

A jury found the AQHA’s rule forbidding the registration of cloned horses is a violation of antitrust laws.
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Owners of cloned Quarter Horses might soon be able to register their animals with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA): a Texas jury has found the association’s rule forbidding the registration of cloned horses is a violation of federal antitrust laws.

Some owners have used the cloning process—which was first performed on horses in 2003—to preserve their animals’ bloodlines, particularly those of high-performance equines. In response to cloning as a way to preserve bloodlines, some breed associations ruled on whether or not cloned horses can be included in their breed registries. In 2004 the AQHA board of directors approved Rule 227(a), which prohibits cloned horses or their offspring from being included in the organization’s breed registry.

Last year Jason Abraham and two of his related companies, Abraham & Veneklasen Joint Venture and Abraham Equine Inc., filed suit against the AQHA in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division. The complaint asks the court to order the AQHA to remove Rule 227(a) on grounds that the ban on registering cloned horses and their offspring violates antitrust laws.

According to a written statement from the AQHA, on July 30 a 10-person federal district court jury found that the rule violates both state and federal antitrust rules

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Written by:

Pat Raia is a veteran journalist who enjoys covering equine welfare, industry, and news. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her Tennessee Walking Horse, Sonny.

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