It will be nature vs. nurture when the University of Idaho’s two mule clones Idaho Gem and Idaho Star take to the racetrack at Winnemucca, Nev., June 3 and 4 for the first leg of mule racing’s triple crown. Sponsors believe the mules will become the first cloned athletes to participate in any sport.

After Winnemucca, the clones are expected to race at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton, Calif., two weeks later, and may continue racing on the California fair circuit throughout the summer.

Idaho Gem, born May 4, 2003, is the world’s first clone born to the horse family. Idaho Star, born July 27, 2003, followed the birth of a horse clone in Italy and his triplet brother mule clone Utah Pioneer born June 9, 2003. The three were born as a result of Project Idaho, a six-year collaborative project, involving University of Idaho Veterinary and Animal Science Professors Drs. Gordon Woods and Dirk Vanderwall and Utah State University Animal Science Professor Dr. Ken White.

The three mules were cloned from mule fetal skin cells so there is no adult animal with which to compare them. More important, however, is they will provide a unique test of whether genetics or environment, nature or nurture, is most important