The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has launched an Internet-based stallion service auction to benefit equine reproductive research at the college at https://eqrepro.vetmed.vt.edu/. The auction began in mid-December and will run through mid-February.

John Dascanio, VMD, Dipl. ACT, ABVP, an associate professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, created the database-driven site along with Alison Elward, the college’s web developer, and her colleague Rebecca Neumann. The site supports a completely automated bidding process, contains information about equine reproductive research, and has links to other relevant sites.

Horse owners who wish to donate stallion services can register information about their stallions on the site. Auction participants can bid on services for a particular stallion until the winning bid is announced at the end of the auction. The entire bid goes to support the college’s equine reproductive research program.

The mare owners agree to pay all related costs associated with the breeding, including the collection, storage, and shipment of semen, pregnancy and ultrasound examinations, and other costs. With the exception of Thoroughbreds that are bred through natural cover per regulations established by The Jockey Club, most horses can be bred using artificial insemination, Dascanio said