Lawsuit Challenges AQHA Cloned Horse Registration Policy

Rule 227(a) prohibits cloned horses or their offspring from being included in the AQHA breed registry.
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A member of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and two of his companies have filed suit claiming that the association’s policy prohibiting the registry of equine clones violates U.S. 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.

On April 23 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. Federal antitrust laws prohibit monopolies or anti-competitive activities on the part of corporations and other entities.

Abraham’s attorney, Ronald D. Nickum, decline to comment on the case

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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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