ViaGen and Encore Genetics announced last week the arrival of a second commercially cloned mare. The filly, a genetic copy of famed cutting horse Tap O Lena, was born at Royal Vista Southwest Farms in Purcell, Okla., on March 9.

The companies also announced the impending arrival of two clones of the famous cutter Bet Yer Blue Boons, who is also a mare. The companies made the Tap O Lena announcement and identified Bet Yer Blue Boons as a donor after their initial discussion with the press about the clone of legendary cutting horse mare Royal Blue Boon(www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=6734). The Royal Blue Boon filly was foaled Feb. 19 at Royal Vista. She was the first successful commercial cloning of a mare.

ViaGen and Encore Genetics are offering horse owners the chance to commercially clone horses. United States-based customers pay $150,000 for the first “copy” of their horse. It is approximately $1,500 to bank cooled or frozen genetic material for future cloning, but if the owner chooses to clone within a month of banking their horse’s genes, the cost of the gene banking is absorbed into the cloning cost. Additional clones after the first would be $90,000 apiece.

The companies say they have banked genetic material from more than 75 champion horses of multiple breeds and disciplines, and they have sold several clones through marketing partnerships worldwide