Estimation of genetic parameters for tournament sports performances within examination classes and their relations to traits from mare and stallion performance tests

In the present study heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated among performances of sport horse divided by levels of competition (data of the years 1995–2001) as well as between these sport performances and traits observed on the mare and stallion performance tests (data of the years 1986–2001). As competition results the trait transformed rank was used, whereas from mare and stallion performance tests the recorded scores were used. The heritabilities for performances of sport horses divided by levels of competition were low. For performances of jumping, the heritabilities estimated within each level of competition were at a magnitude of h2 = 0.02 and for performances in dressage between h2 = 0.05 (A-Dressage) to h2 = 0.09 (SDressage). Genetic correlations between the performances of different levels of competition within the different disciplines were high, indicating that performances obtained at different level of competition can be treated as same. The traits of jumping recorded on the mare and stallion performance tests showed a moderate relationship to jumping performances of sport horses. While rideability and canter were lowly correlated to jumping performances in competition, there were no correlations observed for trot and walk. The traits of jumping recorded on mare and stallion performance tests did not show any relationships to performances in dressage of sport horses divided by level of competition. In contrast, for traits associated with dressage recorded on performance tests were highly correlated to performances dressage in competition. Lowest correlations of the corresponding traits of the mare and stallion performance tests to the performance in competition were observed for the levels of competition S. There was no genetic antagonism between jumping and dressage.

Vollversion deutsch