RaceHorseHeroes

jejquade · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:43 pm Post subject: Selkirk

By Bloodstock World Staff7.13AM 27 MAR 2009

LONDON THOROUGHBRED SERVICES has announced that its 21-year-old Lanwades Stud-based stallion Selkirk has experienced a sudden loss of fertility this season and has been withdrawn from covering duties. From 19 mares scanned, only three have found to have been in foal. A further 24 mares have been covered and are awaiting scans.

"All the shareholders and mare owners have been informed," said James Wigan of London Thoroughbred Services which manages the stallion. "Selkirk has always previously had very good fertility and through the 2008 season 73 of the 75 mares who visited him conceived, with the conception rate per heat period being just over 80 per cent.

"He looks amazing - like a 15-year-old - and everything is normal with him, however from the tests that he have carried out we have found that there is a complete absence of semen in his samples. Such a sudden and complete decline from excellent semen to no sperm at all is obviously fairly unusual, so there must be some very slim hope of his fertility returning, but that is probably grasping at straws.

"It was decided that it was best from everybody's point of view to take a decision sooner rather than later, so that other arrangements could be made."

Further tests will be carried out onthe son of Sharpen Up at Lanwades, while Dr Dickson Varner, a leading equine fertility expert, is flying in from the US to examine him. Samples will continue to be taken from him through the rest of the season and mare owners will be advised if there is any change.

Selkirk did get kicked on his penis in February, meaning that he had to be withdrawn from covering duties for a time, but it is currently felt that incident is not related in any way to his loss of fertility.

Selkirk is the second Newmarket stallion this spring to have problems with fertility - the former Cheveley Park-based stallion Kingsgate Native failed to get a single mare in foal and has since returned to training.