After a long, drawn out court case, an Australian judge has this morning upheld the ban on Artificial Insemination in Thoroughbreds: "Thoroughbred breeding in Australia will continue to be done the traditional way after the Federal Court on Wednesday ruled against the legalisation of artificial insemination. The long-running court case was instigated by former bookmaker and racing administrator Bruce McHugh, who called for the ban on the artificial insemination of thoroughbreds to be lifted in Australia. Under the international rules, only horses conceived via the direct insemination of a mare by a stallion can be registered to breed and race. McHugh had challenged that rule in the Federal Court in 2011, arguing the ban on artificially bred horses was both a restraint of trade and a breach of the Trade Practices Act. Handing down his judgment in Sydney on Wednesday, Justice Alan Robertson dismissed both arguments. He said McHugh had failed to show the court the AI rule was a restraint of trade, because he accepted it was a reasonable provision when it was established "many decades ago to prevent the attribution of incorrect paternity to a thoroughbred horse". Justice Robertson also dismissed the argument the ban on AI breeding was a breach of the Trade Practices Act. The bodies opposing McHugh, which included Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, the Australian Turf Club, Victoria Racing Club and Australian Stud Book, feared the legalisation of AI would have effectively isolated Australian thoroughbreds from the rest of the world. Outside court, Australian Racing Board CEO Peter McGauran said he felt "a sense of great relief" at the judgment. "A sport is entitled to arrange itself according to its own requirements and needs," McGauran told reporters. "It would have been impossible for Australia to remain within the international trading community if we had raced AI horses with naturally conceived thoroughbreds. "A judge has found the rules of our sport are not anti-competitive." John Messara, proprietor of Arrowfield Stud and Racing NSW chairman, also welcomed the decision." Source.
Thank God that rule doesn't apply in show jumping. After our stallion went to New Jersey it's our only way of continuing our line through him. We had a bank saved before he went.
