Idaho Gem
Encyclopedia
The mule
Idaho Gem (born May 4, 2003) was the first equine and first cloned mule
.
He resulted from the collaboration of Dr. Gordon Woods
and Dr. Dirk Vanderwall of the Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory at the University of Idaho
and Dr. Ken White of Utah State University
. Two more healthy mule clones were born in succeeding months as a result of Project Idaho, Utah Pioneer on June 9, and Idaho Star on July 27. The project was largely financed by Post Falls, Idaho
, businessman Don Jacklin, who also served as president of the American Mule Racing Association. Idaho Gem and Idaho Star were transported to trainers in 2005 to prepare them for racing in 2006. Idaho Gem and Idaho Star both won their first races on June 3, 2006, separate trial races for the Humboldt Futurity during the Winnemucca, Nev., Mule Races, Show and Draft Horse Challenge, June 3 and 4. In the June 4 futurity, Idaho Gem finished third and Idaho Star finished seventh. Idaho Gem won his next race at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton, June 21. His time of 20.724 seconds over the 350-yard course was the fastest time by a 3-year-old mule through the end of July, the halfway point in the mule racing season. Idaho Gem also collected two seconds in photo finishes with the racing mule Out of My League. The total margin of victory between the two mules in the two races was .043 seconds. Through his first six races, Idaho Gem collected two firsts, two seconds a third and a fourth.
On June 4, 2006, Idaho Gem finished 3rd in the Winnemucca Mule Race
. This was the 1st showdown between cloned and natural-born mules.
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
Idaho Gem (born May 4, 2003) was the first equine and first cloned mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
.
He resulted from the collaboration of Dr. Gordon Woods
Gordon Woods
Gordon Woods was an American veterinary scientist who co-created Idaho Gem, the world's first cloned mule.-Early life:...
and Dr. Dirk Vanderwall of the Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory at the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
and Dr. Ken White of Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
. Two more healthy mule clones were born in succeeding months as a result of Project Idaho, Utah Pioneer on June 9, and Idaho Star on July 27. The project was largely financed by Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States near the Idaho state line between Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The population was 17,247 at the 2000 census, and grew to 27,574 people by the 2010 census, making it Idaho's tenth largest city.-History:Post Falls is...
, businessman Don Jacklin, who also served as president of the American Mule Racing Association. Idaho Gem and Idaho Star were transported to trainers in 2005 to prepare them for racing in 2006. Idaho Gem and Idaho Star both won their first races on June 3, 2006, separate trial races for the Humboldt Futurity during the Winnemucca, Nev., Mule Races, Show and Draft Horse Challenge, June 3 and 4. In the June 4 futurity, Idaho Gem finished third and Idaho Star finished seventh. Idaho Gem won his next race at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton, June 21. His time of 20.724 seconds over the 350-yard course was the fastest time by a 3-year-old mule through the end of July, the halfway point in the mule racing season. Idaho Gem also collected two seconds in photo finishes with the racing mule Out of My League. The total margin of victory between the two mules in the two races was .043 seconds. Through his first six races, Idaho Gem collected two firsts, two seconds a third and a fourth.
On June 4, 2006, Idaho Gem finished 3rd in the Winnemucca Mule Race
Winnemucca Mule Race
Winnemucca Mule Races, Show and Draft Horse Challenge is held at Winnemucca, Nevada, each spring and serves as the first leg of the American Mule Racing Association's triple crown. On June 3 and 4, 2006, the race became the first known athletic event involving animal clones. On June 3, the mule...
. This was the 1st showdown between cloned and natural-born mules.
External links
- Richard Black, Cloning first for horse family, BBC News, May 29, 2003
- University of Idaho: Project Idaho home page