Manchester businessman's plans to use horse-cloning technology to revolutionise equestrian sport

Adam Deering and his team at Carrera Stud are working closely with laboratories across the world for the genetic testing, cloning and embryo creation of the top four-legged talents.

In what is a groundbreaking first for British showjumping, they are bringing a clone of the mother of one of the sport’s most iconic horses to the UK for breeding.

And the cutting edge technology used in the intricate process is also helping conservationists in the battle to protect endangered animals across the globe from extinction.

Mr Deering, from Urmston, said: “The world of sport is one where the tiniest of advantages can make the difference between winning and losing.

“The incredible advancements in cloning technology over the past two decades have allowed breeders to protect the bloodlines of their star horses for future generations.

“From our genetic research into sport horses, we found the mother line is where the dopamine, energy and power is passed down to offspring so bringing this cloned mare to the UK is going to be amazing for the genetics of sport horses here.

“Our ultimate goal is to produce the best horses for the sport and with genetic testing and technology we can now accelerate and improve positive outcomes by understanding the best genetics required and utilising the tech to our advantage.

“But it’s not just sporting success that is on the line. The technology is also playing an important role in the generic preservation of some of the planet’s most endangered species.”

Cloning makes it possible to produce horses that are genetically identical to another, but born at different times.

It allows breeders to replicate horses that may have had an illustrious career in the sporting field, or possess characteristics that are treasured.

The breeding program at Carrera Stud, based in Alderley Edge and Nantwich, Cheshire, has seen the centre expand to more than 100 horses, with that figure continuing to grow.

It will soon be home to a clone of Contara, mother of one of the showjumping world’s most heralded stars, Chacco-Blue.

Chacco-Blue’s offspring have won more than £20 million in prize money so far and his horses in the sport sell for considerable amounts ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of pounds.

As well as conducting its own research of the cloning process, Carrera Stud plays a key role in making embryos which eventually get implanted into a surrogate, similar to the IVF process for humans.

Away from sport, Mr Deering and his team work closely with wildlife charity Nature’s SAFE on projects aimed at preventing endangered species from becoming extinct by using cloning and genetic breeding technology.

He said: “Nature’s SAFE does an incredible job of helping to preserve live cells and cell tissues from some of the most endangered species in our world today.

“The team at Carrera Stud is proud to play our part, and we’re grateful to the ongoing support and teamwork of the laboratories we work with in the United States, Italy and the Netherlands.

“This technology is capable of amazing things, and it can be a vital tool in the global fight against scores of animal species being lost forever.”