Abstract:

The structure of the equine sector implies the need for collaborative approaches to implement genomic applications in sport horse breeding. Based on a multi-breed reference population of 5,000 horses from five breeds, a single step genomic evaluation system for linear conformation and performance traits was developed. Using two different validation approaches, forward and cross validation, medium (around 0.6) to high (over 0.9) correlations of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) indicated stability of the developed system. Different relatedness between the breeds was reflected in the results, but the benefit of available genotypic data with regard to the variance of the GEBVs was found for each breed. According to the findings of this study, single-step genomic evaluation using a multi-breed reference population is a feasible approach for routine implementation of genomic selection in sport horses.