Throughout his career Dr. Ed Squires has been given many accolades and received several awards for his numerous contributions to the field of equine reproduction.  Most recently, he was awarded the 2024 Pioneer Award by the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS).  This award is given to recognize individuals who have made seminal contributions to the development of embryo-based technologies. 

Dr. Ed Squires and Paul Loomis, MS will be heading to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil for the International Symposium on Equine Reproduction (ISER) meeting to be held on July 10^th – 14^th, 2023.  The ISER organization was formed to provide a format for equine scientists, veterinarians and educators to present the latest research findings on both mare and stallion reproduction.

After more than 40 years of practice, Dr. Phil Matthews of PetersonSmith Equine Hospital & Complete Care has put away his ultrasound and microscope.  He retired at the end of 2022 so he can do more traveling as well as focus on his own Thoroughbreds and the Angus cattle he raises on his ranch. 

On November 20^th, 2022 our SBS family was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Glenn Blodgett.  He began working as the resident veterinarian and manager of the Four Sixes Ranch horse division in 1982.  Our relationship with Dr. Blodgett and the 6666 Ranch began 20 years later when Doc asked us to provide semen freezing services for 6666 Ranch managed stallions. In 2008, the 6666’s Ranch became an Affiliate Laboratory of SBS.  Dr. Blodgett would have turned 74 years old on December 21^st.  Therefore, we wish to pay honor to him on this special day by sharing our thoughts about this very special man. 

The 20^th gathering of the SBS Affiliated Laboratories returned to Chesapeake City, Maryland on November 7^th & 8^th.  Each year we meet to review procedures and policies, share information and experiences, discuss recent developments in the industry and set plans for the future.  Our affiliate network is ever expanding as we add more affiliate members to our group.  In the past few years we have welcomed two new affiliates in the state of Oregon.  They are Dr. Ryan Ferris of Summit Equine and Dr. Thomas Timmons of Rogue Equine Hospital.

Paul Loomis’ vision of creating a company dedicated to the responsible development of the equine frozen semen industry has taken several creative turns.  Most notably are his first partnership in a facility in Texas and the implementation of the SBS Affiliate Laboratory Network which is celebrating its 20^th Anniversary this year.  Formerly incorporated in 1987, Select Breeders Services, LLC (SBS) has grown into an internationally recognized leader in the industry of processing, storing and distributing equine frozen semen. 

With the recent addition of Dr. Elena Martinez de Andino, board-certified theriogenologist, SBS Veterinary Services is excited to promote transvaginal follicle aspiration for oocyte recovery (TVA) as one of its available assisted reproductive techniques. Trained at Texas A&M University under the guidance of Dr. Katrin Hinrichs, Dr. Charles Love, and the Equine Embryo Laboratory, Dr. Martinez de Andino has extensive clinical and research experience in TVAs in both reproductively challenged mares as well as fertile mares whose stallion’s semen may be limited or of poor quality. Oocytes collected from TVA are sent to an ICSI lab, and the ICSI-embryos, fresh or vitrified, can be sent back to SBS Veterinary Services for transfer into one of our recipient mares. This procedure is invaluable for production of ICSI-embryos for immediate transfer or for preservation of genetic material (vitrified ICSI-embryos) from mares for future embryo transfer.

Select Breeders Services (SBS) hosted its 19^th Annual Meeting of SBS Affiliated Laboratories in Lexington, KY on November 11^th and 12^th, 2019. As the largest provider of frozen semen services in the world, SBS has been a leader in the frozen semen industry for more than 30 years. Currently, we have 26 affiliate laboratories throughout the United States, Canada, Central America, Europe and Australia. Each year, we gather together as a group to review our policies and procedures, discuss research results and recent developments in the industry, share information, learn from each other’s experiences and set plans for the future.

During the 16th World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA) Congress held in Verona, Italy this month, Dr. Sandro Barbacini was named the WEVA President. The WEVA has been promoting equine education since 1985. According to their website, the goal of WEVA “is to advance the health and welfare of horses worldwide by promoting and offering quality continuing education for equine practitioners, specifically in countries with limited access to high quality, broad-based professional education.” Prior to his current position, Dr. Barbacini served as their Jr. Vice President.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Elena Martinez de Andino, VMD, DACT, to the veterinary specialist team of SBS Veterinary Services. She will be an asset to our team as she assists our clients with their equine and canine reproduction needs as well as basic veterinary care. Dr. Martinez de Andino has hit the ground running as she begins to familiarize herself with SBS, its protocols, and clientele.

For the past several years, Select Breeders Services has had the honor of assisting the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) in the fulfillment of grants they have been awarded through a USDA supported program called the Quality Samples Program (QSP). This program assists in providing monetary support for the export of livestock genetics from the United States to international markets. Rather than exporting live animals, the export of frozen semen allows for a much larger impact in the genetic pool of foreign countries. Most recently, the destination was the Czech Republic in Eastern Europe. Frozen semen from several stallions was processed at the 6666 Ranch, an SBS Affiliate Laboratory, then exported by Select Breeders Southwest (SBSW) in Aubrey, TX to the Czech Republic. Though there have been many frozen semen shipments of American Quarter Horse stallions to Western Europe, this was the first request from the 6666 Ranch for an Eastern European country and the first shipment SBSW has facilitated to the Czech Republic.

Select Breeders Services (SBS) hosted its 18^th Annual Meeting of SBS Affiliated Laboratories in Chesapeake City, Maryland on December 10^th and 11^th, 2018. As the largest provider of frozen semen services in the world, SBS has been a leader in the frozen semen industry for more than 30 years. Currently, we have 26 affiliate laboratories throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and Australia. We are pleased to announce our newest affiliate member, Dr. Claire Plante of Therion Science, Inc. in Ontario, Canada.

We wish to congratulate Dr. Angus McKinnon of Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital in Australia on his receiving the Order of Australia medal last month. The Order of Australia was established by Her Majesty The Queen in 1975 as an "Australian society of honor for the purpose of recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for their achievement or for meritorious service." Dr. McKinnon received this as recognition for his more than 40 years of service in the veterinary science industry but particularly for his work in the area of equine reproduction.

Congratulations to Dr. Ed Squires! In July, he was a recipient of one of the first Life Time Achievement Awards presented by the International Equine Reproduction Symposium. This award was established in 2017 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the discipline of Equine Reproduction, either through research or clinical practice. These contributions, whether they have been in research, leadership or mentorship, have had a lasting impact on the discipline of equine reproduction, and candidates have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to progress in the discipline.

Select Breeders Services wishes to welcome our newest Affiliate Laboratory, Bella Vista Equine Reproductive Services (BVERS) in Ohio. The clinic was founded in 2005 by Dr. Elizabeth Martinsen, a Board Certified Theriogenologist with 20 plus years of clinical experience. Their specialty is equine reproduction. They are located approximately one-hour northeast of Columbus, Ohio. The facility is nestled on approximately 40 acres where they also maintain an embryo transfer recipient herd for their embryo transfer program. They also offer services to Ohio and the Midwest region through their in-house and ambulatory practice. BVERS provides breeding and management of problem mares, complete embryo transfer services, on site foaling, frozen semen services and comprehensive stallion work-up.

This year the 17th Annual Meeting of SBS Affiliated Laboratories returned to Chesapeake City, Maryland on December 4th and 5th. Each year our team members from around the world gather to review procedures and policies, share information and experiences, discuss recent developments in the industry and set plans for the future. Our network is ever expanding as we include more affiliate laboratories. This year we welcomed Jadem Arabians in Belgium and we will welcome our newest affiliate member, Dr. Elizabeth Martinsen of Bella Vista Equine in St. Louisville, OH, to our team in 2018.

Marta Agrò (photo left) works alongside Dr. Sandro Barbacini at Studio Veterinario Associato Luretta, an SBS Affiliate Laboratory located in Piacenza, Italy. She has always had a passion for horses and was thrilled when one of the founders of the Luretta veterinary clinic asked her to join his team which she has now been a part of for several years.  She grew up in Italy with her parents and two older sisters. After graduating high school she studied at the University of Parma where she completed courses to become an equine breeding technician. She also began working for a well-known fast food restaurant at this time. She began to save the money she earned to achieve her long time dream of owning a horse. In September 2008 that dream came true when she had saved enough money to purchase an 8 year old gelding named Kevin. She said, “He’s been so good and patient with me ever since we met.”

We would like to say a big “THANK YOU” to all who came to our World Headquarters in Chesapeake City, MD on September 9th to help us celebrate the first 30 years of Select Breeders Services. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon with partly sunny skies and warm yet cool temperatures. We celebrated with more than 200 of our wonderful clients, past and present employees and friends from 3pm - 7pm in the evening.

SBS is the largest provider of frozen semen services in the world, with unrivalled expertise accumulated over its 30 years leading the frozen semen industry. Two SBS labs - Select Breeders Services, Inc. (SBS-HQ) in Chesapeake City, Maryland and Select Breeders Southwest (SBSW) in Aubrey, TX - are owned and operated by Paul Loomis, CEO and founder of Select Breeders Services, Inc. The SBS Affiliate Program is a network comprised of some of the top equine reproduction laboratories from around the globe. Currently there are 25 affiliate laboratory locations (15 in North America, 7 in Europe, 2 in Australia and 1 in Central America). These are veterinary clinics or large breeding farms that have joined the SBS Affiliate Network so they can market their frozen semen services under the SBS brand and take advantage of the many benefits SBS Affiliate Laboratory Program has to offer.

Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital began as an ambulatory practice in Lexington, Kentucky in 1982 and established a full-service equine hospital in 1986. Today the practice is known and respected throughout the world for their innovative and highly skilled treatment of horses. Rood & Riddle employs over fifty veterinarians with three board certified theriogenologists staffing our LeBlanc Reproduction Center (photo left). Our reproductive center was established in 2002 and was named in honor of our beloved colleague, Dr. Michelle LeBlanc, who was a widely respected practitioner, professor, mentor, leader, and cherished friend whose legacy lives on in our reproductive team.

We wish to congratulate Dr. Glenn Blodgett, resident veterinarian and manager of the 6666 Ranch horse division, for being awarded the 2017 Golden Spur Award. The six livestock and ranching associations which sponsor the Golden Spur Award are the American Quarter Horse Association, National Cattleman’s Foundation, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association and the Texas Farm Bureau. In order to receive this award Dr. Blodgett was recognized due to the respect he has earned from his peers and contributions he has made to the ranching and livestock industries.

Peterson and Smith Equine Reproduction Center, a SBS Affiliate Laboratory in Ocala, FL, has launched EQUIGEA, a company founded by three prominent individuals in the field of assisted equine reproduction. Dr. Phil Matthews, Dr. Cesare Galli and Dr. Ed Squires each have over 30 years of experience in not only developing techniques in the reproductive industry but also making them applicable within a commercial setting. EQUIGEA offers a complete and all-inclusive Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) program consisting of aspirations, maturation, sperm injections, embryo development and transfers. All of these services are provided “in-house” at Peterson and Smith Equine Reproduction Center to ensure the highest probability of success.

Patrick Rollins has been a part of Select Breeders Southwest (SBSW) since January 2010 after receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas Tech University.  As Senior Freeze Technician, he is responsible for many aspects of the operations at SBSW. They include processing frozen semen in both the main lab and the mobile lab and overseeing the collection and processing of cooled semen as well as the processing of semen using EquiPure. During the breeding season, he enjoys spending time with the horses while overseeing the mare management services provided by SBSW. The storage and distribution of the frozen semen at SBSW is also under his watchful care.

Since January 1, 2017, Select Breeders Services Italy (SBS Italia) transferred their business to Studio Veterinario Associato Luretta.  Their facility is located in Gazzola, which is not far from Piacenza, and provides veterinary care for small animals and horses.  The practice was founded in 1997 and is owned by three partners: Dr. Antonino Calza, Dr. Carlo Brigati and Dr. Roberto Casaroli. Dr. Sandro Barbacini of SBS Italia and Dr. Casaroli have known each other for many years since they both attended the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Parma.

Pioneer Equine Hospital (SBS Affiliate Laboratory) hosted their 6th annual client appreciation and education seminar on February 11th, 2017 at their facility in Oakdale, California. There were 110 clients who were eager to learn that joined us on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The event was graciously catered and sponsored by Janice Egan of Merial, Stuart Nelson of Patterson Veterinary Supply, Brent Brown of Boehringer Ingelheim, Joycalyn Wininger of Luitpold Animal Health, Jessica Morris of Dechra, Gerri Brown of Aurora Pharmaceutical, Patrick and Amie Grohl of Premier Equine Center and Platinum Performance.

Select Breeders in Maryland welcomed affiliate members from around the world on November 17th and 18th, 2015 for the 15th Annual Meeting of SBS Affiliated Laboratories. The purpose of the SBS Annual Meeting is to review procedures and policies, share information and experiences, discuss recent developments in the industry and set plans for the future. This year we welcomed two new affiliate labs. One is Reid and Associates Equine Hospital in Wellington, FL and the other is our first affiliate in Central America, I.A. Servicios de Costa Rica S.A.

As the breeding season at Pioneer Equine Hospital (PEH) comes to an end, we can look back and feel like we accomplished a lot this year, as we have been able to see significant growth in our reproductive program. As the economy in California continues to improve little by little, so does the demand to breed mares. Our embryo recipient herd has grown from just a few mares a year ago to a substantial herd, in order to serve the increased interest in the area to transfer embryos. We have been very fortunate this year to have had an exceptional embryo recovery rate and equally fortunate to have acquired high-quality recipient mares that have helped us maintain excellent pregnancy rates post transfer. We have also seen a renewed interest in breeding with frozen semen in the area and our barns were often full with mares waiting to be bred. Now that there are fewer mares in the barns, we are ramping up to start freezing semen again and hope to welcome a number of new stallions.

A mobile semen freezing laboratory is the perfect solution for stallion owners, managers, and/or trainers who wish to have their stallions remain at “home” rather than sending them to a facility for semen freezing. Select Breeders Service (SBS) pioneered the equine mobile semen freezing industry and to this day remains the leader in the industry. The SBS Affiliate Network has four mobile laboratories within the United States and one in Sweden. In this article we will discuss why you may choose to use a mobile lab, where our mobile labs travel, and whether semen can be qualified for export when processed in a mobile lab.

Equine Services was founded in 2001 by Nicole Germann-Oberstein. She grew up in a small town in the Black Forest area of Germany. She has loved horses since she was a little girl which is an interest she shares with her dad. Throughout her childhood she owned her own horses and competed in Warmblood jumping competitions. It was her dream to make a career of working with horses.

Caitlyn (Caity) Hood serves as a technician for the SBS Affiliate Laboratory, Oklahoma City Equine Center (OCEC). She grew up in Southwestern Oklahoma in the town of Mountain Park. Her family owns a cattle ranch/wheat farm which is mostly a cow-calf operation. Growing up there were always several horses used for ranch work and she would watch her father team rope. However, at the age of thirteen, Caity’s mom gave her English riding lessons as a Christmas present. It took only one lesson and she was hooked!

In 1988, cousins Mike and Richard Giacopuzzi opened Humphrey, Giacopuzzi and Associates Equine Hospital (HGAEH) to provide high quality medicine and surgery to the horses of Ventura County, California. It soon became apparent that there existed a void in reproductive services, especially with respect to assisted reproductive techniques. In response, Dr. Richard transformed the then seldom used HGAEH farrier shop into what is now the clinic’s Equine Reproductive Center.

We wish to congratulate our SBS Affiliate member, Dr. Glenn Blodgett (left), on his new position as the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) President. He obtained his bachelors of science degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University before attending Texas A&M University where he received his degree in veterinary medicine. It was in 1982 that Dr. Blodgett became the resident veterinarian and manager of the horse division of the historic 6666 Ranch. For the past 33 years he has been a key factor in the success of the 6666 Ranch horse division and their reputation as an all-time leading breeder of both racing and performance Quarter Horses.

In April 2015, Dr. Scofield and the staff at SBS Veterinary Services are pleased to announce the addition of Trans-Vaginal Oocyte Aspiration (TVA) as a service offered at their clinic in Chesapeake City, Maryland. TVA, also known as Oocyte Pickup, shows promise in producing foals from the most reproductively challenging mares and stallions with limited frozen semen reserves. As Dr. Young explained in last months Blog article, Ovum Pickup in the Mare, TVA and Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) offer the latest in assisted reproductive technology to help produce foals.

On November 6th and 7th Select Breeders in Maryland welcomed affiliate members from around the world for the 14th Annual Meeting of Affiliated Laboratories. The turnout this year was excellent with the addition of representatives from the five new affiliate labs. They took advantage of the opportunity to meet their peers from partnering clinics who have been affiliated with SBS for anywhere from one to thirteen years. The purpose of the SBS Annual Meeting is to review procedures and policies, share information and experiences, discuss recent developments in the industry and set plans for the future.

In January we will celebrate 4 years at our new facility in Chesapeake City, Maryland - how time flies! If you have not been here to visit us, you must come for the tour – we’d welcome you at any time! Right now we are preparing for our Select Breeders Services Annual Meeting which we will host Nov 6-7th. We look forward to catching up with our affiliate members from around the world and sharing our educational program. Before the Annual Meeting we have a training session for new affiliate members Nov 3rd-5th, so it will be a busy week! We have 5 new affiliate labs joining the SBS International Network this year, stay tuned for an announcement of our new partnerships in the December issue of the SBS Newsletter.

You may know what Select Breeders Services (SBS) is but do you know how it all began? Select Breeders Service was the vision of Paul Loomis (SBS CEO and founder) in 1981 while he was in graduate school at Colorado State University. As he conducted experiments for developing methods to successfully freeze equine semen he believed then, as he does now, that frozen semen would one day be the preferred method for breeding quality horses. So in 1987, Paul incorporated SBS as a company dedicated to the responsible development of the equine industry.

On June 26, 2014, Select Breeders Southwest (SBSW) in Aubrey, TX opened their doors and welcomed a group of 30 plus USDA Veterinarians from across the United States as part of a 3 day Equine Semen and Bovine Embryo Export Facilities Inspection Training.  Official veterinarians from the USDA are responsible for conducting facility inspections in order to certify centers are in compliance with all of the rules and regulations required by the European Union (EU) for semen to qualify for importation into any EU member country. SBSW is an EU approved equine semen collection, processing and storage facility. Other countries require similar certification: Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. SBSW is certified to collect and export equine semen to all of these countries.

Select Breeders Service, Inc (SBS) and Minitube International AG of Tiefenbach, Germany have signed a strategic collaboration agreement that will align the world’s largest provider of equine frozen semen services with the global innovation leader and provider of products and technologies for animal reproduction.

In 1992, Paul Loomis moved the headquarters of SBS from Massachusetts to the grounds of Hilltop Farm in Maryland. During this time, Jonathan Clark had been working for Hilltop Farm doing odd jobs, mowing grass, painting, cleaning stalls and cooking. Growing up near Rising Sun, MD Jonathan had no clue he would one day have a career with horses. He did not grow up showing or breeding horses like most who work in the horse industry and actually has never owned one of his own. Even so, he has now been working as a valuable member of the SBS team for the past 20 years.

From the age of four Erin Bishop knew horses would be a part of her life. What she didn’t know is that decades later she would be a part of the largest international equine reproduction company in the world. She was the first in her family to pursue riding horses so her mom signed her up for English riding lessons at the farm a mile down the road. In return for free riding lessons she would spend hours at the stable taking care of the horses, cleaning tack, and traveling with trainers as a groom. The only horse she ever owned was when she was 6 years old, her Shetland pony named Star. She would ride the horses owned by the farm or other clients at the stable. “Due to financial constraints I wasn’t able to own my own horse. However, I never felt deprived because of the kindness and generosity of others allowing me to ride theirs.”

Peterson & Smith Equine Reproduction Center (PSERC) had another successful year in 2013. Our embryo transfer program enjoyed the high standard of success we have been able to maintain for almost 15 years. We continued to share in our client’s success through our mare and stallion management services. The promising Arabian stallion, Trussardi, was added to our resident stallion roster and had a very successful cooled semen campaign. We were also able to freeze and export Trussardi’s semen to Australia and are anticipating the arrival of his first foals “downunder” later in 2014. We thank Tamworth Veterinary Center for their assistance in opening this new market for Trussardi, as well as their continued support in the management of the Australian distribution program for Smart Sugar Badger, another resident stallion.

When hurricane Rita roared through the Gulf of Mexico in 2005 and then slammed into southwest Lousiana it was disasterous for Delta Equine Center (DEC).  Dr. Larry Findley, Sr., founder and primary owner of DEC, took this catastrophe as an opportunity to build a better, state of the art facility.  Through faith and hope the new DEC was constructed as it is today. It is a full service veterinary hospital located just south of exit 7 on I-10 in Vinton, Louisiana. Staffed with five veterinarians and a 24 hour crew of knowledgeable technicians the services provided by DEC include equine reproduction, equine sports medicine, surgery, treatment, and small animal care.  They also have the ability to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy and MRI.

Nestled in the Rio Verde Foothills section of the “West’s Most Western Town”, Scottsdale, AZ, is Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center (SERC). They are proud to be one of the newest additions to the SBS Affiliate Laboratory network. The Sonoran Desert offers great weather and a diverse population of breeds and disciplines. SERC is able to take advantage of a very long breeding season and a climate that enables them to deliver foals very early in the year without the complications of a harsh winter environment. There are large Quarter Horse and Arabian Horse populations in the area but they also assist clients with other breeds including Warmbloods, Gypsy Vanners, American Saddlebreds, Andalusians, Friesians, Lusitanos, and many more.

SBSItalia was relocated to Medesano (PR) in Via Carnevala, 17 from San Daniele Po (CR), Italy where they had been located since 1994. This decision was made solely for organizational and logistical reasons and to improve the services given to our customers. With this article we take the opportunity to thank the Marchi-Balestreri family, owner of Cascina Cristella, for having given to SBSItalia the opportunity to perform its clinical activities for over 15 years. Medesano is a small town at the foot of the hills of Parma strategically positioned with easy accessibility via either the motorway A15 (exit at Parma Ovest and Fornovo) or A1 (exit Parma and Fidenza). 

Oklahoma City Equine Clinic P.C. is a full service equine veterinary practice situated on 24 acres just minutes from Remington Park and the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, one of the most popular horse show facilities in the nation. Although staffed by five veterinarians and twelve dedicated support personnel and equipped as a state of the art medical and surgical hospital, reproductive services comprise a significant share of the case load. Consequently, OCEC is pleased to be one of the most recent additions to the prestigious Select Breeders Services affiliate lab network.

From breeding and horse management to laboratory work, Select Breeders Services (SBS) and its affiliate labs in the United States offer various internship opportunities for college undergraduates looking to further their knowledge and skill within the equine industry. SBS is the largest and most professionally managed provider of frozen semen services in the world. In addition, many SBS locations offer a full range of equine reproduction services, and most of the affiliate labs are state of the art veterinary hospitals as well. SBS labs provide excellent teaching and training opportunities at some of the best equine reproduction facilities in the country. There is plenty of exposure to hands on experience and on the job training.

We are excited to share with you the addition of three new laboratories to the SBS Affiliate Laboratory Network in North America. The new SBS affiliated labs for semen freezing are Delta Equine Center in Louisiana, Oklahoma City Equine in OK and Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center in AZ. We shall be highlighting each one of these equine clinics in future issues of the newsletter. We are glad to welcome them to the SBS Network and look forward to developing new friendships and extending our SBS services to clients in more states throughout the US.

Centro di Riproduzione Equina Centauro (CREC) is located at Bagni di Tivoli near Rome on a historical Standardbred farm. The facility, situated on an almost 100 acre property, is a state of the art veterinary practice, built according to the latest guidelines for animal welfare. The care of the horse is of utmost importance at CREC; horses are housed in stalls at night with turn-out in large paddocks during the day. Every day the CREC team provides the most advanced reproductive techniques to the equine breeding industry by bringing together specialized experience and the best in patient care.

With 2013 officially here, preparations for breeding season are in full swing at the Four Sixes Ranch. You don’t have to look far to see new faces around the ranch as interns from various parts of the United States have arrived at the ranch. And speaking of new arrivals, we are also welcoming our first foals of 2013! The breeding season will officially begin the first week of February, and is always a busy, yet exciting time for us. The Four Sixes Ranch currently stands 21 resident stallions as well as manages the frozen semen of several off-site or deceased stallions. Throughout the season we will breed more than 1,500 mares and welcome more than 150 foals into the world.

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the formal incorporation of Select Breeders Service and we continue to expand and grow in our effort to be a leader in equine reproduction services and technology. This year we are very excited to share with you some big news! Select Breeders Service is pleased to announce a partnership with David Scofield, DVM, Board Certified in Equine Reproduction, to expand our veterinary care and mare management services in Chesapeake City, Maryland. Through a newly formed division of SBS, operating under the name SBS-Veterinary Services (SBS-VS), Dr. Scofield and the SBS team will offer services including management of breeding and foaling mares, advanced diagnostic techniques and therapies, embryo transfer, and routine veterinary care from a newly renovated facility. Dr. Scofield brings to SBS-VS a strong background in general equine practice, embryo transfer, mare management, foaling services, and infertility of the mare and stallion. Coupled with SBS’s proven commitment to stallion reproduction and quality service, SBS-VS is excited to offer expanded mare management and veterinary services in Chesapeake City.

At Peterson and Smith Equine Reproduction Center in Summerfield, Florida, the breeding season got off to a great start and is now in full swing! Just like the other SBS affiliates, we provide a full line of stallion reproductive services. Although we are certainly freezing semen this time of the year, we are also busy providing cooled semen services on our outpatient and resident stallion clients. One of our resident stallions is Smart Sugar Badger (Smart Little Lena - Badger San Doc). This is our third season standing this wonderful cutting stallion for Flying M Ranch.

Pioneer Equine Hospital is located in California's central valley near Oakdale, CA. We are nestled between the foothills of the Sierra Mountains and the valley's vast agricultural landscape. Pioneer Equine Hospital opened its doors in 1973. Since then has evolved into an eight veterinarian practice with a newly constructed 22,000 square foot full service equine hospital that offers the most advanced lameness, surgical, reproductive, and diagnostic imaging on the west coast and is regarded as one of the most recognized equine hospitals in the country. The doctors and staff have been successful in not only excelling in equine patient care but more importantly creating an atmosphere that welcomes a diverse population of equine disciplines to Pioneer Equine Hospital.

Dr. Blodgett received the 2011 Racing Council Special Recognition Award for Lifetime Achievement. Since 1982, Dr. Blodgett has been at the Burnett Ranches’ Four Sixes Ranch near Guthrie, Texas, where he is the resident veterinarian and manager of the ranch’s horse division. In his tenure at the Four Sixes, the ranch has become an all-time leading breeder of both racing and performance American Quarter Horses, and in 1993 won the AQHA Best Remuda Award.

Legendary Quarter Horses and superior Black Angus cattle are hallmarks of the Four Sixes Ranch, a historic Texas ranch established in 1870, located just west of Guthrie, Texas. We are dedicated to the production of the greatest American Quarter Horses and Black Angus cattle in the country, but also to our role in reproductive technology. A member of Select Breeders Services for more than four years the ranch has a state of the art full-service equine clinic where we breed more than 1,200 mares annually, maintaining a 95% conception rate. The facility offers on-site breeding, transported cooled semen, on-site semen freezing and storage, mare management, embryo transfer and foaling.

Dr. Sandro Barbacini from SBS Italia recently presented at the World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA) conference in Hyderabad, India, November 2nd-5th 2011. The exciting news is that Sandro has been elected to join the WEVA board, replacing Dr. Fernando Canonici as the representative for SIVE. Dr. Canonici has admirably represented Italian equine veterinarians for the last four years, he commented. "This turnover is an example of cohesion and Italian elegance. I wish Sandro a good job and I am certain he will represent us with active participation and professionalism."

Select Breeders Services Italia has had a busy summer period with the organization of the 2nd Embryo Transfer course held at SBSItalia’s facility “Cascina Cristella” in San Daniele Po (Cremona). SIVE (Italian Association for Equine Veterinarians) and SBSItalia hosted eighteen enthusiastic participants, veterinarians from all over Italy and Europe (photo left), for a two day intensive program. Drs. Sandro Barbacini and Denis Necchi spoke about Advantages and Disadvantages of Embryo Transfer technique and Mare Management of the ET Recipients. A full day was dedicated to the practical course and the participants were able to perform flushing and embryo search using six recipient mares provided by SBSItalia.

Did you know, SBS Italia has a collaboration with the Arabian Horse Journal to provide articles on veterinary and reproduction topics for publication in their magazine. We have a few of these articles already posted in the Knowledge Library of our website, see the topics below. The articles are well presented in both English and Italian and for sure this magazine is a feast for the eyes with all the stunning photos of Arabian horses. For those in the Arab Horse Industry it is also a valuable source for information on show results and special interest articles.

It’s a busy and exciting time at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in our 135th year of existence! In the Fertility Unit (we are optimists, though the vast majority of our patients are subfertile), we are seeing a steady stream of mares barren from the 2011 breeding season, working with researchers to find solutions for barren mares, and still breeding non-racing sport horses and Southern hemisphere Thoroughbreds. The remaining time is currently being filled with freezing semen from Standardbreds and Warmbloods for both domestic and overseas use. We have recently updated our breeding shed including modifying our phantom with hydraulic lifts to improve fine adjustability as we see a disproportionate number of stallions with musculoskeletal deficits.

Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala FL was established in 1981 by Dr John L. Peterson and Dr. Johnny Mac Smith. This state of the art, full service equine clinic has become one of the most highly recognized veterinary practices in the United States. The Equine Reproduction Center at Peterson and Smith (PSERC) joined the SBS Affiliate Network in 2000. Based out of their 92 acre facility in Summerfield, FL (20mins south of the main clinic), PSERC offers a full range of equine reproductive services under the guidance of Dr. Phil Matthews.

SBS would like to send a big “Thank You” to all who attended our open house celebrating the completion of our new headquarters in Maryland. The event turned out to be a huge success with approximately 140 guests despite the 90 +F degree temperature and stifling humidity. The first visitors arrived right at 4 pm and a steady stream followed up until 7 pm when the winners of the door prizes were announced. 

Dr. Kerstin Darenius of Caballa, our SBS affiliate lab in Sweden, has recently become involved in the preservation of Swedish horse breeds with the creation of a frozen semen gene bank. For endangered or rare breeds, where the number of animals available for breeding is small, collection, freezing and storage of semen is a valuable method for preserving genetic material for future use. Many countries within the European Union have been taking action to preserve a number of valuable livestock species. During the last several years semen from cattle, sheep, horses and goats has been collected for this purpose.

Select Breeders Services Inc., wishes to congratulate SBS affiliate member Angus McKinnon, our consultant Ed Squires, and co-editors Wendy Vaala and Dickson Varner on the publication of the 2nd edition of Equine Reproduction. This is a significant achievement indeed! The book can be purchased here:

In addition to several chapters authored by Ed and Angus, SBS Affiliate Members contributed to the new edition by writing the following chapters:

In what Paul Loomis, Founder and CEO of Select Breeders Service, calls “the opportunity of a lifetime” SBS has moved into a brand new facility allowing for the expansion of SBS’s services to the breeding industry. The staff spent several days packing and preparing for the facility relocation which occurred over 2 long days and multiple trips with rental trucks and horse trailers containing office and laboratory supplies and equipment.