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CNN World Report

Test Tube Horses Create Controversy in England

Aired June 10, 2001 - 14:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: A reproductive procedure commonly used on humans is now being used on pedigree show horses in Britain. The result: two foals are born from a surrogate mother.

ITN has more on the experiment and the fears surrounding it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIP REAY-SMITH, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Meet Quicksy (ph) and Easy, two young foals getting used to life in the paddock at New Market in Suffolk. They may look like any other playful horses just a few weeks old, but these two animals are special. They were bred using test tube fertility techniques more commonly used on humans. The intention is to produce better horses for eventing.

Eggs are taken from a horse's ovaries and grown for eight days in a lab, them injected with sperm and implanted in a surrogate mother. A number of welfare groups are critical of the research, saying it's immoral and will lead to genetic engineering. But the scientist behind the project denies he's playing god.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not playing god. We're not trying to do bad things. We're just trying to help the industry and we're using technology to apply that help. These animals, when they're born, will have the very best of lives, particularly of they are from champion competition mares, and we look after them, we nurtured them. They'll have a wonderful competing career. There is no cruelty in it whatever.

REAY-SMITH: And while Professor Allen says he is keen to try genetically modifying horses in the future, bookies, at least, have nothing to fear. The test tube foals aren't being bred for racing, as the sport has very strict rules on breeding. It's at show jumping events like Badminton that the science behind Quicksy and Easy is meant to bring in the awards.

Phillip Reay-Smith, ITN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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