After double-digit percentage drops in breeding activity in the three previous years, breeding activity steadied in 2012, according to the Report of Mares Bred released Oct. 19 by the Jockey Club.
The RMB showed breeding activity declined 3% as 35,591 mares were covered on 2012, the first year since 2008 that the industry has not seen a double-digit decline in the number of mares bred in the report. It is the smallest percentage drop since 2006, when the number of mares bred increased 1.6% compared with 2005 figures.
Of course the 2012 numbers are well below the 59,434 mares covered in the 2006 Report of Mares Bred but this year’s figures at least point to steadier year-to-year activity after declines of 10% last year, 10.5% in 2010, and 13.5% in 2009.
Based on RMBs received through Oct. 14, 2012, The Jockey Club reports that 1,861 stallions covered 35,391 mares in North America during 2012. The number of stallions declined 3.8% from the 1,935 reported at this time in 2011.
The annual statistics include the number of mares reported bred to each stallion and represent approximately 90% of the mares that eventually will be reported as bred in 2012. According to historical trends, The Jockey Club expects to receive RMBs representing an additional 3,500 to 4,500 mares bred during the 2012 breeding season.
The number of stallions covering 100 or more mares increased from 84 in 2011 to 87 in 2012. These stallions accounted for a greater percentage of the total mares reported bred this year, 31.9% of all mares bred in 2012 compared with 30.6% of all mares bred in 2011 as reported at this time last year.
Further book size analysis shows a 1.1% increase in the number of mares bred to stallions with a book size of 100 or more in 2012 when compared to 2011 as reported at this time last year; a 14.4% increase in mares bred to stallions with a book size between 75 and 99; a 4.1% decline in mares bred to stallions with a book size between 50 and 74; a 10.6% decrease in mares bred to stallions with a book size between 25 and 49; and a 6.3% decline in mares bred to stallions with a book size fewer than 25.
In 2012, Cape Blanco, who stands at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., led all stallions with 220 mares bred. Rounding out the top five were Scat Daddy, 217; Kitten's Joy , 213; Uncle Mo , 211; and Wilburn , 169.
Thoroughbred breeding activity in Kentucky traditionally leads North America. During 2012, Kentucky’s 224 reported stallions covered 15,361 mares, or 43.4% of all of the mares reported bred in North America. The number of mares bred to Kentucky stallions declined 2.2% against the 15,714 reported at this time last year.
Of the top 10 states and provinces by number of mares reported bred in 2012, only Florida and New York stallions covered more mares in 2012 than in 2011, as reported at this time last year.
The following table shows the top 10 states and provinces, ranked by number of mares reported bred in 2012 through Oct. 14, 2012:
|
State/Province |
2011 Stallions |
2012 Stallions |
Pct. Change |
2011 Mares Bred |
2012 Mares Bred |
Pct. Change |
|
Kentucky |
228 |
224 |
-1.8 |
15,714 |
15,361 |
-2.2 |
|
Florida |
116 |
126 |
8.6 |
2,876 |
3,070 |
6.7 |
|
California |
176 |
166 |
-5.7 |
2,446 |
2,406 |
-1.6 |
|
Louisiana |
181 |
144 |
-20.4 |
2,674 |
2,072 |
-22.5 |
|
New York |
51 |
60 |
17.6 |
1,147 |
1,641 |
43.1 |
|
Ontario |
71 |
66 |
-7.0 |
1,396 |
1,288 |
-7.7 |
|
Pennsylvania |
77 |
74 |
-3.9 |
1,188 |
1,061 |
-10.7 |
|
New Mexico |
118 |
109 |
-7.6 |
1,066 |
983 |
-7.8 |
|
Oklahoma |
98 |
93 |
-5.1 |
982 |
911 |
-7.2 |
|
Indiana |
79 |
74 |
-6.3 |
898 |
865 |
-3.7 |
Note: Each incident in which a mare was bred to more than one stallion and appeared on multiple RMBs is counted separately. As such, mares bred totals listed in the table above may differ slightly from counts of distinct mares bred.
RMB statistics for all reported stallions in 2012 are available through the Publications & Resources section of The Jockey Club’s website at jockeyclub.com.