Understanding the Living Code of the Pedigree

In my view, a pedigree is a living genetic mechanism—an individual blueprint formed during the biological process of meiosis, in strict accordance with the immutable laws of nature. You get out of it what you put into it, rightly or wrongly. While human intervention cannot override nature’s laws, it can—intentionally or otherwise—attempt to work within them to guide outcomes. This is where science, intuition, and experience intersect.

When I study a pedigree, I begin with the stallion. He is the soul of the stud. His genetic power—or lack thereof—is the first influence. A good stallion elevates the quality of a female line. A poor stallion, on the other hand, can dilute even the most superior mare lines, and it can take generations to correct the damage.

Then comes the broodmare. She is the well from which much flows. Her genetic contribution is substantial—no less important than the stallion’s. The mating, therefore, becomes a delicate interplay of two legacies—two genetic lineages coming together in hopes of producing something greater than the sum of their parts.

Finally, I examine the combination—the union of stallion and mare—searching for patterns, balances, imbalances, affinities, theories, beliefs, and intentions. It’s not guesswork. It’s observation, calculation, and sometimes inspiration. Like opening the back of a watch, I can see the mechanism at work—smooth or flawed, promising or fated to falter.

As one renowned English breeder said after breeding a Derby winner for the King:

“It’s written in the stars.”

But he didn’t mean astrology. He meant it’s written in the pedigree.