Franklin Rodeo Company's NFR and CFR mare Ultimately Fine and her new foal by Wolfie, the clone of 435-Airwolf. Photo courtesy of the Franklin Rodeo Company.
Rodeo’s first cloned bucking horse, has successfully created a new generation. Wolfie, the clone of Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame bucking horse 435-Airwolf, officially has a foal on the ground. The little bay colt arrived May 24th, out of the Franklin Rodeo Company’s CFR and NFR qualifying mare Ultimately Fine. Stock contractor Shane Franklin of Bonnyville, AB, says he could not be more thrilled with this healthy little edition he coined a ‘Wolf Pup’.
It has been a long journey for the stock contracting outfit to see Airwolf’s bloodlines carry through to another generation. As outlined in the January/February edition of the Western Horse Review, the great gelding was cloned in 2007. A year later Wolfie arrived on August 4th, at Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital, in Canyon Texas, through stomatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning). Anticipation mounted last summer, as the three year-old clone was turned out for his premier breeding season.
Sadly last July, while Wolfie began his career as a stud, Airwolf was found laying lifeless in his pasture, at the age of 27. Through cloning the outlaw bucking horse who still sits tied with the highest saddle bronc ride ever in pro rodeo, will now live on.
The next foal is forecasted out of Franklin’s mare Limited Edition. The latest ‘Wolf Pup’, is the first foal born via a cloned bucking horse. It will now be several years before the world will see one of these little prodigies buck, however for the Franklin Rodeo Company, it will all be worth the wait.
Its actually the saddlebronc record, 95 points with Glen O’Neil aboard.