The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reversed a jury ruling that would have lifted the American Quarter Horse Association’s ban on registration and racing of cloned quarter horses. The Amarillo Globe News reports.

“In a ruling of international significance in the horse industry, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned an Amarillo jury’s decision that found the Amarillo-based American Quarter Horse Association violated anti-trust laws by barring cloned quarter horses from its registry.”

An Amarillo federal court jury had found that an AQHA committee and officials had conspired to ban  cloned horses from its registry (and consequently racing and other competitions) in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act..

The 5th Circuit disagreed finding that the plaintiff’s claim failed “because AQHA is not a competitor in the allegedly relevant market for elite quarter horses.”  As the Court noted  “Plaintiffs here contend that AQHA monopolized the relevant market for elite quarter horses. … Nothing in the record, however, shows that AQHA competes in the elite quarter horse market. AQHA is a member organization; it is not engaged in breeding, racing, selling or showing elite quarter horses.”

So no exacta box on The Replicator and Clonemaster in the 5th at Sam Houston Race Park.

Image from http://www.shrp.com