One of the most bizarre horse news stories of recent years has taken yet another zany twist: a clone has been created of the late great world champion dressage mare Poetin, who died of laminitis in the midst of a stormy international sale transaction.

Here are some excerpts from the August 22nd press release sent out by Cryozootech, the French cloners-for-hire:

Cryozootech is happy to announce the birth of the clone of 2003 dressage world champion Poetin, a Brandeburg mare that died prematurely in 2005. This achievement illustrates the use of the cloning technique for genetic safeguarding.

Poetin was born in 1997. This Brandeburg mare has an interesting life story:

Poetin from Sandro Hit and Poesie by Brentano, was promised to a bright future: she won the German championship and the world championship in dressage for young horses, with so far unequaled scores (a 10/10 for her trot). She was sold for 2.5 million (Euros) in 2003 to an ING Bank / van der Zwan farm (Netherlands) consortium.

(French owner) Xavier Marie acquired Poetin at a dispersal sale in 2005 after the consortium broke up. Unfortunately, when she reached his place, Poetin had laminitis from which she did not recover. She was euthanized in December 2005. A lawsuit ensured.

Knowing of Cryozootech’s work for genetic preservation, Xavier Marie asked for her cells to be collected beforehand, with the objective in mind to get a replacement for his horse. Poetin’s clone was born on March 30th, 2007. Now she frolics in paddocks of the Haras de Hus near Nantes on the west coast of France.

In other news: The firm reports that their first clone of a gelding has managed to successful breed a mare. Simultaneously, a research pony mare and the first horse clone to be born, is also pregnant, due to foal in 2008.