The comparative evaluation of the capacities of the American Standardbreds, the French trotters and the Russian trotters

The aim of the research: to evaluate the influence of different factors over the capacities of the horses, specifically the American Standardbreds, French trotters and Russian trotters, bred in Lithuania. The objects of the research: 1. to examine and analyze the influence of genetic factors over the capacities of the trotters, bred in Lithuania); 2. to examine the influence of non – genetic factors over the capacities of the trotters, bred in Lithuania). The trotters’ race sports in Lithuania bears a deep – rooted tradition, which was established nearly two centuries ago. In order to become strongly competitive with trotters, bred in other countries, the Lithuanian horse breeders seek to grade up their herds. As a consequence, the professional level of the trainers and the race drivers increases, the infrastructure of the hipodromes is improved. The research by itself was carried out in the period of two years starting from 2011 and ending in 2013, in the Republican League of Racing Horses („Respublikinė lenktyninių žirgų lyga“) and in the Lithuanian Trotter Sports Association („Lietuvos ristūnų sporto asociacija“). The Republican League of Racing Horses and the Lithuanian Trotter Sports Association kindly provided the researcher with result protocols of the trotter’s races, held in between the year 2006 and the year 2012. As a target group of the research was selected: 30 American Standardbreds, 30 French trotters, 30 Russian trotters (90 horses in total). Data, gathered from the race protocols and the register of horse‘s descent, processed by EXCEL program, were the following: the name of the horse, the birth date of the horse, the breed, the name of the horse’s father and the name of the horse’s mother, bloodline of the horse, and all the information about the races, in which the horse had participated: dates, location, results. The statistical data were evaluated using statistical package “R”. “R” package was chosen as an integrated suite of facilities for data calculation and graphical display. Calculation was done on the different statistical exponents. According to all the available data, provided by the State Animal Breeding Supervision Service (“Valstybinė gyvulių veislininkystės priežiūros tarnyba”) the register of the horse’s descent had registered 594 horses of the American Standardbred, the French trotter, the Russian trotter and the Orlov trotter breeds. Comparatively, this quantity is very low – in Europe and Russia, taken together, in the year 2012, the number of registered horses of the breeds of interest was 62353 in total. In Lithuania the trotters comprise 11.8 % out of the general quantity of the registered horses. The largest number of the target group horses were born in Lithuania (65%), 28 % - born in France, the rest (7%) – born in the other countries. In the period of years 2006 – 2012, the target group horses had made 2520 race starts in total. The highest race activity belongs to the American Standardbreds (1006), and as follows - the Russian trotters had made 810 race starts, the French trotters had made 878 race starts. The races were held in ten different regions and locations (hipodromes) of Lithuania. As the most popular are considered to be the hipodrome of Sirvintos (Širvintos) - 1065 starts, and the hipodrome of Utena - 878 starts. The two horses have to be to be singled out of the target group – the two of these had shown the best results: 1. Rodney Augustinu (the American Standardbred) – the average result of 1000 meters is 1.1998±0.0035 min., the average race place taken – 2.6±0 159 place; 2. Sakalas (the American Standardbred) American Standardbred the average result of 1000 meters is 1.1896±0.0037 min., the average race place taken – 1.2±0.0869 place. The research analysis established and ascertained the facts, that during the research period the better results were shown by the French trotters: the average rate of 1000 meters result is 1.2245±0.0011 min. Besides, the French trotters took the better places (the average rate is 2.7±0,0556 place). The results, achieved by American Standardbreds and the Russian trotters (1000 meters and race place), were comparatively much more week. Analyzing the influence of the multiple factors on the race place taken, the factor of the primary genetic importance is the horse by itself and the individual characteristics of the animal – 30,16 % in total. The father and the mother of the horse had no influence on the race place taken. Estimating the non – genetic factors, which influence the race place taken, the factor of primary importance is the race start position – 23.02 % in total. Such factors, as the birth date and the location of the race had no influence on the race place taken