The legendary cutting horse sire, Smart Little Lena, will be inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame at the 2015 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Convention on March 6 in Ft. Worth.

Smart Little Lena still holds the record for the most money earned as a 3- and 4-year-old cutter, and ranks as cutting’s No. 2 all-time sire, according to Quarter Horse News. The premier American Quarter Horse stud was humanely euthanized in August 2010 after suffering a stroke with no chance of recovery.

In honor of Smart Little Lena, owner Mr. Ron Ward has generously donated 42 straws of Smart Little Lena’s frozen semen to the Equine Reproductive Studies program housed at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM). The funds generated from these straws will exclusively benefit research programs advancing the science and knowledge of equine reproduction.

“We are excited to see Smart Little Lena’s legacy recognized with induction into the AQHA Hall of Fame,” said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “Funds generated by Mr. Ward’s generous donation of Smart Little Lena’s frozen semen will be used by our internationally recognized team of equine reproduction specialists to support research which will build on their success in improving mare and stallion fertility.”

The Stallion Reproductive Studies program at the CVM has developed a number of tests to evaluate sperm and testicular function, as well as methods for critically assessing stallion reproductive function in the clinical setting. In addition, they have defined new approaches for preserving both cooled and frozen semen, and devised methods for improving reproductive performance of breeding stallions.

“Smart Little Lena was a phenomenal performance horse and sire,” said Dr. Dickson Varner, professor and Pin Oak Stud Chair of Stallion Reproductive Studies. “We are deeply appreciative of Mr. Ward’s generosity, and are excited about the potential impact the funds generated from Smart Little Lena’s semen straws will have on advancing the science of equine reproduction.”

The CVM has also been on the cutting edge of fertility research in mares. Research efforts have led to the development and refinement of technologies that improve the reproductive potential of the industry’s most important performance horses. Many of the discoveries in the program have been translated to commercial programs across the country – including techniques for embryo transfer, oocyte transfer, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and nuclear transfer. Currently, efforts are focused on finding new methods for collecting, maturing, fertilizing, and storing mare oocytes (eggs), and improving success rates with both ICSI and embryo culture. Additionally, new methods are being investigated for diagnosing genetic abnormalities of embryos prior to their transfer to recipient mares.

“We have successfully produced offspring from Smart Little Lena’s frozen semen in our clinical ICSI program,” said Dr. Katrin Hinrichs, professor and Patsy Link Chair in Mare Reproductive Studies. “It is amazing how things have come full circle. The ICSI technique was developed here through research supported in part by donations of stallion services, and now to be able to offer breedings to this top stallion via ICSI and have the funds generated support further work in this area is very rewarding. Mr. Ward’s donation of Smart Little Lena frozen semen straws will help ensure that new reproductive techniques and technologies will be developed to the benefit of generations to come.”

Breedings from the Smart Little Lena’s frozen semen straws will be made available through the Legends Premier Stallion Auction. For more information, or to purchase a breeding, contact Warren Hohertz, Program Coordinator, Equine Reproductive Studies/Legends Premier Stallion Auction at 979-862-2031 or whohertz@cvm.tamu.edu or by visiting the Legends Premier Stallion Auction website: http://legends.tamu.edu.