OPU-ICSI: The Biotechnology Revolutionizing Sport Horse Breeding
A new generation of sport horses is emerging, and they all have something in common: they were born thanks to the OPU-ICSI technique. This is no longer a scientific curiosity or an extreme solution, but an increasingly widespread reality in competition arenas, auction catalogs, and the strategic plans of top breeders. And behind this evolution is a name that has played a decisive role in making it possible: Avantea.
Why OPU-ICSI Is Transforming Breeding
Initially developed as a solution for complex cases—mares in sport, mares with fertility issues, or the use of rare semen—OPU-ICSI is now becoming a standard choice, even in routine breeding, to maximize both the production and genetic value of foals.
Thanks to this technology, it is possible to plan targeted matings between the best mares and top stallions, including those who passed away years ago—like Chacco-Blue, Cumano, Heartbreaker, and Carthago Z—whose offspring continue to succeed internationally. The sporting results confirm that OPU-ICSI is not just a technical solution, but a true tool for advanced genetic selection.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves: More ICSI Horses, More Competitive
A study conducted by Hippomundo highlighted the real boom in foals born through ICSI, especially from stallions no longer available.
Beyond the numbers, the sporting quality of these horses is striking: 66.8% of Chacco-Blue’s offspring born in recent years are active in international sport, with a “Black Type” (notable sports results) rate of over 68% for horses aged eight and up. Young talents like Celeana Des Joanins Z, Champione Blue Z, and Rotterdam De Muze are concrete examples of how ICSI doesn’t just preserve genetics—it turns them into results.
The Italian Case: OPU-ICSI in the 2025 FISE Young Horses Circuit Sponsored by Avantea
In Italy too, the phenomenon is rapidly growing. Data collected during the first two events of the 2025 FISE Young Horses Circuit sponsored by Avantea clearly demonstrate this.
The young horse categories saw a significant presence of horses born via this innovative technique.
These numbers show how ICSI is gaining ground in the emerging generations of sport horses—a choice that ensures superior genetics and strong competitive potential.
The effectiveness of ICSI was further proven by competition results:
Vincenzo Chimirri placed second in Bedizzole in the 5-year-old FISE precision h120 class, while Lorenzo Correddu won the same category in Cattolica. Also in Cattolica, Alessandro Colombo triumphed in the 4-year-old FISE precision h105 class—demonstrating the high competitive level of ICSI-born horses.
These successes prove that horses produced with this technology can compete at the highest level, equal to those born using traditional breeding methods.
Even the mothers of champions are selected for OPU-ICSI programs
Even if many horses currently competing weren’t born via OPU-ICSI, their dams have recently begun oocyte collection programs using this technique at Avantea—further proof of a growing trend among top breeders to adopt advanced reproductive biotechnologies to pass on elite bloodlines to future generations.
Not Just Sport Success: ICSI Foals Are Leading the Auctions
The commercial value of OPU-ICSI foals continues to rise, confirming the market’s growing interest in this technique. A particularly significant figure comes from the Zangersheide Quality Auction, one of the most prestigious in Europe: in 2024, foals conceived via OPU-ICSI fetched an average price of over €50,000, more than 20% higher than those born through traditional methods such as artificial insemination or flushing.
This gap is no coincidence—it clearly reflects the market’s recognition of the genetic value, targeted selection, and sporting potential of in vitro-born horses.
A Technique for the Future—But Already a Present Reality
OPU-ICSI is emerging as one of the most strategic and transformative innovations in modern sport horse breeding. The figures, results, and decisions of top breeders show that this isn’t just cutting-edge technology—it’s a real, practical tool to produce more competitive, more valuable horses with greater genetic potential.
Whether it’s about performance in competition, auction success, or reproductive planning, ICSI has already changed how breeding is perceived and practiced.
The future of equine genetics has already begun— and it’s in vitro.
