One of show jumping's greatest stallions has been cloned. Three-year-old Pacino II (the second) as he's now known was born at Clem McMahon's Hilton View Stud in 2020.
According to Monaghan native, Brendan McArdle who works with the Irish Field, it is exactly ten years ago from the week that the great show jumping stallion Pacino died as a result of kidney failure.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Mr McArdle said that back then, Pacino was only starting to make a big-mark internationally, adding that he would of went on to be an "Olympic horse" before his untimely death.
He described the new clone is an "important step" and "big investment" for the McMahon family, who had two failed attempts before Pacino the second was clone.
"First and foremost he's going to be a breeding stallion," explained Brendan. "Secondly, he's only a three-year-old, he is broken and riding but it will be interesting to see whether Clem will be competing with him either nationally or internationally. I'd say if he's showing any potential at all Clem will have him under saddle and at the shows."
