DNA tests solved
"immaculate conception"
Bull Conundrum
The reputation of Shamrock Ambassador, regarded as the Shergar of the Charolais pedigree stock, continues to thrive. The prize bull died twenty five years ago but his sperm has been much sought after by pedigree Charolais breeders anxious to improve their herds. His prowess came under attack in a bizarre case which prompted Circuit Court Judge Harvey Kenny to wonder if an "immaculate conception" had taken place on the farm of Seamus McGovern, a pedigree breeder, of Caherrobert, The Neale , Claremorris.
Shamrock Ambassador was regarded as a super stud within the Charolais Pedigree Society but his status came under scrutiny when he was "mated" with Legnakelly Denise.The calf of the union (Caherrobert Helena) arrived to the delight of all on October 16 1992. But complications arose later when a blood test failed to confirm Shamrock Ambassador as the sire and the Irish Pedigree Charolais Society refused to register the calf.
Writs flew. Seamus McGovern sued the North Western Cattle Breeders Society (NWCBS) for £4,500 in the District Court. However NWCBS convinced the District Judge to throw out the case after showing that the odds against a defective Shamrock Ambassador semen straw being used was 3,000,000,000,000 to 1.
Now more than Shamrock Ambassador's reputation was at issue. The good name of stockman and pedigree breeder Seamus McGovern was under a cloud. He appealed to the Circuit Court where Veterinary Surgeon Ray Hughes vouched for the reputation and good stockman practices of the owner of Legnakelly Denise. Mr. Hughes said he knew the McGovern's for twenty five years and would regard them as good farmers. Seamus had a good stock plan.
He was committed to building a pedigree herd and would not do anything to endanger that. He told Mr. Gerry Needham, B.L. (instr. by Mr. Brendan Flanagan, solr. for McGovern) that Legnakelly Denise came into heat on January 9th. '9. A Shamrock Ambassador straw was ordered from NWCBS... the local AI station and the cow was impregnated.
"The calf was born on October 16 and it would appear that the insemination was the act which led to the birth", said Mr. Hughes.
He pointed out that if the cow had been impregnated at a prior heat three weeks earlier she would not have shown the signs of heat on January 9. There were no signs that the calf was a premature animal. He saw the calf and from his experience of animals was happy that the animal was a "pedigree Charolais type". Seamus McGovern was a very good stockman, he was interested in building a pedigree herd and would have looked for the best sire. At that time of year animals on adjoining and nearby farms would be housed.
The nearest stud bull would be three to four miles from the McGovern farm. Shamrock Ambassador would be regarded as the Shergar of Charolais bulls and it was natural that McGovern would look for the best sire he could find.
He believed McGovern to be a genuine man who had ordered an insemination from the best sire. At the insistence of the Charolais Society a blood sample was taken and it failed to show that Shamrock Ambassador was the sire.
"I can only surmise that the semen used was not what we were looking for", he said. In reply to Mr. John Jordan B. L. (instr. by Mr. Brian Armstrong solr., for NWCBS) Mr. Hughes said the doubt about the pedigree arose when McGovern adverted to the calf as being the progeny of Legnakelly Deirdre, instead of Denise, when registering Helena with the Charolais Breeding Society. Mr. Jordan said Shamrock Ambassador was dead for over twenty years but his semen was stored in straws held at various AI stations. He said that tests proved it was a 3 million million to one chance that a jump from the same straw could have contained any semen other than Shamrock Ambassador's.
There had never been another case detected.
Witness: Except for the mix-up in the registration details this case would never have been detected.
Mr Jordan: The DNA tests proved conclusively that Caherrobert Helena is not alone not the progeny of Shamrock Ambassador but she is not the progeny of any Charolais studs the NWCBS have on their books. Is this not a major conundrum?
Witness: Yes.
Judge: It is bordering on an immaculate conception.
Witness: What was in the straw is the conundrum.
Judge: Mr. McDonagh would not be rushing around getting straws from the back of a trailer. He is a conscientious farmer interested in building up a pedigree herd and will go to great lengths to ensure the strain is correct. If he convinces me of that where does that leave the case.
Witness: He ordered the best, he is entitled to the best. He does not seem to have got it.
Mr Jordan: The straw used was in fact from Shamrock Ambassador. It is a unique problem so far as the NWCBS is concerned.
When the case resumed following an adjournment Mr. Jordan informed Judge Kenny that a hitherto unconsidered matter had come to light which provided an explanation to the conundrum. DNA tests had been carried out on Legnakelly Denise by Dr. John Williams, a scientist at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh... a world leader in cattle testing. The test showed the genetic type was different from the blood type.
The explanation for this difference was that Denise is a twin. In the womb the placenta of the twins joined and Denise became populated with the blood of her twin. The blood test proved negative because the mother was carrying the twin's blood type.
Mr. Jordan stated that the DNA test proved as a matter of probability that Shamrock Ambassador was the sire. The Charolais Pedigree Society was satisfied with the scientific explanation and was now prepared to register Caherrobert Helena as a pedigree Charolais.
Judge Kenny dismissed the action brought by Mr McGovern and made a
declaration that Shamrock Ambassador was the sire. He awarded costs in the case to the plaintiff.
Connaught Telegraph - News - February 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - February 1996
