Farmers from Goiás are betting on the Crioulo Horse as a working tool in extensive livestock farming. With the breed's ability and rusticity in field work, many cattle breeders have been looking for animals to form herds on farms. According to data from the Brazilian Association of Crioulo Horse Breeders (ABCCC), the number of specimens in the State grew by 12,49% last year, reaching 1,315 animals in the territory of Goiás, while the average throughout the Brazilian Center-West in the period was 7,271 TP3T. In the country, the evolution in 2016 was 4.35%.
According to ABCCC Expansion analyst, Gérson de Medeiros, Goiás by its nature has the format of large properties and, consequently, requires service horses for the daily management of the farms. But sports have also attracted interest. “The roping is part of the field work in extensive breeding and the Crioulo Horse stood out in this regard, which boosted participation in long roping competitions, considered the most successful in the State, and also did well, always obtaining good results. This helped us to spread the Crioulo Horse and demonstrate the dexterity and quality of our horse for this purpose”, he observes.
In the biggest Crioula breed competition, Freio de Ouro, breeders based in Goiás have been showing good results, so much so that the property with the highest number of classifieds for the final is from Goiás. Cabanha Gameleira, from Boa Vista do Goiás, will be in the grand final of the sport, which takes place during Expointer, in Esteio (RS), with four animals out of a total of 96 finalists. “The main factor in achieving these results was the choice of animals with extremely functional genetics. It was a priority in our choice. Furthermore, the high-quality workforce with riders and trainers and the clinical conditions of the animals and support for the work of our veterinarian ensured healthy animals to perform at their best”, highlights breeder Vitor Penner, owner of Gameleira.
He also highlights that the growth of the breed in Goiás is also due to the encouragement and promotion of the Núcleo de Criadores do Distrito Federal, to which breeders from Goiás are linked. The repercussion of the results, according to Penner, has helped to spread the breed among farmers in the State. “In addition to the trials, we have breeders also buying animals for livestock work. After this repercussion of the achievements, which was great in our region, we have breeders of other breeds interested in the Crioulo Horse”, he highlights.
Medeiros points out that the fact that the Freio de Ouro, the main selection tool in the Crioula breed, is known throughout the country, is leaving those interested in the breed well informed and integrated with the events promoted by ABCCC. “This made it easier for breeders from outside the South to have greater knowledge about the selection and, already knowing the ability of the breed, due to the long bond, they sought genetics and quality in their creations. That's why today we see the biggest exhibitor of Freio de Ouro being from a State that still had no tradition in this event. This is in line with the ABCCC expansion project started in 2015, making us happy and proud, as we see that we are on the right path”, he assesses.
Source: Agrolink
