Korea enjoys a robust breeding industry which can be traced back to the establishment of the Strategic Plan for the Growth of Thoroughbred Breeding Industry in 1991. The Plan heralded new measures - from transformation of the ownership system, to the opening of Jeju Stud Farm and establishment of the Korean Studbook - that led to a sharp increase in farms, stallions and broodmares.
In 2015, the KRA embarked on an unprecedented path by implementing the K-NICKS program, which selects and breeds racehorses with excellent potential using genetic information. This led to the KRA purchasing Knicks Go as a yearling at USD 87,000.
Knicks Go went on to have an amazing career, winning the Pegasus World Cup, Whitney Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic, amongst many others. In 2021, he was named American Horse of the Year and Longines World’s Best Racehorse, before retiring in 2022 to stand at Taylor Made Farm. His success story goes hand in hand with the success of the K-NICKS genetic selection program and he is anticipated to contribute to strengthening racehorse bloodlines in Korea, paving the way for the further advancement of the Korean breeding industry.
With the K-NICKS program, coupled with domestic measures such as incentives for breeders and owners and mating consultations, Korean-bred racehorses have been going from strength to strength. In 2022, a Korean-bred horse, Winner's Man, won the G3 Korea Cup for the first time ever, bringing international attention to the high quality of horse breeding in Korea.
Looking ahead, the KRA’s mid- to long-term goals are to produce at least three Korean-bred racehorses with an international rating over 115, and for Korean-bred runners to win in foreign graded races.
Korea enjoys a robust breeding industry which can be traced back to the establishment of the Strategic Plan for the Growth of Thoroughbred Breeding Industry in 1991. The Plan heralded new measures - from transformation of the ownership system, to the opening of Jeju Stud Farm and establishment of the Korean Studbook - that led to a sharp increase in farms, stallions and broodmares.
In 2015, the KRA embarked on an unprecedented path by implementing the K-NICKS program, which selects and breeds racehorses with excellent potential using genetic information. This led to the KRA purchasing Knicks Go as a yearling at USD 87,000.
Knicks Go went on to lead an amazing career, winning the Pegasus World Cup, Whitney Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic, amongst many others. In 2021, he was named American Horse of the Year and Longines World’s Best Racehorse, before retiring in 2022 to stand at Taylor Made Farm. His success story goes hand in hand with the success of the K-NICKS genetic selection program and he is anticipated to contribute to strengthening racehorse bloodlines in Korea, paving the way for the further advancement of the Korean breeding industry.
With the K-NICKS program, coupled with domestic measures such as incentives for breeders and owners and mating consultations, Korean-bred racehorses have been going from strength to strength. In 2022, a Korean-bred horse, Winner's Man, won the G3 Korea Cup for the first time ever, bringing international attention to the high quality of horse breeding in Korea.
Looking ahead, the KRA’s mid- to long-term goals are to produce at least three Korean-bred racehorses with an international rating over 115, and for Korean-bred runners to win in foreign graded races.
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