ill Of Portland must surely be one of the most interesting stallions to ever come to Australia. He certainly was much talked about, and his legacy was outstanding especially given the relatively short time that he was at stud here. Overall, he was to sire 22 individual stakes-winners from only seven crops, but debate continued for years as to whether his influence was either positive or negative. Bill Of Portland was a roarer, an affliction that most owners and breeders would steer clear of. It is especially interesting when we see the increase in breathing issues in our modern thoroughbred that is masked by the improvements in veterinarian care. Wind operations are common, and few breeders and buyers even seem to consider the heredity of breathing issues. It is not just in the thoroughbred industry that we see changes. The Arabian horse which was bred largely because it was so clean-winded, now has strains that suffer from breathing issues especially in those bred for the show ring. Roarers though are not uncommon over time, and interestingly there was much debate as to whether this affliction was hereditary. It seems that many more horses in the UK suffer than in the Southern Hemisphere. Climate no doubt plays a role in wind infirmities and NZer’s will argue that over time, there was a greater incidence in roaring in different parts of the country that they contributed to a range of factors including feeding, training methods and climate. We actually include a couple of interesting articles on “Roaring” from a historical perspective later this month.
