Who Holds the Studbook? Breeders Question the Akyel Syndicate

TALAS — Since 1998, no Akyel horse has been registered in Irad without a DNA parentage test against both parents. For most breeders, the rule that rebuilt the breed's reputation abroad is not in dispute. What some now question is who holds the book.

The Akyel Equine Logistics & Breeding Syndicate, formed in 1995 by Talas breeders and export agents with financing from Talasbank, keeps the National Akyel Studbook, issues export certificates and runs the quarantine stables beside the civil aprons of Talas Air Base. It also breeds and sells horses from its own three stud farms in the Talas valley. Its managing director is Mirlan Toktarov, a nephew of the Governor.

Half a dozen independent breeders interviewed by the Herald said that the syndicate's control of registration and export certification gives it an advantage over its competitors, and that registration fees have become a burden for small studs. Several said that some owners now send horses overland without papers rather than pay. "The syndicate is the referee, and it is also playing," said one breeder with a stud near Talas, who asked not to be named for fear of delays to his registrations. Others asked why the syndicate's own farms are not audited by an independent body.

The syndicate said its fees reflect the cost of DNA testing, inspection and veterinary clearance, that its procedures meet the standards of the importing countries, and that registration is open to all breeders on the same terms.