MitochondrialDNAAndTheSignificanceofThe MaternalLine

By SilvioMattacchioneBAMA IllustrationsMartinHechanova
AmightierpowerandstrongerManfromhisthronehashurled,Forthe handthatrocksthecradleIsthehandthatrulestheworld. [1865W.R.WallaceinJ.K.HoytCyclopediaofPracticalQuotations (1896)402] Youcan'tpreventitit'sthenatureofthesex.Thehandthatrocksthe cradlerockstheworld,inavolcanicsense. [A1916Saki ToysofPeace(1919)158] Astheoldadagegoes:Thehandthatrocksthecradlerulestheworld. Offandon Ihave giventhisoldadagealmost20yearsofthought.Ifirstdiscussedtheimportanceofthis conceptanditsapplicabilitytoour breedinghenswithBobKinneybackin1992. Howeverasearlyas1971Iwasfascinatedbythisquote.Ifirstencountereditinthe ReviewofReviewsinreferencetotheBritishEmpireandtheroleplayedbywomen inshapingthemindsoftheirsons.Theseboyswhowouldgrowuptobemilitarymen, officers,scientist,innovators,financiers,lawyersandjudgesandseamenwerenurtured bytheirmotherswhointurnpassedontothemaworldview,awayoflookingatand holdingtheirvisionoftheworld.ThiswasnotuniquetoBritainbutwasinfactcommon toallmothersinallnations.Howmen wouldcometosee theworldandtheirroleinit wasinfactfilteredthroughandpassedontothembythefemaleofthespecies.Thistruly fascinatedmeforcontrarytoallthatthey ,Thepressandfeministswouldhave usunwittinglybelievepowerreallywasthespecialprerogativeoftheallegedlyweaker sex.That(1971)wastheyearthatIexperiencedaparadigmshiftinthewayIviewedthe worldandthetruepowerthatfemaleshaveandcanwield.Inessencewomenunlike menareCoCreativebutourgenerationhassobamboozledwomenastohavethem willinggiveuptheirtruepowerasuniquecreativebeingsinthenameofalleged equality.Withoutthefemaleof thespeciesallwouldceasetobe!Accesstothecradleis truepower(andthatiswhyallgovernmentseverywhereseektousurptheroleofthe female(mother)byenticingallwomenintotheworkplacethusallowingtheir governmentbureaucratsaccesstothechildren)becausethehandthatrocksthecradle rulestheworld. Asbreedersofracingpigeonshoworwhyisthisevenremotelyapplicable? Thevast majorityofpigeonfanciers,pigeonbreedersworldwidearemen.As breedersof livestockwebelievethataSireinhorsebreedingoraBullinthebreedingofcattleora raminthebreedingofsheeporaCockinthebreedingofpigeonsisofintrinsically greatervaluethanthefemalesofthatsamespecies.Infactmostbreedersneverreally giveanyrealthoughtorcredittothehens.Ourcurrentmindsetclearlyrewardsthe ownersofastockcockfromafinancialpointofview,thisisstrictlybusiness,butinthe senseofonewishingtocreatealine,oradynasty,orastrainnothingcouldbefurther Page|1

fromthetruth.Hereistherationalitythatisusedtoconfirmthegreaterimportanceor valueoftheSire.AStallion,orBullorRamorCockcanservicemanyhundredsof mares,orcows,orewesorhensduringtheirlifetimewhilethefemalehorseorcowor ewemayonlyhavelessthanadozenorsochildrenandthehen pigeon canhavemany morebutnowherenearthenumbersofaCockespecially oneontheBullsystem.Onthe faceof it,itcertainlyseemstomakesense,ordoesit?Financiallyitseemstomakesense andafteralleveryoneknowsthatmalesofanyspeciesarestronger,faster,more productive,andmoreimportantright? Iwillnotarguethepoint. Inthecurrentfinancialandbreedingmodelthemaleis definitely consideredofmuchgreatervaluefromamonetarypointofview.Themale(of mostspecies)isusuallylarger,morepowerfulandintermsofgeneratingoffspring definitely moreproductivebutI definitely andadamantly drawthelineattheassumption thatmalesaremoreimportant. Ihavecometobelievetheveryoppositethatfemalesare moreimportanteventhemostimportantelementinanybreedingoperationofanykind. Thelongtermsuccessofanyseriousbreedingprogramliessquarelyupontheshoulders ofthefemalesofthelineandnotonein tenthousandbreedershaveyetfullyunderstood thisfact.

BesttoBest FormulaForLifelongMediocrity
Weneedtostartlookingatbreedingofracingpigeonsoranylivestockfromaslightly differentperspective,fromadifferentpointofview.Howmanytimeshaveyouhearda racingpigeonfancieror racehorsebreederstatethattheonlywaytobreedisbestto best? Thengoontostatethathehimselfalwaysbreedsbesttobestandwouldnever consideranythingelse.Oddlyenoughthesefanciersor horsemenneverdefinetheterm besttobest .Mostneverwill definetheterm becauseitisan elastic,catchalltype phrasethatmeanseverythingtoeverybody andreally nothingatalltoanyone.Race horseenthusiastshave,almost300yearsofaccurateanddetailedrecords(intheformof pedigreesandraceresults)thattheycan analyzesand racehorsebreedersandtherace horseindustryingeneral claimthattheybreedbesttobest.Sowith300yearsof practice,almostunlimitedfunding,copiousdetailedrecordsdedicatedtobreedingbest tobestjusthowsuccessfularetheseallegedlyprofessional breedersatbreeding winners?Actually,ifyouweretocheckthestatisticsitseemsthat,forthemostpartthey arenotverygoodatitatall,actuallypathetic.Whatsthatyousay? HereiswhatJackGlengarry pedigreeresearcherhastosay aboutthisverysubject: Theoldwayofmatingselection(breedthebesttothebestandhopefor thebest),canworkforyou,butwhenjust6%of horsespaytheirway, youneedanedgetogetahead.Andasifthat6%isn'tlowenough,Jack Glengarry,pedigreeresearcherfromNewZealand,goesontosuggest thatonly6%ofthosethatdopaytheirway,goontobebigwinners. Reference:http://www.tesiopower.com/TesioPowerForBreeders.htm Nowjustsothatyouhaveanideaofthesizeandseriousnessoftheracehorseindustry worldwideherearesomebasicfactsandfigures. Page|2

About37,000 ThoroughbredfoalsareregisteredeachyearinNorth America,[70] withthelargestnumbersbeingregisteredinthestatesof [71] Kentucky,FloridaandCalifornia. [Notes 2] Australiaisthesecond largestproducerofThoroughbredsintheworldwithcloseto30,000 [73] broodmareswhichproduceabout18,250foalsannually. Britain producesabout5,000foalsayear,[74] andworldwide,therearemore than195,000activebroodmares,orfemalesbeingusedforbreeding, [75] and118,000 newlyregisteredfoalsin2006alone. TheThoroughbred industryisalargeagribusiness,generatingaround$34billionin revenueannuallyintheUnitedStatesandprovidingabout470,000 jobs [76] throughanetworkoffarms,trainingcentersand racetracks.
Referencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoroughbred

So6%ofallhorsesbred(usingthebesttobestmodel)worldwidehopefullybreak even andof that6%only6%everturnintowinnersofanynote .Solessthat1%ofallthe racehorsesbredintheworldeachyearwillevermakemoneytosomedegreeorother! Sowhatiswrongwiththispictureandwhatdoesitsayabout theconceptof allegedly breedingbesttobest? IfwhatIhaveoutlinedaboveisinfactthecaseinthehorse racingindustrythenhowmuchmoredismalaretherealresultslikelytobeintheracing pigeonbreedingindustryworldwide?Iwouldventuretostatethattheyareagreatdeal moredismal! Noexponentiallymoredismal. Professor Anker in his book confirms all that I have stated above and provides a real worldexampleaswell.HereiswhathehastosayonbreedingBesttoBestwhichhe referstoasGoodwithGood Theexpression"goodwithgood"iswellknownamongpigeonfanciers in connection with mating. This expression is only valid in case of additive properties. You often miss the target with the nonadditive properties. When we study the previous text, well quickly find the solution.JanosHorvath,anfancierinthethirtiesandforties,possessed a super flyer at the time. It was a Hopfner crossed with an American pigeon. He had a lot of vitality, was always in form, flew many first prizesandusuallyfinishedwiththefirstfiveuptoadistanceof960km. His power was not in the additive properties, but in his excellent organism,vitality,formpropertiesetc.During15years,Horvathmated him with ever better partners, but the offspring was far below expectations. In connection with this subject, I remember that there lived a horse phenomenonnamedGladiatorinthesixtiesofthelastcentury.Hewon the English Derby in addition to the French Grand Prix, a fete accomplished by only 4 horses in 100 years. One of them was the HungarianstallionKisber.Whywasitthathehadsomuchclass?Well, byluckhisorganismbecameasuperorganism.Suchasuperorganism isbeingestablishedbynumerousfactorswhichcannotbedeterminedin advance.Justasunexpectedasacardplayerreceivingonlytrumpcards. So,purechance.But,thisbychancecreatedorganism,developedfrom tens of thousands of threads, cannot pass on his qualities to his Page|3

offspring at such level. Thats why such individuals, despite their performance, do not succeed in the breeding stable. They cannot reproducethemselves.Theyareexcellentinthenonadditiveproperties, but unfortunately, they cannot pass them on, or only every now and then.Inthiscase"goodxgood"isofnohelp.

ThereHasGotToBeAbetterway
Horseracingisaserious agribusinessandif theverybestthattheseprofessional breederscanmusterusingthebesttobestmodel islessthan1%stakeswinnersthen thebreedingparadigmrequiresamajorrethink.Withthesetypesof depressingresults newbreedingmodelsshouldalwaysbeseriouslyinvestigated. Thereisagreatdealof pseudoknowledgeoutthereandbreedbesttobestisjustoneexample. Reliableinformation, weneed, tohelpus fromourbreedingchoicesis oftenelusive.Thereisalotofpseudoknowledgeoutthere,suchasthe correctsounding"breedthebesttothebest",apracticethatdoesn't evenreturn50%onitspromise.Wearedoingwhatwecantoimprove ourstocks'productivitywithbetternutrition,worming etc.Nowwe needtolearnwhatbreedingchoicesdoinfactwork,andstopwasting timeandmoneyonthosethatdon't. Referencehttp://www.sporthorsebreeder.com/successfulbreeder.html

ResearchistheKey
Soifbesttobestisnottheoptimalbreedingmodel thenhowdoesabreederofany stock,butinourcase,racingpigeonsgoaboutmanipulatingtheoddsin hisfavor? Wellresearchisthekeyandanumberof successfulstockmeninourracingpigeon sport haveunderstoodthattheymustconstantlybeonthelookoutforexceptionalfoundation pairswhosesuccessisproventohavebeenintergenerationally transmitted.Freddy Vandenheede,inpersonalcorrespondencewithme,putitverysuccinctlywhenhesaid: Goodpigeonsmake masterbreeders. AnotherexceptionalbreederofhighqualityracingpigeonsandpartnerinPIPA andthe PipaEliteCenteralsomakesthissamepointinaslightlydifferentway andhelpsus furtherfocuson thekeyelementinbreedingchampionracersandbreeders.Dr.Carlo Gyselbrechtputsitlikethis: Itisintheirgenes,itisinthefamily! Dr. Carlosaysitsintheir genes,itisinthefamily! PietdeWeerdsaid: onlyafewfamiliesrulethenationalsandthesearetheverybest!

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Ourjobasbreedersofthoroughbredracingpigeonsistolocatethoseexceptional pigeonsthatconsistently producewinnersintergenerationallythatderivefromafamily orline.In thepastsomebreedershavebeenfortunateenough tostumbleontooneof thesejewelsoftheskyandhavequicklybuiltareputationforthemselvesand unfortunatelyjustasquicklylostthatreputationwhentheoriginalgoldenpairwasno longerproducingbecausetheyfailedtomaintain,throughaproperbreedingprogram, the qualitygeneticpackagethattheystumbledonto.

StepOneandStepTwo
Sosteponeistolocatetheseexceptionalspecimensandthenevenmoreimportantstep twoistofigureouthowyoucan maintain orperpetuate thisexceptionalgeneticmaterial foraslongaspossible.Mostbreedersof racingpigeonsfailmiserablyonbothofthese counts. In1992oneofmyauthorsandfriendBobKinneyexplainedthistwostepprocessinvery easytounderstandterms.Hereishowheputitsothatitwasveryeasytovisualize: .Toputmythoughtsonbreedingintotheverysimplestofexamples. Considerthefollowing. Imageajarinfrontofyouwithgolddollar coinsinit.Imaginethateachgolddollarcoinrepresentsawinnergene andyouwanttoreachintothatjarandpulloutanotherwinner.There aresay20golddollarcoinsinthatjar.Solongasthereareonlygold coinsinthat jar, everytimeyoureachintoityouwillpulloutawinner. Soletsimaginethatyounowdecidetobringinacross,unproven,an unknownquantity,thatyounowmixintoyourloft(orjar).Sonowyour jarisfullofthe20goldcoinstowhichyouhavejustadded20copper pennies.Soitiseasytounderstandthatyouroddsofpullingawinner outofyourjarhavejustbeenreducedby50%.Nowdothatforanother generationbecausethebirdthatyouimportedorboughtcostsomuch andisclaimedtobesogoodandyounowhavesay60copperpennies andthesame20goldcoins.Ifyoumultiplythenumberwithevenmore unknowngenepackagesthelikelihood ofeverfindingoneofthosegold coinsisevenfurtherreduced.Theaboveisaformulaforlifelong mediocrity. WhenIfoundthatsuperpairIliterallyculledeverythingandworked withthatpairandtheirchildren.Somewereprovenasyoungstersothers werebredforstock.IproceededtomatethemtogetherbecauseIhadno choice.WithatotalofsevenpairIstartedover.IwasLUCKYenoughto findthegoldminemyjarwasfullofgoldcoinsOvertheyearsI havetwicecutbacktosevenpaironly.Eachtimeresultedinaleap forwardinperformance Reference:BobKinneyfrompersonalcorrespondence. ClearlythetoolsthatBobKinney employedin theperpetuationofthesuperiorattributes ofthisexceptionalFoundationpairSilveradoStierXBluePridewere thoseof inbreedingandline breeding.Firstlocateanexceptionallyprepotentpair,thenbuilda family orlinearoundthispairandfinallypreservethisfamily onceitssuperiorattributes havebeenfixed.Bob certainlydidthisbuthewasalsoin constantpursuitofexceptional Page|5

individualswhoseoriginwasalsofromprovenpairsthatcouldbeusedtoevenfurther elevatehisownbasefamilyof pigeons. Breedingremainsasmuch (possibly more)anartthanitisascience.Thebreedingof racingpigeonsisverycomplex becausemany traitsareinvolvedratherthanasingletrait. Soeachofthesetraitsisfurtherinfluencedbyenvironmentalaswellasgeneticfactors.In short,breedingexceptionalracingpigeonsisnotaseasyasonemighthope. Afterallifit was,ChampionsandChampionfamilieswouldbeadimeadozenrather thantherare jewelsoftheskythattheyreallyare. WhatBobKinneydidforhisSilveradoJanssenfamily wastotryandbringdesirable genes(traits) toahomozygousstate. Inhisparticularcasehewasfortunateenoughto choosecorrectlyinhisoriginalstock, andsohewassuccessful,butifhehadchosenhis originalbreedingstockincorrectly thenthetaskofbreedingouttheundesirable characteristicswouldhaveproven totally impossible.Inmostcasesthisisexactlywhat happens,thatis,theundesirablecharacteristicsonly compoundthrough intensive inbreedingandlinebreedingandquality thatneverexistedtobeginwithonly further degenerates. Inthehandsofavisionaryitispossibletoconcludethataninbredfamilycanbepurified, inwhichcasetheoffspringwouldbealmostidenticalinappearance,equallygoodracers, potentialwinnersonraceday,andultimately,veryvaluablestockbirds.Icaninrecent timesthinkofthefamilythatwascreatedbyFransSablonandEtienneDeRauwnow often referredtoastheDeRauwSablons.Thesetwomen spent30yearscooperating closelyandthesynergythatwascreatedbytheirmutualcooperationwasmuchgreater thantheirownindividual talents.Winnerscomingfromawinningfamily,prepotent, generationaftergeneration.Suchafamilyishighlydesirableforoutcrossingbecauseof theirhomozygosis.Thisisinfactisthetheory andrarelyisiteverachievedwithoutgreat struggleandperseveranceandeven thenitisnotachievedbymany. Generallyspeaking,certainlyin99%of allcases,thereisnoadvantagetobehadby inbreedingbecausethequalityofmostpigeonsisonlymediocreatbestandasweknow inbreedingisaspecialpurposetoolthatisusedtofixcharacteristics(bothgoodorbad unfortunately)andinthecaseofmediocrity thereisverylittlethatonecandootherthan todistanceyourselffromsuchsubstandardpigeonsandkeeplookingforsomething reallyspecial.

GoodPigeonsMakeMasterBreeders!
MostfancierswhoknowmeknowthatIinbreedandlinebreedtoaverygreatdegree. I havedonesoforover20yearsbutpleaseallowmetobevery,veryclearonthispoint. Mostbreedersshouldneverconsiderinbreedingtheirstockbecauseitwillserve absolutelynouseful purposeindoingso.Inbreedingisnotsomemagicmethodthatis employedtosomehowmagicallyinjectintoalinewhatwasnevertheretobeginwith. Inbreedinginfactistheultimatetestofqualityandifyouarewrongtheresultswillbe disastrous.Ichosetoinbreedmyfoundationpairinthehopeofdiscoveringjusthow goodtheyreallywereknowingfullwellthattheprobabilitieswerestackedagainstmy foundationpairof St.ThomasXDeanna.HoweverIknewthatonlybyinbreeding wouldItruly discoveriftherewassomethingoftruevalueinthispair.Itooktherisk

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baseduponallthatIknewoftheKanonLineandtheriskwasworthit.WasIbrilliant? NoIwaslucky!LetsrememberwhatFreddyVandenheedestated clearly: Goodpigeonsmake masterbreeders. ItisnotnorhaseverbeentheotherwayaroundMasterBreedersdonotcreategood pigeons! Masterstockmenhavetheuncannyabilitytosomehowrecognizequality, qualitythatalreadyexists,MasterBreederscannotstartwithsubstandardlivestockand somehowmiraculouslyproduceinthehorseracingworldNorthernDancerorin pigeonracingworld anAlbert(DeRauwSablon)or JohnnyBoy(GeertMunnik) orDenDromer(Koopman)orFreddy(Vandenheede)orChipo(Steveninck)or Lucky848(Limbourg).ThesereferencedChampionsarerare,theyaretherarestof therareandthatiswhytheyhavevalue!

Figure1 Winnersaretwopenceadozen itsthebirdsthatproducethemthataresohardtogetin thefirstplace.Recently(May2010) adaughterofLucky848soldatpublicauction,onPIPA,for 17.400EUROto3DLofts&Khanlofts.com USA.

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TrulyPrepotentSiresorDamsAreTheRarest OfTheRare!
Theyaretobecherished,andunlikediamonds,theywillnotlastforever.Usethem wisely!Tofindoneistrulylikepanningforgold.Yougothroughtonsandtonsofrock anddirttofindonlyagrainanuggetofrealgold.Thatiswhyithasvalue,becauseitis rare!Yetoncefoundtheyarerarelyeverappreciatednorinmostcasesproperlyused. Thisisbecausepeopleignorantlybelieve,"Oh,well,I'llfindorbreedanother."Well, goodluckbecausetherealityisyourarelywill. So,Silvio,whydoyousaythis?Well,hereiswhy.Letussay,forargumentssake,thata pigeononlyhad25pairsofgenes.Ifthiswasthecase,theneachpairofpigeonswould produceapproximately33,500,000differentgenotypes.Youmustadmitthatthisisan incrediblenumber.Buthowmanygenesdoesapigeonreallyhave?Wellhe/shehas 6,000pairs,whichreallymeansthatifeachpairwasheterozygoustheywouldinfact produce3tothe3,000thpowerdifferentgenotypes.Doyouunderstandjusthowbigthis numberis? Sowhatbecomesonlytooclearisnotthatvariationsoccurbecausethisisthenormbut rather thatoffspringofaprepotentsireordamcanbesoconsistentinproducing exceptionalquality!Thisiswhyprepotentpigeonsaresorareandvaluable. Onlythroughawelldefined,wellthoughtoutandexecutedplancanyouseektothwart Nature'slaw.Mostpigeonbreederslose.Oncethesireordamisgone,soistheirhuman owner'ssupposed,abilityasagreatbreeder? Yousee,ithadnothingtodowiththe allegedabilityoftheallegedMasterBreeder ithadtodowithchanceandblindluck.So itiswithsomanyselfproclaimedmasterbreederswithmany,manyallAmerican and EuropeanallegedMasterBreeders.Weretheyreallymasterbreedersorjustextremely fortunatetohavealonglivedprepotentsireanddam? WellIhaveattemptedintheprecedingpagestomakeanumberofimportantpoints. SomereaderswillunderstandmostwillnotandthatquitefranklyisOk.Thebottomline thatwhatalloftheworldsChampionshavediscoveredisthisgreatpigeonsmake championpigeonfanciersnottheotherwayaround.Soourjobistodiligentlyresearch andlocate theseexceptionalpigeonsbeforeotherfanciersrealizethattheyaretruly special. Soletusassumethatyouhavefoundsomethingspecial,nowwhat?Wellifyouare correctyouneedtobeginabreedingprogramthatseekstoensureaconstantsupplyof thisspecialgeneticpackageforgenerationstocome.Quitefranklythisiswherethe rubberhitstheroads!Thisiswhatmakesor breaksusallandguesswhatItreallyhas verylittletodowithhowmuchmoneyyouhaveordonothave.Infactithaseverything todowithyourintuitivelivestockresourcesratherthanyourmonetaryassets.ButIhave alreadystatedthattruestocksenseisinlimitedsupplyandthatnotoneintenthousand hasit,sodoesthatmeanwearedoomedtofailure?Wellnonotreallyyoumaynothave stocksensebutsolongasyouhavegoodcommonsense,greatresearchskills,alotof determinationandyouundergoaslightparadigmshiftyoumightjustbeonyourway togreaterthanaveragesuccess

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TheChampionProducerHasNoPrice!
AnumberofyearsagoafriendofmineColinChapelofAustraliawroteamarvelous articleentitledSecondHelpingswehavesincecommunicatedmanytimesbecauseof thisarticlebuttowardstheendofhisarticle(thatisquotedverbatimherein)hedealswith theissueofappropriatepriceforaChampionproducerandhisanswerwhile disconcertingtomanyreadersisexactlywhatImyselfbelieve.HereiswhatColinhasto say: Andthat'stheappropriatepriceforachampionproducer,beitahorse orapigeon:rare,oftenunexpected,butirreplaceable. VINBlanden wasformanyyearsamajorandinfluentialmemberwithintheSAHPA. Heknewallthegreatfanciersinhispartoftheworld,andwas extremelyknowledgeableaboutthevariousfamiliesandlinesofbirds withinSouthAustralia.Heownedthefamousstockhenwidelyknown as'Henrietta',bredfrombrotherandsister.Blandenwroteacolumnon pigeonracingwhichappearedinaSouthAustraliannewspapereach week,andoneofthemwrittensomewherearound1958washeaded MateBrothertoSister.Itcouldhavebeenthestoryofhisfamoushen, butitreadsasfollows: Ifavaluablefamilyistoberetained,thebestwayto gaintheendistomatebrothertosister.Winnersare twopenceadozen,itsthebirdsthatproducethemthat aresohardtogetinthefirstplace.Thevaluablepair arethetwobirdswhichproduceanumberofoffspring whichinturnkeepbreedingwinnersseasonafter season.Thebestsonofthepairshouldbematedtothe bestdaughterbeforeitistoolate. Manygoodprizewinnersthisyear,includingseveralof thetwelveAssociationwinnersaredescendantsofthree birdsbredfrombrotherandsister.Quiteanumberof theseareinbredbackagaintosuchextentthattheyare descendedfromallthreebirds. Theproofofthepuddingisinitseating,andthe ultimateresultprovesthepoint. Reference: fromSecondHelpingsbyColinChapel

TheUltimateAdvantage?
Mostfanciersareboredwithgenetics,mostdonotunderstanditanddonotwanttotake thetimetotryandunderstanditbecauseitisdifferent,confusingandrequiresagreat dealofthoughtandeffort. Everyoneisafterthequickfix.Howmanytimeshaveyou heardsomeonesaythatIdonotneedtoknowhowtobuildacartodriveacarthen theysayjustshowmewheretoinsertthekeyandIwillbeonmyway.Wellitwould certainlybebetter ifthepersonunderstoodthebasicsofthecar,butmostpeople, Page|9

includingmostpigeonfanciersarenotreallypreparedforwhatshouldreallybedone,if theycangetbywithashortcut. WiththisinmindIamgoingtoprovideyouwitha possibleshortcutthatmayjustgiveyouaninsightandan advantageoverotherfanciers whoarenotawareofthisinformation.Thehenisthekeytoyourentirebreeding operation.Thehensarethekeystoyoursuccess.Thehensarethekeystoyourlongevity asasuccessfulbreederofracingpigeons.Withoutgreathens,withoutexceptionalhens, withoutafamilyofexceptionalhensyouwillachievenothingoflastingvalue!

EnergyIsTheEssentialKeytoSuccess
Withoutenergyeverythingcomestoastandstill.Allwehaveheardof sincethe1970s relatestoanonexistentenergy crisis.Wellletmestatethatourracingpigeonsare intricatebiochemicalspecies(asallformsoflifeincludingmanare).Everysingleorgan intheirbodieswouldfinditimpossibletofunctioniftheycouldnotdependonaconstant supplyofenergy.Theseorgansincludetheheart,theliver,thekidneys,thebrainandall ofthemuscles.Theenergyisproducedbythebody,intheformofachemical,iscalled ATP(adenosinetriphosphate)whichisthenusedbythebodyforessential body functions.
Referencehttp://www.hitechbloodstock.com/

TheOpenSecret!
Inonequicksentence,theopensecretisthatonly femalescanpassmtDNAontotheir offspringandthattheMitochondriaaretheenergypowerhousesofeachandeverycell inthebodiesofeverylivingthingonearth.

WhatIsMitochondrialDNA?
RatherthanmereinventingthewheelIamgoingtoquotefrom http://www.dnaheritage.com/mtdna.aspastheyhavedefinedMitochondrialDNAAs: MitochondrialDNAExplained TherearetwokindsofDNAthatarefoundinacell:nuclearand mitochondrial.NuclearDNAisfoundwithinthenucleusofthecelland iscomposedoftwosourcesofDNA.Onesourceistheegg(fromthe mother)andtheotheristhesperm(fromthefather).Thisisthetypeof DNAthatdefinesusasindividualsandismostoftenusedinforensicor paternitycases.Intermsofforensiccases,thenuclearDNAofa specimenfromacrimesceneiscomparedtoaspecimenfromasuspect toseehowsimilartheyareintermsofapaternitysuit,thenuclearDNA ofthechildiscomparedtothenuclearDNAfromthefathertoseeifthe fathercontributedtothechild'sDNA. MitochondrialDNA(mtDNA)iscontainedinthemitochondriaofthe cell.Themitochondriaareorganelleslocatedoutsidethenucleusinthe Page|10

cytoplasmofthecell.Theseorganellesareresponsibleforenergy transferandarebasicallythe"powerhouses"ofthecellsThisformof DNAisinshortstrandsandthereforedoesnotmutateorchangeform veryquicklyitisrelativelystableandcanbecomparedacrossseveral generations.MitochondrialDNAisonlypassedalongthematernalline soifwewanttocompareasample wehavetoobtainabloodsample fromthemotheroranyofthesiblings(whowouldsharethesame sequenceofmtDNAasthemother),butintermsofniecesornephews, wecouldonlyobtainitfromasister'schildren(abrother'schildwould obtainhisorhermtDNAfromthemotherwhowouldnot berelated). Yourmaternalancestrycanbefollowedbackusingaspecialtypeof DNAcalledmitochondrialDNA.Wecallit mtDNAforshort. Mitochondriaarefoundwithineachofourcells.Theirmainjobisto produceenergysothatwhenwerunupaflightofstairs,justenough energyisproducedforourcells. However,it'sthewaythatthemitochondriaand,moreimportantly,the mtDNAinsideispassedontothenextgenerationthatisofmostinterest togenealogistsandpeoplelookingintotheirpast.

Inonequicksentence, femalespassmtDNAontotheiroffspring. Therefore,everyonewillhavereceivedmtDNAfromtheirmotherandin turn,thosemothersreceivedtheirmtDNAcopiesfromtheirmotherstoo. Inthisway,thepathofthemtDNAhastravelleddownthegenerations throughthedirectmaternalline. Reference:http://www.dnaheritage.com/mtdna.asp

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Figure2 Mitochondriaarefoundinthe tensofthousandsinthe cytoplasmofeachandeveryoneof ourcells.AsyoucanseetheMitochondrialDNAisseparateanddistinctfrom thenuclearDNA containedinthenucleusofeachcell.Illustration MartinHechanova

WHATAREMITOCHONDRIA? Mitochondriaarethelittlefactoriesineachofthecellsofthebodythatareresponsible formakingmostofthebodyssourceof energy.Everycellcontainsliterallytensof thousandsoftheseMitochondria.Bodyorgans(especiallythebrain,heart,muscle, kidneysandliver)cannotfunctionnormallyunlesstheyarereceivingaconstantsupply ofenergy.TheenergyisproducedintheformofachemicalcalledATP(adenosine triphosphate)whichisusedbythebodytodrivethevariousreactionsessentialforbody functioning,growthanddevelopment. Anumberofbiochemicalreactionswhichoccurinanorderedsequencewithinthe mitochondriaareresponsibleforthisprocessofATPproduction.Thesereactionsare underthecontrolofspecialproteinscalledenzymes.Thegenesfoundwithinthe mitochondriacontaintheinformationwhichcodesfortheproductionofsomeofthese importantenzymes.

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Figure3 Mitochondriaarethelittlefactoriesineachofthecellsofthebodythatareresponsiblefor makingmostofthebodyssourceofenergy.Illustration MartinHechanova

MITOCHONDRIALINHERITANCE(MaternalInheritance) Ifyouweretovisithttp://www.hitechbloodstock.com/youwouldfindthefollowing passagedefiningMitochondriaastheenergyfactoriesofeverycellandthatthese energyfactoriesmakeupmostofthebodiesenergysource.Wepigeonfanciersspenda lotof timeon concoctingfeedsupplementationinordertogiveourbirdswhateverlittle advantageispossiblebecausethedifferencebetweenChampionpigeonsandtherestis anincrementaladvantage.Thatiswhywecarboloadbeforeracesusingeithersmall seedsoroilsetc.Howeverrarelydoesanyonegivethoughttotheseenergyfactories thatgivecertainchampionpigeonsanadvantagefrombirth.Pleasenotethattheseenergy factorieshavenothingtodowith themaleofaspeciesandeverythingtodowiththe femaleofthespecies.SoitstimetorethinktheroleoftheHensinyourloftbecause theytrulydodictateyoursuccessorlackof same.Thehenliterallyprovidesthepower sourceinsideeachcellinourpigeonsbodies.Nowtakeamomenttoreallythinkabout thatforitisarevelation.Additionallynotjustanyhenwill doyouneedtodoyour researchandrememberthewordsofDr.CarloItisintheirgenes,itisinthe family!orthoseof Freddy Vandenheedewhoyouwillrememberstated: Goodpigeonsmake masterbreeders.

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Mitochondriaarethelittlefactoriesineachofthecellsofthebodythat areresponsibleformakingmostofthebodyssourceofenergy. Bodyorgans(especiallythebrain,heart,muscle,kidneysandliver) cannotfunctionnormallyunlesstheyarereceivingaconstantsupplyof energy.TheenergyisproducedintheformofachemicalcalledATP (adenosinetriphosphate)whichisusedbythebodytodrivethevarious reactionsessentialforbodyfunctioning,growthanddevelopment. Anumberofbiochemicalreactionswhichoccurinanorderedsequence withinthemitochondriaareresponsibleforthisprocessofATP production.Thesereactionsareunderthecontrolofspecialproteins calledenzymes.Thegenesfoundwithinthemitochondriacontainthe informationwhichcodesfortheproductionofsomeoftheseimportant enzymes. WHATARETHEBIOCHEMICALREACTIONSTHATOCCURIN THEMITOCHONDRIA? Thebiochemicalprocesseswhichoccurinthemitochondriaand produceenergyareknownasthemitochondrialrespiratorychain. Thischainis madeupoffivecomponentscalledComplexI,II,III,IV andV. Eachofthesecomplexesaremadeupofanumberofproteins. Themessageforthebodytoproducetheseproteinsiscontainedin separategenes. Thereareover80differentgenesneededtoproducethecomponentsof themitochondrialrespiratorychain.Someofthesegenesarefoundin mitochondriaratherthaninthenucleus. Mutationsinanyofthesemitochondrialgenescanresultinbiochemical problemsduetoabsenceormalfunctioningoftheenzymesinvolvedin therespiratorychaincomplexes.Thisleadstoareductioninthesupply ofATP.Thiscanhavesevereconsequences,resultingininterferenceof bodyfunctionsincludinganyofthefollowing,eitherinisolationorin variouscombinations EXAMPLESOFTHEIMPACTOFFAULTY(MUTATED) MITOCHONDRIALGENES General:smallstatureandpoorappetite Centralnervoussystem:developmentaldelay/intellectual disability,progressiveneurologicaldeterioration,seizures,strokelike episodes(oftenreversible),difficultyswallowing,visualdifficultiesand deafness Skeletalandmuscle:floppiness,weaknessandexerciseintolerance Heart:heartfailure(cardiomyopathy)andcardiacrhythmdisorders Page|14

Kidney:abnormalitiesinkidneyfunction CANMUTATIONSINTHEMITOCHONDRIALGENESBE INHERITED? Thenumberofmitochondriaineverycellofahorsesbodyvariesfrom afewtohundreds.Allofthesemitochondria,andthereforetheDNA withinthemitochondria,descendfromthesmallnumberof mitochondriapresentintheoriginaleggcellatthetimeofthathorses conception.Thespermdoesnotcontributeanymitochondriatothe baby. Thusanindividualsmitochondriaareonlyinheritedfromhisorher mother.Anabnormalityinoneofthe mitochondrialgenescantherefore bepassedbythemotherinhereggcells.Asmostofthemothersegg cellscarrythesamemitochondrialmutation,theriskofthismother havinganotheraffectedoffspringwiththemitochondrialdisorderis high. Thispatternofinheritanceisthereforereferredtoasmaternal inheritance. SupermtDNA CertainindividualsintheHorseBreedingIndustrybelievethatgreat stakesproducingmareshavesomemutatedspecialmtDNAwhen coupledwithlargeheartsizedgenesproducestakesclassperformance. (HistoricalmaresinthisclassquotedinthiscategoryareSelene,Plucky Leige,NogaraandmorerecentlyMrsMossandHeightofFashion) Reference:http://www.hitechbloodstock.com/

ProfessorAnkeronVitality
A high vitality makes it possible for a pigeon to have greater energy reserves during races than his competitors in general. The inflight energylossesfatiguestheconstitutionofsuchpigeonsless.Theyneedto mobilizelesspowertogethomeonthesameracesor,wheneverythingis needed,toflythesouloutoftheirbody. In that case, the average pigeon is already far behind. Pigeons with excellent vitality recuperate faster, they are quicker able to form new reserveinkidneysandliver,andasaresultofthis,alsogetfasterback inshape.IdontthinkthatIneedtosaymoretomysportfriendswho raced good how much this means in practice. More classification results,moreprizes.Itisthereforewisetokeeponlythosepigeonsinthe racing loft who possess an excellent vitality A pigeon with a great vitality doesnt lose his shine during mating, breeding and the upbringing of the youngsters. One doesnt notice change. Their nose tipsarewhiteassnow,theirmusclesdontlosebody,elasticityandshine Page|15

of wings remain unchanged. Such pigeons possess an above average vitality.Suchaconstitutioncanalsocopewithalotinthebasketwhile other pigeons only show something on those competition races which arelighteranddemandlesspower. Weallspeakofvitalityyetneverhavewecometounderstandtheroleofthe Mitochondriaintheveryexistenceofthisvitality .Mitochondriadictatesvitalitybecause itdictatestheavailabilityofenergy andthemoreimportantrealizationthatonlythe femaleofthespeciescanpassontheMitochondriatoherchildren.Letusforamoment thinkaboutthecommentsmadebyDr.MarkHymanM.D.on http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/ultrawellnesskey6

Whyaretheselittleenergyfactoriessoimportanttoyourhealth? Theanswerissimple:Mitochondriaaretheplacewheremetabolism happens. Whenyourmitochondriaarentworkingproperly,yourmetabolismruns lessefficientlyorcanpracticallyshutdown. ProblemsoccurbecausethesepowerfulenergyproducersareVERY sensitivetodamage. Andwhentheyaredamaged,yousufferallthesymptomsoflow energyfatigue, memoryloss,pain,rapidaging,andmore. Fatigueisthemostcommonsymptomofpoorlyfunctioning mitochondria,anditisthereasonwetendtopoopoutasweage.Weadd constantinsultandinjurytoourmitochondria,andthiscausesthemto breakdownandstopproducingenergy. Themainwayyourmitochondriaaredamagedisbyuncontrolled oxidativestress.Thatmaysoundcomplicated,butinrealityweareall familiarwithoxidativestressevenifsomeofusdontknowwhatthe termmeans. MarkHyman,M.D. Reference:http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/ultrawellnesskey6

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Figure4 TheMitochondrialDNAof thecockiscontainedwithinthetailofthe sperm.Illustration MartinHechanova

Itwillcomeasasurprisetomanytounderstandwhy onlymotherspassMitochondrial DNAon totheirchildren.AllofyourMitochondrialDNAisidentical tothatofyour brothersandsisters,yourmother,hersisters,theirmother, theirgrandmothersandso forth.Yourwholematernallineagecanliterallybetracedbacktothebeginninginthis fashion.Whenacockmatestoahenthecocksuppliesthespermandthehentheegg howeversincetheMitochondrialDNAof thecockiscontainedwithin thetailofthe spermandsincethetailfallsoffasthespermenterstheeggitisimpossibleforthe resultingoffspringtocarry anythingbuttheMitochondrialDNAofthehenorthe mother.Nowthinkofthiswhenyouareplanningyourmatingevery timeacockmatesto ahenotherthanhissisterormotherorotherfemalememberofhismothersmaternalline heisinfactcreatingaNEWhenlineeachandeverytime.

"Aroundtheglobeyouwillseethemostsuccessfulfarmoperatorsactive atacquiringqualitymaresand filliestheyknowmaternalstrengthis thepathwaytosuccess."(McLean) (Referencehttp://www.sporthorsebreeder.com/theMare.html)

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Figure5Illustrationofthepassageofthe MitochondrialDNAalongthematernallineonly. IllustrationMartinHechanova

RecentlyIwasreadingthecontentsoftheSportHorseBreederwebsiteandfound referencestotheadvancesmadelongagoespeciallybythegiantofthehorsebreeding worldFredericoTessioregardingnervousenergy.Thiswaslongbeforesciencehad knowledgeoftheexistenceof MitochondrialDNA.TheItalianFredericoTessioremains tothisdaythegiantoftheracehorsebreedingworld.Hewasanintuitivegenius! Knowledgeinanyfieldcomesfromthehardworkofmanypeople.The advancesinequinegeneticsandbreedingarenodifferent.Following arejustafewofthe"giant'sshoulders"wearestandingontoday. FredericoTesio,thefatherofbalancedlinebreeding,wasanintuitive genius,instinctivelyhechosebroodmareswithreservesofnervous energythiswaslongbeforeMitochondrialDNAwaseverimagined. Page|18

KenMcLeaninhis"GeneticHeritage"announcedtheimportanceof thedam'sxchromosomeand heanticipatedthefuturefindingsin MitochondrialDNA. BruceLoweattemptedtotraceandclassifythosefemalefamiliesthat werepotentforracingexcellenceinanumbersystemthatisstillinuse today. CliveHarpergaveusthestatisticsthathaveclearlyshownthatsex balancingpaysinhis"ThoroughbredBreeders'Handbook"andthen exploredthepowerofthemareindepthinhis"TheThoroughbred BroodmareBook". MariannaHaunthrilleduswithher"TheXFactor"whichtracedthe largeheartgenecomingdownthexchromosome. Theaboveisapartiallist,butenoughforyoutoseethatallofthese groundbreakerswereONTOSOMETHING. (referencehttp://www.sporthorsebreeder.com/theMare.html) BlueHens Thoroughbredbreedershaveclassifiedespeciallypotentmaresas"blue hens"andEllenParkerhasdevelopeda"reinesdecourse"listand madeanindepthstudyofthefemalefamilies. (referencehttp://www.sporthorsebreeder.com/theMare.html) AproperunderstandingofthefunctionoftheMitochondrialDNAasthepowerhouse ofeachcelltheenginethatactuallyproducestheenergyforallorganiclifeformsonthis planetandthefurtherunderstandingthatthesepowerhousescanonlybepassedonbythe femalesofanygiven speciesshouldassistusallinviewingany pedigreein avery differentfashionfromhereon.Thefemaleplaysamarkedlymoreprofoundrolein producingindividualChampionsandperpetuatingawinningfamilyforgenerationsthan hashithertobeen realized.

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Itstimewestoplookingatourhensasincubatorsandstartunderstandingthattheyare trulythegeneticpowerhousesthatcanmakeorbreakoureffortstobreedexceptional racingpigeons.IthastakenagreatdealoftimeandstudybutIhavecometounderstand thatlongtermsuccessdependsmuchmoreuponyourhensthanitdoesuponyourcocks andwiththisknowledgeinmindyoumightwanttostudyyourpedigreesinlightofthis newfoundunderstanding.

PracticalApplicationofTheseConcepts
IcanhearitnowOKsojusthowdoIusethisinformationintherealworld? Howcanit helpme?WellIcangiveyouaverypracticalexampleofhowIusedthisinfotodevelop anentirelineofpigeonsbasedupononlytwoJanssenpigeons.Myentirecolonyafter twentyyearsofselectiveinbreeding ofmyfoundationpairofStThomasXDeanna .IcameveryearlytoappreciatethevalueofthematernallineandIbelievedthatthe longevityandstrengthofanycolonyhadlesstodowiththecocksandmuchmoretodo withthehens.SincethispairofSt.ThomasXDeannahadproducedmanysuccessful sonsanddaughtersthathadwonmanyracesinHolland,theUSA,Canada,Taiwan. MexicoetcIdecidedtofindoutjusthowgoodtheyreallywereandsoIdecidedto embarkuponanintensiveinbreedingprogram bymatingSt.Thomastohisdaughters, andthenSt.Thomastohisgranddaughters(whowerealsohisdirectdaughters)andthen tohisgreatgranddaughters(whoagainwerealsohisdirectdaughters).AtthesametimeI wasmatinghissonstotheirsisters,unclestoniecesetcandthenthesehensbacktoSt. Thomas.Tomysurprisethelinedidnotdeterioratebutonlybecamemoredominant.

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InessenceIintentionallycreatedalinethatwasbasedupontheMitochondrialDNA of my foundationhenDeanna.Thechildren ofSt.Thomasbecamemoreandmore consistentwithevery generationthehensthroughouttheloftwerelikepeasinapod. They lookedthesame,theyhandledthesame,theyhadwonderfulvitalityandfecundity, theywereintelligent,softoffeather,moistflesh,buoyanttheycouldeasilybetamed andtotopitallofftheywerevery,veryprettytolookat. ImadeitapointoftryingnevertobringnewbloodintomylineandifIdidIbroughtin onlyawellresearchedand selectedcockasinthecaseofSlade(whoIpurchasedat publicauctionin1992)whowasaverysuccessfulfoundationcockoftheAmericanBob KinneyfromhisfoundationJanssenpairofSilveradoStierXBluePride(Bob Kinneybredthemotherandfatherofthe1998SunCityMillionDollarRaceforBob th Quallsaswellasthe5 placewinnerin2003).Sincecockscannotpassontheir MitochondrialDNAtherewasnodangerofmeeffectingorchangingthematernalline thatIhadestablishedinmybreedingprogram.PleasereviewmychartentitledSt.Joan toseehowI usedtheKinneycockSlade. DuringthedevelopmentofmymaternallineIdidmakeuseoftwooutsidehensbutagain Iensuredthattheywouldnotchangemymaternalline.HowdidIdothis?Ididthisby ensuringthatIbredonlyfromtheirsons.YoucanseeanexampleofhowIdidthisinmy chartshowinghowIusedahencalledSuper8. ThechartthatfollowsoutlinesthecreationofmyinbredlineoriginatingfromSt. ThomasXDeanna

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"St.Joan"(NL892692470)
Thischartshowshow"St.Joan"(NL892692470),thedaughterof"St.Thomas" (NL838391269)and"Deanna"(NL84400753),hasbeeninterwovenintothe"St. Thomas"(NL838391269)x"Deanna"(NL84400753)linethroughselective inbreeding.Notethearrowsindicating"St.Joan"(NL892692470and"St.Thomas" (NL838391269).

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"Super8"(NL892149028)
Thischartshowshow"Super8"(NL892149028)hasbeeninterwovenwiththe"St. Thomas"(NL838391269)x"Deanna"(NL84400753)lineusingbothunrelated crossesandinbreeding.

Super8(NL892149028)
Bluecheckerhen.DescendentofalineofthegreatestoftheJanssenpigeons,the "Olieman","019","16"(ownedbyDePrut),plusthe1985FirstAceCockofHolland, Super8(NL892149028)wasbredbyGijsPetersfromthelineoftheworldfamous "Super73"andthe"VanHerpenHen". SheisthedaughterofNL871068291(bred byGijsPeters)andNL851689445(bredbyVanHerpen).Asaracer,Super8wona 1stfrom370kmagainstover17,000birds.Shehasalsoproventobeadominant breeder.Sheisthedamandgranddamofover100winnerstodate,in4different countries.Childrenofthisincrediblehenareprovingthemselvesaroundtheworldas topflightbreeders.Itwouldbeimpossibletodeterminehowmanytopbreedersthis henhasproduced,butitissignificant.Forexample,sheisdambythreedifferent cocksto8x1stwinnersand178prizewinnersby1995.

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JohanvanDammewins1stNationalBrivewithsuper birdLocco!
AsIwascompletingthisarticletheexcitingnewscamethroughofthemonumental nd victoryofLoccoofJohanvanDammebyanastounding10minutesaheadofthe2 placepigeonatNationalBriveagainst16,813.Interestinglyenoughasiftoprovemy pointweseethatbothofLoccograndmothersaredescendantsofthefabulousDe RauwSablonfoundationpairAlbertXPaola.ThereforetheMitochondrialDNA( whichyouwillrememberaretheenergyenginesofallofthecellsoftheentirebodyof DeLocco)ofDeLoccoisthatofhismaternalgrandmotherwhotracesbacktothe originalDeRauwSablonfoundationpairortobemorespecificfromaMitochondrial pointofviewbacktoPaola. Ididsomeinvestigatingastothewhereabouts ofthesetwograndmothersofDeLocco andinterestinglyenoughtheywerepurchasednotlongagobyMarcDeCock.Smart moveMark,averysmartmove!

ItwasallegedtomeonSundayMay302010thatan offerof125.000.00Eurosmadeby EricLimbourgforDeLoccowasrefusedoutright.

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Figure6Sincepreparingthischartitnowseemsthatbothofthereferencedgrandmothers ofDeLoccotracebacktothefamousDeRauwSablonpair.

Figure7 YoungJohanvanDammeisindeedfortunatetohaveashismentorFransSablon.

ForthoseInterestedpleaseseethedetailedpedigreebelowtoviewtheroleplayedbythe DeRauwSablonhensinthesuccessofDeLocco.

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ForthehandthatrocksthecradleIsthehandthatrulestheworld.

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