Striking Gold - Twice?

When a palomino Quarter Horse colt was born in May of 1994, the Smiths chose the name Sonnys Striking Gold to mark their good fortune. Immediately smitten, Tommy Smith, then 11 years old, fell asleep in the stall with his new best friend.

The pair went on to show in multiple disciplines, winning many awards. Thanks to his calm demeanor, Sonny became a lesson and therapeutic riding horse. At 16 years old, he began to lose weight, despite being healthy otherwise. He passed away at 18 after suffering from a mysterious and debilitating wasting of muscle along his spine and hindquarters.

With Sonny’s passing, the Smiths found themselves in a position that many will find relatable. How do you cope with the loss of that “once-in-a-lifetime” horse?

Since Sonny was such an important member of the family, the Smiths became interested in the possibility of cloning. Although future generations would not have the chance to know Sonny, they hoped that they could experience the next best thing. It was cost-prohibitive to pursue cloning at the time, but they worked with a company to preserve some of Sonny’s cells in case it became an option in the future.

When information became available about immune-mediated myositis (IMM), an autoimmune disease that causes rapid onset of muscle wasting along the topline and hindquarters,the Smiths recognized signs that Sonny experienced. Sonny’s DNA was tested at the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.

The results showed that Sonny did have one copy of the IMM/MYH1 mutation. Although not the results they had hoped for, the information did make the Smiths’ decision not to pursue cloning easier, and brought a degree of closure.

“Had we not been able to test for IMM and know that a genetic defect does exist, we would ignorantly have continued our cloning dream,” said Carol Smith. “As difficult as it was to find out, I am so grateful to UC Davis for their hard work to arrive at this discovery – and to develop a test!”

Sonny clearly made a significant impact on those that knew him best. Although his story has ended, it serves as an example of the power of genetic testing and the importance of genetics research to ensure the health of future generations.