Paolo Paini on Sport, Breeding and Biotechnology: Preserving Top Bloodlines Through OPU-ICSI

We met Paolo Paini, the reigning Italian Champion, during the CSI3* in Wierzbna Biały Las. It was a valuable opportunity not only to talk about sport, but also about his twenty-year experience as a breeder and his relationship with Avantea, a European leader in equine reproductive biotechnology.

Paolo Paini is an internationally renowned rider, capable of achieving results at the highest level, but also someone who has built a consistent and long-term working philosophy centred on young horses and breeding.
“We have been breeding for at least twenty years,” he explains. “Over time we’ve had horses competing in 1.60 m, 1.50 m and 1.45 m classes all over the world. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch them develop step by step.”

Managing young horses

The Italian Champion welcomes us with simplicity while explaining his philosophy:
“We prefer to give young horses only a few competitions in their early years—just enough to give them experience without rushing their development. At four years old they may compete in a couple of shows at most, and then the number gradually increases as they reach six or seven. I believe preserving the horse’s health and wellbeing is essential to keep them physically and mentally fresh for the more demanding stages of their sporting career.”

At home, young horses spend a great deal of time outdoors, between paddocks and hill rides.
“In my opinion,” Paolo Paini adds, “variety in the work of a young horse is fundamental. It’s like with children: the more experiences they have, the better they grow. Our horses spend a lot of time outside, living a healthy life, and that helps them grow calmer and stronger.”

The experience with Avantea

Alongside sport, Paolo Paini has always believed in the importance of breeding. For this reason, about four to five years ago he began collaborating with Avantea, using the OPU-ICSI technique (oocyte pick-up and intracytoplasmic sperm injection), for which the Cremona-based company is a pioneer.

“With Avantea we have obtained several foals, some already growing and showing great promise. Even important mares such as Nata Prima di Ca’ San Giorgio, with whom I achieved excellent sporting results—including a recent fifth place in the 7-year-old final in Arezzo—have undergone OPU. She still has four or five embryos stored at Avantea. Another mare of mine, Mille Lire di Ca’ San Giorgio, produced an ICSI foal by Emerald, which is now a year and a half old.”

Perhaps the most significant example, however, concerns Ottava Meraviglia di Ca’ San Giorgio, the mare that marked Paolo Paini’s career.

“She was my most important horse: with her I won Nations Cups, five-star Grand Prix classes, the Grand Prix of Rome, and she competed in Calgary and Aachen—basically all the most prestigious shows. Unfortunately, she cannot carry a pregnancy naturally, but thanks to Avantea she has already produced five or six offspring through OPU-ICSI, and we still have around 15–20 embryos ready for transfer. Without these techniques it would have been impossible.”

Safety and reliability of the technique

Within the equestrian sector, there are often concerns regarding advanced reproductive techniques, particularly about their potential impact on mares.

Drawing on his direct experience, Paolo Paini explains:
“Many of my mares have continued competing at the highest level after undergoing OPU. I have never noticed any drop in performance or changes in temperament. Normally we carry out the procedures during the winter period, when the horses are already resting. From a sporting perspective, I have never seen any difference.”

The practical experience of a top rider helps dispel doubts: the technique proves to be not only safe, but also strategic for the future of sport horse breeding.

Breeding as both passion and long-term investment

Together with his wife, Paolo Paini manages a small breeding operation with broodmares that have competed with him at the international level.

“It’s wonderful to see foals born from mares with whom you have shared so many competitions. I don’t personally dedicate a huge amount of time to it, because I’m often away competing, but we carefully follow every breeding decision: the crosses, the pedigrees, the selection of semen. The foals grow up in beautiful pastures in San Giovanni in Marignano and at three years old they return home to begin their training.”

Thanks to the use of OPU-ICSI, Paini can preserve over time the genetic heritage of his most important mares without interrupting their sporting careers or giving up in the case of reproductive challenges.

Innovation serving the sport horse

Paolo Paini’s experience demonstrates that innovation applied to breeding is not merely a possibility, but a valuable resource.

“These techniques,” he concludes, “are particularly significant when applied to high-level mares.”

Through his testimony, the 2025 Italian Champion Paolo Paini reinforces the idea that assisted reproduction techniques in sport horses represent a concrete opportunity for the future of equine breeding.

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