Sport horse selection: Vincent Zacharias Bourguignon’s choice with Avantea

Growing show jumping horses capable of competing at the highest levels is an art that requires passion, expertise, and vision. Few know this better than Vincent Zacharias Bourguignon, a Moroccan rider and breeder based in Belgium, who has made innovation one of the pillars of his work. From his family roots to his ongoing pursuit of new solutions to improve his breeding program, Bourguignon represents a new generation of professionals who blend equestrian tradition with cutting-edge reproductive biotechnology.

Among these modern techniques, a key role is played by OPU-ICSI — a procedure involving the collection of a mare’s oocytes and their fertilization in vitro — which Bourguignon has chosen to adopt in partnership with Avantea, the Italian center and European leader in equine reproductive biotechnologies.

“Every breeder dreams of producing top-level horses”

“The philosophy behind every breeder’s work is ultimately the same: we want to produce horses of outstanding quality, suitable for all levels, and above all capable of excelling at the top of the sport,” Bourguignon explains. “There’s no greater satisfaction than seeing a horse born in your stable compete on the international circuit, becoming a source of pride and bringing visibility to your work.”

To achieve these goals, Vincent doesn’t simply follow trends or focus on specific bloodlines:
“Bloodlines are constantly evolving. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and the beauty of breeding lies precisely in the ability to renew, combine, and improve them. You have to be flexible and ready to try new approaches — not get stuck doing things the same old way.”

Avantea and the OPU-ICSI revolution: “It’s changed the way we breed”

One of the “new approaches” Bourguignon has embraced is OPU-ICSI — a technique that allows breeders to collect oocytes from donor mares, fertilize them in vitro with selected stallion semen, and later transfer the embryos into a recipient mare. Avantea is a pioneer in this highly specialized field, making the technology a reliable and accessible solution for breeders around the world.

“Since we started working with Avantea, our breeding program has changed profoundly,” says Bourguignon. “From an economic point of view, it’s very interesting: with the cost of seven foals born through natural breeding, we can produce one via ICSI. But more importantly, we can cryopreserve the embryos and decide when to use them — perhaps transferring two now and two more in three or five years, once the first offspring have proven themselves in sport.”

This flexibility also opens up new commercial opportunities, such as selling embryos at auction, and makes it possible to preserve and enhance valuable genetic lines that would otherwise be difficult to use.

Active mares: “With ICSI, they can keep competing”

One of the most significant advantages of OPU-ICSI concerns mares still active in competition.
“Thanks to this technique, a mare can take a month-long break and quickly return to the ring,” Bourguignon notes. “Sometimes, if she responds well, she’s back in work just two weeks after the procedure. That’s a huge advantage because it means we don’t have to interrupt her competition career while still producing foals.”

ICSI is also particularly useful with older or less fertile mares. “In many cases, even mares that can no longer conceive naturally can still produce highly valuable foals through ICSI.”

Animal welfare and recovery time

And what about the mares’ welfare? “Each horse reacts differently, just like humans,” Vincent explains. “But in my experience, I’ve never encountered significant problems. You just need to pay close attention and provide proper care after the procedure. If you do things right, recovery is quick.”

“ICSI is already the present of sport horse breeding”

For Vincent, the future of breeding is already here:
“I believe ICSI is already central to sport horse breeding today. Many horses born through this technique are now competing at the highest levels. We have several ourselves, and I’m grateful to be working with genetic lines that would never have been available without this technology.”

Ambitious goals

Vincent’s dreams are far-reaching:
“As a rider, I want to compete with the team at Aachen for the World Equestrian Games and take part in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. As a breeder, I hope to see my horses bring joy to many people and compete on the world’s biggest stages.”

Avantea: technology in the service of equestrian sport

Vincent Zacharias Bourguignon’s experience shows just how transformative advanced reproductive technologies can be in breeding top-level sport horses.

Thanks to his collaboration with Avantea — a pioneering Italian company and global reference point for OPU-ICSI — breeders today can combine elite genetics, high-level sport, and economic sustainability, gaining innovative tools to turn their breeding goals into reality.

To learn more about Avantea and the opportunities offered by OPU-ICSI in sport horse breeding, visit www.avantea.it

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