Since January 1, 2017, Select Breeders Services Italy (SBS Italia) transferred their business to Studio Veterinario Associato Luretta.  Their facility is located in Gazzola, which is not far from Piacenza, and provides veterinary care for small animals and horses.  The practice was founded in 1997 and is owned by three partners: Dr. Antonino Calza, Dr. Carlo Brigati and Dr. Roberto Casaroli. Dr. Sandro Barbacini of SBS Italia and Dr. Casaroli have known each other for many years since they both attended the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Parma.

And the winner is...Jezebel S.E. Congratulations to our 2014 Foal Photo Contest Winner, Siegi Belz-Fry, for winning a $75.00 Dover Saddlery gift certificate for the photo she submitted of her foal, Jezebel S.E. (Everdale x Showbiz). It's always nice when mom is there to scratch the itch you just can't reach.

Francesca Fasani and her daughter, Sara D’Imperio, run a small Quarter Horse farm. It is located in Angera, Northern Italy on the shores of Lake Maggiore and not far away from the Swiss border. Francesca started breeding horses almost 40 years ago when she and a friend bought a Trotter broodmare. However, many years later Francesca came to experience the world of Western Riding when she bought an Arabian Horse of the Asil line that had already been trained in this discipline.

SBSItalia was relocated to Medesano (PR) in Via Carnevala, 17 from San Daniele Po (CR), Italy where they had been located since 1994. This decision was made solely for organizational and logistical reasons and to improve the services given to our customers. With this article we take the opportunity to thank the Marchi-Balestreri family, owner of Cascina Cristella, for having given to SBSItalia the opportunity to perform its clinical activities for over 15 years. Medesano is a small town at the foot of the hills of Parma strategically positioned with easy accessibility via either the motorway A15 (exit at Parma Ovest and Fornovo) or A1 (exit Parma and Fidenza). 

La FRASERA is a noted Arabian Stud Farm and represents the result of twenty five years of hard work and passion for horses for Francesco and Serenella Santoro. Francesco and Serenella Santoro live in Sacrofano near Rome and have owned horses for more than thirty years. Their very first stallion, Satir, only just passed away at the significant age of 32. At the end of the 70’s Mr. and Mrs. Santoro decided to transform La Frasera in a farm which would only select the best genetic lines of "Straight Egyptians" in the belief that the undeniable beauty and purity of these subjects could improve the strength and quality of the entire race. The Santoro family is well known in the International Arabian Community and Francesco Santoro is also a respected International class A judge.

Gianpaolo Gubbiotti and Paolo Capecci started their breeding and training business in 2000. Cà di Gianni had recently moved to central Italy, to Vocabolo Caldese di Celle near Città di Castello, a beautiful medieval Umbrian town located near Perugia and Arezzo. Gianpaolo and Paolo manage their business in perfect harmony, while Gianpaolo (photo right) is concerned with all aspects related to organizational and commercial structure, Paolo (photo left) is a worldwide respected handler. Cà di Gianni stands several internationally famous Arabian halter stallions and offers fresh, chilled and frozen semen. The breeding objective of Cà di Gianni is to improve the quality standards of Arabian horses and to produce horses whose "type" is superior.

Select Breeders Services Italia has had a busy summer period with the organization of the 2nd Embryo Transfer course held at SBSItalia’s facility “Cascina Cristella” in San Daniele Po (Cremona). SIVE (Italian Association for Equine Veterinarians) and SBSItalia hosted eighteen enthusiastic participants, veterinarians from all over Italy and Europe (photo left), for a two day intensive program. Drs. Sandro Barbacini and Denis Necchi spoke about Advantages and Disadvantages of Embryo Transfer technique and Mare Management of the ET Recipients. A full day was dedicated to the practical course and the participants were able to perform flushing and embryo search using six recipient mares provided by SBSItalia.

Did you know, SBS Italia has a collaboration with the Arabian Horse Journal to provide articles on veterinary and reproduction topics for publication in their magazine. We have a few of these articles already posted in the Knowledge Library of our website, see the topics below. The articles are well presented in both English and Italian and for sure this magazine is a feast for the eyes with all the stunning photos of Arabian horses. For those in the Arab Horse Industry it is also a valuable source for information on show results and special interest articles.

News from SBS Italia - Dr. Sandro Barbacini attended a very interesting meeting, Equine Business Management Strategies International, in the New Forest of England, August 21-25th 2011. This program provides equine veterinarians with the business education framework to improve key areas of practice management, provides a forum for strategic business discussions on pressing industry issues and facilitates networking opportunities.