ESTIMATION OF GENETIC-PARAMETERS AND BREEDING VALUES FOR BELGIAN TROTTERS WITH AN ANIMAL-MODEL (BLUP)

Nine performance traits, three for the data per race and six for the data on a year basis, were studied, based on 38,736 individual race observations over the years 1986 and 1987. The highest heritability and repeatibility estimates were obtained for the time observations (0.54 and 0.75). Genetic parameter estimates for observations aggregated on a year basis are higher than for the traits observed per race. To estimate the breeding values two models were used: a one trait animal model with relationship matrix for the traits per race, for the traits on a year basis a three traits animal model with relationship matrix. The traits considered were: the average kilometer time per year, the fourth root of the average breeders premium per year and the percentage of arrivals among the first six. The one trait animal model with the time over the last kilometer per race resulted in the most accurate estimate.