Beating the Odds
by Wes Mayberry
Having celebrated their first birthday earlier this year, twin trotting fillies Jurassic Venus and Jurassic Serena continue to defy the odds.
“They’re growing and are doing just fine,” owner Jerry Welch said. “They love each other and are basically inseparable.”
Born January 30, 2024, at the Andy Burkholder Farm in Homesville, Ohio, to Welch-owned mare Call Them Over, the Long Tom twins faced dim prospects for survival. According to Dr. Marco Coutinho da Silva, the Clinical Theriogenology and Reproductive Medicine Section Head at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, it’s rare to have an outcome where twin foals are born naturally without assistance and experience no complications.
“Having a normal delivery of two foals is rare, and to have the two foals healthy and thrive is not the norm,” he said. “Only about 2% of twin pregnancies end up having that outcome.”
Dr. Coutinho da Silva says twin foals are typically small and weak and show signs of being premature. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for Jurassic Venus and Jurassic Serena. Though somewhat on the smaller side, they were born completely healthy and were getting up on their own by the second day.
During the mare’s pregnancy, Welch noticed that Call Them Over was abnormally large, and a veterinarian noted the possibility of twins during an initial pregnancy check. However, it was later thought that the second embryo was a cyst. It wasn’t until the actual day of the birth that Welch officially learned that his mare was indeed having twins. When Andy Burkholder contacted Welch with the news, the owner’s immediate concern for the health of the mare and foals was quickly put at ease.
“My first question was, ‘Are they alive?’” Welch said. “But he told me that they were doing great.” Now more than a year old, the twins are still at Burkholder’s farm with their mother but will eventually be transported to Welch’s farm in Waterford, Ohio. There have been no issues with their ongoing development.
“They’ve grown up just like any other foals,” Welch said.
Like human twins, Jurassic Venus and Jurassic Serena share a special bond and are always together. Welch uses the markings on their foreheads to help tell them apart and has noticed that they have slightly different personalities.
“One is more dominant and outgoing, and the other isn’t as bold,” he said.
Named after twin tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams in combination with the Welch-associated Jurassic prefix, the twins marked the 10th and 11th foals for the now 21-year-old Call Them Over. Five of her previous offspring have raced, boasting nearly $330,000 in lifetime earnings, highlighted by Neely Spring and Abequa with over $100,000 each.
Welch says the plan is to start training the twins, and while he has fielded inquiries about purchasing them, he has no intention of separating the duo. “They would have to be together – they’re a package deal,” he said.
No matter what the twins’ futures hold, Welch is happy to have a pair of fillies that have overcome long odds to live healthy lives.
“Most twins do not survive, and these two have developed like normal foals, so they beat all the odds,” he said. “I just hope they both end up racing – it would be really fun to see them race together.”