In most rapid goal-directed movements, a spatial congruence is ultimately established between the location of the selected target and the endpoint of the movement. Using the gaze orienting response as a probe to investigate the neurobiological foundations of this sensorimotor association, I will present results of experiments that were performed in the feline and primate species to 1) understand how and why gaze shifts are inaccurate when the medio-posterior cerebellum is functionally impaired and 2) test the neural processes that underlie the ability to capture and maintain within the fovea the image of a target that moves in the visual field.