Diego MC

Diego is three quarters Military blood and is from a long line of champions with his grandsire being a National Champion Stallion. His dam line contains mares from Francisco Lazo Dias in Spain and his sire line goes back to Maluso and also Eduardo Miura Fernandez bred horses. All well know for their functionality and elastic movements.

About Diego:

Registrations: International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association #5461(S) Foundation sire The Americana Sport Horse Registry Listed with Pinto Horse Association of America Offspring are futurity eligible with the New England Dressage Association starting in 2005 and The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association Statistics:

Foaled 5/19/00
Height: 16 hands barefoot
Color: chestnut minimal sabino, flaxen mane and tail, DNA tested recessive agouti (black) gene (eeaa)

Character:

Diego spending some downtime with mom

A beta stallion, Diego is very laid back in the stable and makes the transition from breeding stallion to working stallion with ease. Diego learns incredibly fast and he is a treat to train with his ability to learn and understand concepts in a short period of time. He is very steady and quiet and doesn’t spook or overreacted to any sudden stimulus. Mentally he stays relaxed even when being worked hard or challenged with a difficult exercise. Responsive yet commonsense, the trademarks of his predominately Military bloodline.

Diego gets bored easily when not worked and will spend his time flipping his buckets around the stall to amuse himself. In fact one of his invented games is to take his water bucket off the wall occasionally and stand in it with both hind feet, quite calmly and happily. *Update: Frustrated with the fact that I tied his bucket to the wall, because I got sick of replacing snaps every week, Diego now flips his bucket upside down and stands with it perched on his head while the water slowly drips down his nose.

Masetto gives his papa Diego a kiss

Diego has an extremely laid back temper and handles stress with relaxed composure. The Diego bloodline is really mellow. Still responsive as you want, goes forward softly and flowing until you say stop. But they make perfect amateur horses as they do not overreact to unintentional aids. They are very forgiving. I am finding the Diego line has such a relaxed sense of self they can separate themselves a bit more from the rider to think "hmmm, he's saying this but I'm pretty sure he WANTS this. I'll try the latter. Ok he liked that, I was right." and off they go happy and calm. Diego lives to serve but he does not panic when things fall apart. It’s incredibly endearing just how important it is to him to do what you want. In fact, such a big red retriever dog is Diego; we have to remind him sometimes he cannot climb on our laps and follow us around everywhere.

I usually save Diego to ride at the end of the day because if I am especially tired I know he does not need me to be hyper focused on him. If I am not at my best mentally or physically Diego seems to say “It’s ok, I know what you want, I’ll go anyway.” To ride him on the trail is particularly a special time. You don’t have to worry about him suddenly spooking and you can completely relax.

The best word to describe Diego would be fluid. He has long flexible muscles and is very elastic and light to ride. When he does his bowing tricks he can put his elbows almost to the ground he is so flexible.

Because of Diego’s mental outlook on life is so relaxed his body stays very relaxed in work as well. It’s this softness but with huge amounts of strength that make him a fun ride. His neck set is so high he rides like he’s a 17 hand horse; you really feel a lot of animal underneath you. Diego’s lovely neck shape helps him stay very soft. He is very responsive yet not overly sensitive. His gaits are sweeping and he lands very softly on the ground with each footfall. His movement is straight with a flexible loin.

When he moves the words that come to mind are suppleness, rhythm, flexibility, and connection. His gaits are not overly extended nor overly collected. He is the nice medium where the legs stay in range right under you so as to be able to shape them with varying amplitude. His great angles give Diego his squatting abilities. He has started piaffe work and offering a levade that is truly exceptional. Proving that even a taller leggy type can “sit” with the best of them.

Between Diego’s striking copper penny color and his incredible conformation he really is nothing short of drop dead gorgeous. With the long wisps of his forelock blowing softly across his face at the end of that impressive neck he just takes you breath away. Just looking at Diego makes most visitors fall over. He looks like a living sculpture. The most often heard comment when Diego is lead out of his stall is “Oh my gosh………” followed by open jawed gasping. He’s simply that gorgeous, there’s no other word for it.

Diego had his first foal in 2004 and she surpassed all expectations. Diego added his elegantly shaped neck, long hip, long legs and confident air to her. Maddalena is truly a super model and has impressed everyone who has seen her. Visitors all stop in their tracks right outside her stall and ask about her. Judges are just taken with her poise, carriage and elegance. Maddy was shown in 2004 as a suckling and pinned very well at the USDF Sport Horse shows. She was second behind an imported stallion in the NEDA Andalusian breed class even beating her own mother.

Maddy ended up as the fourth place weanling in the NEDA open weanling division, the 1st place winner in the USDF All Breed Award for Weanling Sport Horse Fillies and was ranked 10th overall in the Nation for Weanling Fillies. USDF Judge Anne Gribbons wrote “excellent type for dressage” on Maddy’s score card and at Dressage at Devon commented on her extreme patience and wonderful character for one so young.

2005 crossbred filly by Diego

Classical Ecuyer Bettina Drummond expressed her admiration for Maddy as well and her wish that Maddy should come to live in her barn. With all these high accolades for a first foal it is with much anticipation we wait for more get from him in the future. Diego’s 2005 foal crop have pleased all their owners. Masetto went to a trainer in MD to be her personal dressage horse. Another purebred colt in CA is being retained by that farm as their future breeding stallion. It is with much excitement as we wait for more and more Diego foals to hit the ground and show us what they can do!

Colors:

Diego is DNA tested to be eeaa, meaning he is a chestnut with the recessive agouti. This means he has two black genes under all that red hair so when bred to a homozygous black with no red recessives, EEaa, he will always throw black. Other possibilities include when bred to a bay with no red and no agouti, EEAA, the offspring will always be bay. A bay with one red, one agouti, EeAa, would give a 50% chance of chestnut, 25% bay and 25% black. Chestnut to chestnut always gives chestnut.

Show Record:

2003 July 2003 Northeast Classical Breed Horse Show, Keene, NH, IALHA rated • 1st place Junior Stallions • Gold Medal Movement • Champion Open Junior Stallion (all breeds) • Reserve Open Grand Champion Stallion (all breeds) 2002 Northeast Classical Breed Horse Show, Keene, NH, IALHA rated • 1st place Colts two and under • Champion Open Junior Stallion (all breeds) • Reserve Open Grand Champion Stallion (all breeds)

Diego MC at 2002 Show

Diego’s show career was ended here when one winter he fell on the ice and badly tore his stifle ligaments. He has been in constant therapy after nine months stall rest and things are looking good for him making an almost full recovery. He might not play football again but he is under saddle and progressing beautifully. Since the hospital thought he was injured bad enough to warrant euthanasia, we are so pleased to say “You just watch what this “ruined” horse can do!”

Breeding Information:

Diego's fertility has continued to rise at he matures. As a six year old in 2006 he settled 100% of his mares, 87% in one cycle. The rest by two cycles. His semen is tested and analyzed to have very high concentration and motility and he cools and ships very well. Average semen life span in the Equitainer has been 2-5 days. Every year both stallions are collected and have their semen checked by a therigenologist. Both stallions are collected by Dr. Gradil at the University of Massachusetts. Diego is tested EVA negative.

$2000 Purebred/ $1000 all others
Cooled shipped semen
Live foal guarantee
Shipped semen is generally available from March 1st – September 15th.