Federico Tesio
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| Federico Tesio | |
| Born | January 17, 1869 Turin, Italy |
|---|---|
| Died | May 22, 1954 |
| Occupation | Businessman: Racehorse owner/breeder |
Federico Tesio (January 17, 1869 - May 22, 1954) was an Italian statesman and one of the most important breeders of Thoroughbreds in the history of horse racing.
Born in Turin, Federico Tesio obtained a degree in science and architecture. He served in the Italian Army during World War I and in 1939 was appointed to the Italian Senate.
In 1898 he and his wife Lydia Tesio established the Dormello Stud in Dormelletto, Novara on 19 hectares on the banks of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. While much of the credit for breeding successes is given to him, his wife played an important role in the operation. An owner/breeder who also trained many of his horses, Tesio was a leading horse breeder in Europe for fifty years. He bred several undefeated champions including Nearco, Ribot. Donatello II was a certain winner of the Prix du Jockey Club but in his only defeat for Tesio, the jockey was instructed to take the lead, and lost. He bred 22 winners of the Derby Italiano, and was either an owner or part-owner of 16 of them.
In 1947, Federico Tesio published a book titled Puro-Sangue - Animale da Esperimento (The Pure Blood - An Animal of Experimentation) , It was reissued in 2005 in an English translation titled Tesio: In His Own Words which was published by Russell Meerdink Co. Ltd (ISBN 978-0929346762).
The Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland is named in his honor. The Premio Lydia Tesio race at the Capannelle Racecourse in Rome is named for his wife and the Premio Federico Tesio for him at San Siro Racecourse in Milan.
