The Story of C. Quito, a Jumper Stallion

Margot Snowdon purchased C. Quito in late summer of 2008. He easily transitioned from the 6 year old jumpers to the hunter ring. There were a few people looking at him at the same time and it was a very emotional weekend. The folks who owned him primarily did jumpers and they entered him in his first hunter class ever - which was an International Derby! He wore a big pelham (I cannot imagine what that must have felt like), and had the most joyous expression on his face the whole time he went around. The Derby had a lot of spectators, Derbies were just beginning at that time, and he had developed quite a following with all the commotion of potential buyers. The crowd went wild after his round. He continued to draw a crowd when he was showing and this would create nerves for both Margot and myself as we always wanted to do him justice.

The next day he showed in the lead-line class for his owners (not legal to do with a stallion) with huge pink pom-poms in his mane. It was so funny. . . I think Margot still has a picture of that! He was so good for Margot when she tried him, even though he had only done the jumpers. I already new how special he felt in both attitude and how well he jumped.

To conclude the weekend, Margot was invited to attend him while he was being collected, which had previously been planned for the former owner. Well, we thought, we might as well get used to owning a hunter and jumper stallion! At the time though, breeding was not our mission. It was only after we knew him that we decided he was too special not to breed. When he was vetted, the vet declared that his legs and feet should be in a textbook. To this day, it was by far the best purchase exam I have ever had on a horse.

Both Margot and her daughter, Ariana showed Quito. He was a fabulous amateur horse. Never spooky, scope to spare and always loved going in the ring. He stopped showing as much in 2016 because, as so often happens these days, the facilities where he could be stabled and trained in their hometown were sold for other uses. He lives in CA happily being a horse.