This is a picture of Chingadero in September of 1966. Notice the colts in the background

Chingadero--the word in Spanish has a rather risqué meaning.  Perhaps it is fitting that such a controversial horse should have such a controversial name.  Born in 1953 on the ranch of George and Ab Cross in Wyoming, he was at that time thought to be a rare "white" Morgan--the only one known at the time.  Modern genetics and research has shown him to be instead a perlino or smoky crème (a bay or a black with a double dose of the crème dilution gene).  If Chingadero had really been white in the genetic sense of the term, approximately half of his offspring should have been white.  Instead, of his 137 offspring, 91 were black!  He did sire other cremes who were simply not registered; in later cases especially this was due to the AMHA's "White Rule" implemented in the early sixties, in large part due to misguided concern over the "un-Morgan" color of Chingadero and another Cross Ranch stallion, the overo pinto War Paint.

It was feared by some that these colorfuls were the result of accidental non-Morgan breeding.  Today, with improved knowledge of color genetics, we know better.  Folks who knew Ab Cross also emphasized how very careful he was in recording and identifying his horses.  All were double branded and Ab kept meticulous notes including markings and color, which mares were bred to which stallion, and he never covered a mare with more than one stallion during a breeding season.  Still, owners of Chingadero get often reported being snubbed or looked down upon by their fellow Morgan owners for having "that horse" on their Morgan's papers.
By the registered-as-chestnut Ketchum (Joe Lewis X Du Noir Strip), Chingadero was out of the registered-as-dun Haager (Warhawk X Yellow Girl).  Ketchum has been described by eyewitnesses as black (a smoky black, carrying the crème dilution gene; smokies are often mistaken for chestnut or brown), but others theorize he was palomino.  Mr. Cross himself refers to Ketchum as "Black Jack Ketchum" in the September 1954 issue of The Morgan Horse where he reports of Ketchum's death.  At any rate, he could not have been chestnut to have carried the dilution gene.

Haager was actually a buckskin, although it is possible she carried the dun gene as well.

Ketchum's creme gene probably came through his sire, the black Joe Lewis, whose dam Homely Girl was registered as a dark brown but was said to be dark dun or buckskin (or perhaps another smoky); his dam Du Noir Strip, registered as chestnut, also was a granddaughter of Imperial, one of the main sources of gold in the breed.  Haager's crème gene came through her dam, the lovely palomino mare Yellow Girl (out of a daughter of Imperial).  Ketchum met an untimely death from an accidental gunshot wound, so only sired seven foals.  Three were black, including the smoky black mares Cute (ancestor of Julie Ploof's dun Morgans, amongst others) and Crow Woman; two were palomino; one was buckskin; and Chingadero.  Haager had five foals, two buckskins; a palomino; a black; and Chingadero.

Ab knew he had something very special in Chingadero.  He became Ab's personal mount and would follow him around like a puppy.  Chingadero became known as a broodmare sire, and his offspring inherited his superb dispositions, rock hard feet and legs, substance and stamina.  Raised on 29,000 acres of lush but rugged pastureland on the banks of the Du Noir river, they learned to cover ground, negotiate rocky terrain, and ford water from the time they were foaled.

One of the very first Morgans I ever saw was the Chingadero son Black Panther (X Zula Queen), foaled in 1971.  Panther was at the time owned by Bill Meredith here in Georgia.  Out in his pasture with his band of mares, Panther was very friendly and gentle when we walked out to look at his harem.  I well remember the incredible impression this typy black stallion made on me.  The Meredith's told me that Panther's temperament had been the man thing that had sold them on the breed.  Panther, the sire of 39 foals, is now in Michigan and is owned by Jim and Dawn Mannor of Jada Morgans.

Black Cat, Panther's 1970 full sibling, was another Chingadero stallion who looked to have a promising career at stud.  Owned by Burnett Smith of Springtown Ranch in Iowa, Cat tragically died at age 11 after contracting rabies.  He left just seven offspring, but they have bred on.

Chingadero's last registered foal was born in 1974.  This was the prolific smoky black stallion H-Saracen, whose first foal was not even born until 1990, when the stallion was 16; he went on to sire an incredible 33 foals from 1990-96 before his untimely death.  Owned by Butch Martin, leased to Bobbi Blankenship and later to Nancy Nard, Saracen was jokingly called "Scary" by those who knew him because he was such a gentle old guy.  Four of his offspring have been featured in TMH in the last year or so, including Truwest Pure Prairie smoke (black), Truwest Sa'dan Deville (palomino), Truwest Gold Peso (buckskin) and S-B Pierre Noir (registered as black but called lobo dun).

But it is mares Chingadero was famous for.  Joyce and Phillip Quade had quite a collection of Chingadero daughters including Hija, Apache Woman, Dorcus, H-Lilly Ann, H-Bell and Tia (dam of rainbow member Barbara Fogels' palomino Andrew's Donegal).  They also owned a Chingadero son, Ching Free.  Ferrucio Passuello of Delmaytion Farms also acquired a group of Chingadero mares including H-Virginia, H-Roni (later a show horse and broodmare for Julie Ploof), H-Dee Dee, H-Sheba, and H-Mayo Woman.  He also owned H-Loli Before she was sold to Trillium Morgans in Canada--as you can see, the Chingadero offspring were spread far and wide!  H-Loli's full sister, the smoky black La Beau, produced the palomino mare Peterson's Flamingo who has a prolific color line to today.

Chingadero produced many colts who were gelded and used as ranch horses; many were not even registered.  One gelding who did become widely known was the 1973 black H-Casoos (Chingadero X Cree Woman), owned by the Bruhn family.  First used by roger Bruhn as a team roping mount, as a ten year old the gelding became a saddleseat equitation mount for Margie Blaik, and was undefeated in that division.  The team also won three AMHA silver medals in saddle seat, western seat, and stock seat equitation!  Typical Morgan versatility!

Chingadero fell on the ice of the Du Noir river when he was 22, and broke a leg; he was humanely destroyed.  His legacy lives on through his many offspring. Interestingly, as colorful Morgans become more and more popular, having Chingadero’s name on the papers is no longer stigmatized. Indeed, his blood is being eagerly sought out by breeders seeking substance, soundness, and great temperament—all wrapped up in a colorful package!

This article written by Laura Behning was published in the March issue of the Rainbow Newletter, an official publication of the Rainbow Morgan Association.