I was looking for a stud dog with a diverse pedigree that wasn’t closely related to many of today’s commonly used Fox Red Labrador sires. It sounded simple enough, but it quickly became one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as a breeder. After I purchased Torcha, I was immediately impressed with her structure, drive, and incredible temperament. Before long, I found myself asking about breeding Piper to Torcha’s sire. One conversation led to another, and instead of simply using him, we brought him home from West Virginia to Kansas. As many of you know, when an older dog joins Red Diamond Labradors, they keep their registered name, but they also earn a new call name. Enlightened Turtlecreek Majical Merlin became Midas. The name couldn’t be more fitting. In Greek mythology, King Midas possessed the Midas Touch everything he touched turned to gold. While no stud dog can guarantee greatness, I believe Midas has the potential to leave a golden mark on our breeding program through his structure, temperament, working ability, and unique pedigree. It wasn’t long before I had Midas ready for his AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title, which he passed with flying colors. From there, earning his AKC Trick Dog (TKN) title came easily. His willingness to learn, steady temperament, and eagerness to please only reinforced what I already believed about him. One of the things that first caught my attention was his pedigree. His grandsire, BISS GCH Zinfandel Limoncello, is a dog I have admired for years. Having the opportunity to bring those bloodlines into our breeding program is something I never imagined would happen. At Red Diamond Labradors, our goal has never been to follow the crowd. Our goal is to preserve the Labrador Retriever Breed Standard while maintaining genetic diversity and producing Labradors that are beautiful, healthy, capable, and true to the breed. We’re incredibly excited to watch what the Midas Touch brings to Red Diamond Labradors in the years ahead. We believe the greatest legacy any stud dog can leave isn’t measured by the number of puppies he sires, but by the quality, soundness, and temperament he consistently passes on to future generations. Midas is now standing at stud to a limited number of approved, fully health-tested females.