Considered by many to be the most influential horse in Spanish pedigrees, his sire, Vasco de Gama, was by Voltijera out of Euterpe, and his dam, Hela, was by Hamdani out of Szansa.Van Dick was foaled at the Bialocerkiew Stud of Waldislao and Maria Branitzki, where his name was spelled Van Dyck. He was bought by the Yeguada Militar and imported in 1908. His first two years were spent at the 3rd Depot in Valencia, but by 1914 he was moved first to the 1st Depot in Alcala and then to Cordoba. He sired a total of 107 foals (47 sons and 60 daughters). All but 3 sons and 4 daughters were from government owned mares. His employment as a sire began in 1900 and continued up until 1924, the year before his death. During the 1913 Madrid exposition he became an authentic sensation and his virtues were hyped to extremes. Thereafter he was bred to many of the YM’s best mares, despite the fact that many other imported (and numerous nationally raised) stallions were deprived of a chance to prove themselves as sires. Among them were such superior individuals as Ursus and Nowik, who lingered in the shadows without being used to any great extent. Like Ursus, and several other important early sires, a good many “fantasias moriscas” have evolved about this horse.