Federico Tesio (17 January 1869 – 22 May 1954) was an Italian and one of the most important breeders of Thoroughbreds in the history of horse racing. He has been called "the only genius ever to operate in the breeding world" and "the greatest single figure in the history of Italian racing". Born in Turin, orphaned at 6 years of age, Federico Tesio obtained a degree from the University of Florence. He served in the Italian Army during World War I and in 1939 was appointed to the Italian Senate.