Dark Ronald
Encyclopedia
Dark Ronald was an English bred Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire who had a global influence on the breeding of Thoroughbreds and sport horses, with many show jumpers tracing back to him.
, was a moderate handicap racehorse and a useful sire. He produced two other notable sons: Bayardo
and Macdonald II. Bayardo went on to be one of the greatest runners of his time, and a sire of two English Triple Crown
winners. Macdonald II was a very successful runner in France. Bay Ronald also sired the filly Rondeau, who was dam of the very significant sire Teddy
(who sired among others, Athelstan, Ortello, Sir Gallahad III
, Case Ace and Sun Teddy).
His dam, Darkie was a poor performer on the turf with only two placings, both as a two-year-old. Foaled in 1905, Dark Ronald was purchased at the Doncaster sales as a yearling for 1,300 guineas, by breeder Sir Abe Bailey.
.
Returning to England as a four-year-old, he ran in the Newbury Spring Cup, finishing unplaced. Following this he had better success, winning the next three races in which he ran: the 10 furlong Durham Plate, the seven furlong Royal Hunt Cup
, and the 12-furlong Princess of Wales's Stakes
. He finished third in his next race, the Doncaster Cup
, but yet again came back lame. His owner decided to retire him for breeding.
In his seven starts, Dark Ronald had four wins and two places, and earned £8,288 (besides landing a huge bet in the Royal Hunt Cup by winning some £100,000 for his owner).
and Ambassador IV, who was later sent to the United States where he had a great influence on the American breeding industry. In his second crop, his get included Vaucluse. However, his foals were not promising, and when the German National Stud at Graditz offered the great sum of £25,000 for the stallion, his owner was happy to sell him. His final English crop, born after he was shipped overseas, included the great sire, Dark Legend, as well as Brown Prince II, and Magpie, a leading sire in Australia
. Dark Ronald's English progeny won more than 70 races and £30,000.
Dark Ronald was sent to the German National stud in June 1913, having been purchased by Burkhard von Oettingen. The stud was interested not only in producing horses for the racetrack, but also for Warmblood
breeding. In Germany, Dark Ronald produced the excellent horses Prunus, Herold, and Wallenstein. In 1928, he died at the German National Stud, at the age of 23.
Dark Ronald was the sire of:
breed. Cor de la Bryere
, Lord
, and Langraf I were all linebred to him. Other influential sires that have Dark Ronald blood include:
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse and sire who had a global influence on the breeding of Thoroughbreds and sport horses, with many show jumpers tracing back to him.
Breeding
The sire of Dark Ronald, Bay RonaldBay Ronald
Bay Ronald, Foaled 3 May 1893, at Leybourne Grange Stud in Kent, England) was a thoroughbred racehorse that had a huge impact on the breeding of sport horses, mainly through his son Dark Ronald and grandson Teddy, and also carried on his lines in theThoroughbred racing world, through his son Bayardo...
, was a moderate handicap racehorse and a useful sire. He produced two other notable sons: Bayardo
Bayardo (horse)
Bayardo was a British bred Thoroughbred racehorse with an impressive record, both on the racecourse and at stud, where he was a leading sire.-Pedigree:...
and Macdonald II. Bayardo went on to be one of the greatest runners of his time, and a sire of two English Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
winners. Macdonald II was a very successful runner in France. Bay Ronald also sired the filly Rondeau, who was dam of the very significant sire Teddy
Teddy (horse)
Teddy was a French racehorse and an influential sire, especially for lines in Italy, France, and the United States. He is considered one of the most influential sires in the 20th century.-Racing career:...
(who sired among others, Athelstan, Ortello, Sir Gallahad III
Sir Gallahad III
Sir Gallahad III was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and a very important Sire in the United States.Racing at age two in France for his British breeder/owner, Jefferson Davis Cohn, Sir Gallahad earned victory in three of his five starts but was overshadowed by the 1922 Champion colt, Epinard...
, Case Ace and Sun Teddy).
His dam, Darkie was a poor performer on the turf with only two placings, both as a two-year-old. Foaled in 1905, Dark Ronald was purchased at the Doncaster sales as a yearling for 1,300 guineas, by breeder Sir Abe Bailey.
Racing record
At age two, Dark Ronald had two starts, winning his first in the five furlong Hurst Park Foal Plate, and finishing second in the Lingfield Park Foal Plate. In the latter, he pulled up lame. Both front tendons were fired, and he was rested for two years at Sir Bailey's farm in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Returning to England as a four-year-old, he ran in the Newbury Spring Cup, finishing unplaced. Following this he had better success, winning the next three races in which he ran: the 10 furlong Durham Plate, the seven furlong Royal Hunt Cup
Royal Hunt Cup
The Royal Hunt Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
, and the 12-furlong Princess of Wales's Stakes
Princess of Wales's Stakes
The Princess of Wales's Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:The event is named in...
. He finished third in his next race, the Doncaster Cup
Doncaster Cup
The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
, but yet again came back lame. His owner decided to retire him for breeding.
In his seven starts, Dark Ronald had four wins and two places, and earned £8,288 (besides landing a huge bet in the Royal Hunt Cup by winning some £100,000 for his owner).
Stud record
Dark Ronald first stood at Tickford Park in 1910 at a stud fee of £98 a mare. His first crop included the great racehorse and sire Son-in-LawSon-in-Law
Son-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in...
and Ambassador IV, who was later sent to the United States where he had a great influence on the American breeding industry. In his second crop, his get included Vaucluse. However, his foals were not promising, and when the German National Stud at Graditz offered the great sum of £25,000 for the stallion, his owner was happy to sell him. His final English crop, born after he was shipped overseas, included the great sire, Dark Legend, as well as Brown Prince II, and Magpie, a leading sire in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Dark Ronald's English progeny won more than 70 races and £30,000.
Dark Ronald was sent to the German National stud in June 1913, having been purchased by Burkhard von Oettingen. The stud was interested not only in producing horses for the racetrack, but also for Warmblood
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
breeding. In Germany, Dark Ronald produced the excellent horses Prunus, Herold, and Wallenstein. In 1928, he died at the German National Stud, at the age of 23.
Dark Ronald was the sire of:
- Son-in-LawSon-in-LawSon-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in...
: sired the racehorses, Beau Pere, Foxlaw, Trimdon, Lady Juror. Very notable in warmblood breeding, his progeny included Maureen, dam of the exceptional FuriosoFuriosoFurioso was an influential sire of jumping horses, and is found in the pedigrees of many top show jumpers today.-Life:Furioso was a terrible racehorse, with zero wins out of 21 starts. However, he was a fantastic sire of jumping horses, standing in France...
. - Ambassador IV: winner of the July Stakes. In America, produced several horses who were successful two-year-olds, including Constancy and St. James (great-grandsire of NashuaNashua (horse)Nashua was an American-born thoroughbred racehorse, perhaps best remembered for a 1955 match race against the horse that had defeated him in the Kentucky Derby.Nashua's sire was the good, but temperamental, European champion Nasrullah...
and To Market). - Brown Prince II: winner of the Cambridgeshire Stakes and Jockey Club Cup. Was exported to America, where he sired Brown Bud, sire of Cinquepace. Also seen in the pedigree of SecretariatSecretariat (horse)Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
and Sir GaylordSir GaylordSir Gaylord was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who later became a successful sire.-Background:He was bred and raced by Christopher Chenery...
. - Dark Legend: sire of Duplex (winner of the Prix du Jockey Club), Fairy Legend, Mary Legend, Dark Lantern II, Dark Japan, Galatea II, Easton, Legend of France, and Rosy Legend (dam of DanteDante (horse)Dante was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was the last horse trained in northern England to win the English Derby. He was sired by Nearco, the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1947 and 1949, and one of the most important sires of the 20th century...
and Sayajirao). - Herold: two-time leader of the sire list. Produced Alchimist and Arjaman (both German Derby winners).
- Magpie: placed in the Two Thousand GuineasTwo Thousand GuineasThe 2,000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.It is one of Britain's...
. Exported to Australia, where he became the leading sire in 1929. - Popingaol: dam to Pogrom (winner of the Oaks), and Book Law (winner of the St. Leger)
- Prunus: winner of Germany's Two Thousand Guineas and St. Leger, five-time leading sire in Germany. Sire of Oleander, who won 22 breeding championships.
- Vaucluse: winner of the One Thousand Guineas, dam of Bongrace (winner of Doncaster Cup)
- Wallenstein: number one on German sire list in 1930.
Influence on Warmblood breeding
Dark Ronald was incredibly influential in warmblood breeding, especially in the HolsteinHolstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
breed. Cor de la Bryere
Cor de la Bryere
Cor de la Bryère is one of the most influential sires in modern warmblood breeding. He is known as the "Reserve Stallion of the Century", second only to Landgraf I.*Lived: 1968-2000*Nickname: "Corde"*Color: dark bay/brown...
, Lord
Lord (horse)
Lord was a New Zealand-born Thoroughbred racehorse who raced successfully in Australia. He was a bay gelding by Targui out of Broadway , by Actor . Lord is remembered for his 1960 Victoria Racing Club Queen's Plate effort in which he nearly defeated the champion Tulloch, who was returning after...
, and Langraf I were all linebred to him. Other influential sires that have Dark Ronald blood include:
- FuriosoFuriosoFurioso was an influential sire of jumping horses, and is found in the pedigrees of many top show jumpers today.-Life:Furioso was a terrible racehorse, with zero wins out of 21 starts. However, he was a fantastic sire of jumping horses, standing in France...
: (sire of 10 Olympic contenders in the Tokyo Games, and 30 international winners) - Cottage Son: grandson of Dark Ronald and an influential sire in warmblood breeding
- Ladykiller xx
- Cor de la BryèreCor de la BryereCor de la Bryère is one of the most influential sires in modern warmblood breeding. He is known as the "Reserve Stallion of the Century", second only to Landgraf I.*Lived: 1968-2000*Nickname: "Corde"*Color: dark bay/brown...
: the great jumping sire, through his sire RantzauRantzau (horse)Rantzau was a French-bred racehorse that went on to be an extremely influential sire of dressage, show jumping, and event horses, and is considered to be one of the most influential stallions from the French studbook.*Lived: 1946-1971...
. - Langraf I
- Beau Pere: exported to New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and later to America. He influenced the breeding of racehorses, jumpers and eventers. Progeny include Mary Chapot’s White Lightning, Katie Monahan’s Encore, Kerry Milikin’s eventer Landlady, Sundancer (two-time winner of the American Invitational), Easy Doc (a member of the Canadian equestrian team), and Turn on the Sun (part of the British equestrian team). - Der LöweDer LöweDer Löwe was a successful stud stallion who had a great impact on the breeding of Warmbloods, and is thought by some to be one of the most important post-war stallions to stand at stud.*Color: Dark brown*Markings: sock RH, snip...
- Abendfrieden: great-grandson of Dark Ronald, sired the great Pik AsPik AsPik As was a horse who was a very influential sport horse sire, especially in show jumping.*Foaled: 1949*Color: Bay*Markings: star*Breeding: by Abendfrieden, out of Pechfackel by Mirza II*Breed: Thoroughbred...
- BoleroBolero (horse)Bolero was a dressage horse and an influential sire.*Height: 16.1½ hh*Sex: Stallion*Color: Chestnut*Markings: Star*Breed: 3/4 Thoroughbred, registered Hanoverian...
: dressage stallion, sire of Brentano IIBrentano IIBrentano II is an influential stallion who has sired several dressage horses. His offspring include the Olympic medalist Brentina, and now-deceased Poetin.* Foaled: 1983* Height: 16.1¾ hh* Color: Chestnut...
, who sired BrentinaBrentinaBrentina is an Olympic-level dressage horse ridden by Debbie McDonald.*Foaled: 1991*Color: Chestnut*Markings: Star, sock off fore, half-stocking off hind*Sex: Mare*Breed: Hanoverian...
and was grandsire of PoetinPoetinFor the President of Russia, see Vladimir PutinPoetin was a world-class dressage horse that was the 2003 World Young Dressage Horse Champion in the six-year-old division, and sold for a record amount at the PSI Auction in Germany....
, foundation sire of a new B-line. - My BabuMy BabuMy Babu was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who became one of the most influential sires in American breeding of show jumpers, eventers and hunters. His descendants include Bruce Davidson's former eventing mount JJ Babu, Anky van Grunsven's dressage horse Bonfire, and puissance and grand prix...
: great racehorse sire, also sired several phenomenal eventers, including Babu Dancer, sire of Bruce DavidsonBruce Davidson (equestrian)Bruce Oram Davidson is an American equestrian who competes in the sport of eventing. He grew up in a family uninterested in horses, but began to compete in Pony Club events after a family friend introduced him to horses...
's mount JJ BabuJJ BabuJJ Babu was a horse that excelled in the sport of eventing, under American rider Bruce Davidson.*Lived: 1974-April 1989*Sex: Gelding*Color: Bay*Markings: Small star...