Dark Ronald

Dark Ronald, Bay Ronald’s most influential son in German performance horse breeding, was bred by Edward Kennedy in County Kildare, and was sold at the Doncaster Yearling Sales of 1906 to Sir Abe Bailey, for £1,300. He won the Hurst Park Foal Plate as a two year old, then broke down and did not re-appear on the track until he was a four year old. He then won the Royal Hunt Cup and the Princess of Wales Stakes, before being retired to stud at Tickford Park where he stood three years before being purchased by Burchard von Oettingen for the Prussian Stud at Graditz for the princely sum of £25,000. The Graditz Stud produced horses for the racetrack and also stallions suitable for Warmblood breeding. In Germany, Dark Ronald became the most successful imported stallion of all times through his sons, Prunus, Herold and Wallenstein. His British born progeny won over 70 races and £30,000 while his son, Magpie was exported to Australia to an enormously successful stud career. Dark Ronald was champion sire five times, twice second and once third.

Dark Ronald’s son Son-In-Law was the sire of Maureen, the dam of Furioso, one of the most influential sires in modern sporthorse breeding. Furioso is by Precipitation - the prime representative of the other great Thoroughbred jumping line, founded by Hurry On. Furioso xx proved himself an exceptional sire of jumping horses. His son, Lutteur B was the individual gold showjumping medallist at the 1964 Olympic Games. Ten Furioso progeny competed at the Tokyo Olympics, and a staggering 30 representatives (from 303 foals) won international events.

But it was through one of his British born sons, Son-In-Law that Dark Ronald was to dominate the bloodlines of the sport horse world. Son-In-Law was described as a plodding middle distance horse, but he became known as a sire of slow maturing horses of great stamina. Son-In-Law’s daughters were responsible for such influential sires as Fair Trial and Round Table.

Three of the most important sires in modern Holstein breeding trace to Son-In-Law: a grandson, Cottage Son, Ladykiller (though his second dam) and Cor de la Bryère whose sire, Rantzau is a great grandson of Son-In-Law.

In Hannover the influence of Dark Ronald has been strong. The influential Thoroughbred sire, Der Löwe, is out of a daughter of Herold, by the Dark Ronald son, Dark Legend. Another daughter of Herald, produced Abendfrieden, sire of Pik As, sire of Pik König.

Telephone: 01785 284975, 01785 284099, 07811 329229

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