SIRE LINES OF INTERNATIONAL JUMPERS   THE DARK RONALD LINE 
  
   by Dr Pete Birdsall DVM of Equine Bloodlines

Second in A Series Of Eight Articles

Dark Ronald was born in England, where he raced and later stood at stud until he was sold to Germany. Dark Ronald, sired by Bay Ronald, was the founder of one of the two male Thoroughbred lines that have dominated
Germany for many years. The other line is that descending from the stallion Louviers.
Before being sent to Germany, Dark Ronald sired Son-In-Law, who was a plodding distance horse, and in England he also sired the fine race horse and sire, Dark Legend. Both Son-In-Law and Dark Legend have played an important role in the pedigrees of jumpers in both Europe and North America. In Germany, Dark Ronald produced Prunus, who sired Oleander, one of the best race horses bred in Germany at any time.

Cottage Son, previously mentioned as the grandsire of the Irish jumper Marco Codex, is a grandson of Son-In-Law.
The sire of Cottage Son was Young Lover, who was by Son-in-Law.

Rantzau, a French Thoroughbred stallion, is a descendant of Son-In-Law through Foxhunter, who is a grandson of Son-In-Law. Rantzau is an important jumping sire in Europe, having sired the international winners Pacha Du Bourg (Spain), Echo De Cavron (a French horse now ridden in the United States by Barney Ward), Edelweiss (an Italian jumper who placed third in the European Juniors Championship), and he is the maternal grandsire of the jumpers Colback, Heur De Bratand, and Grand Coeur, all French Equestrian Team winners in 1980. Rantzau also sired Roi Du Manoir and Baladin, both international winners in show jumping.
Rantzau's son, Starter, is the sire of Grain D'Or, shown in the United States as Best Bet by Barney Ward. Starter is out of a granddaughter of the French foundation stallion. Orange Peel, who will be discussed later. The dam of Grain d'Or is also out of a daughter of Orange Peel.
Cor de la Bryere, a son of Rantzau, out of a mare by Furioso, is the sire of Costa, the leading show mare in Germany. He is also the sire of the champion stallion Carneval, a Holsteiner who won numerous European Grand Prix and is now retired to stud. Rantzau, like the French stallion Ibrahim (sire of the late jumper Val De Loire), descends from the Thoroughbred stallion St. Just.

Furioso, mentioned previously under the Marco Line, is out of a daughter of Son-In-Law. His influence in French and German jumping bloodlines is outstanding.
Ladykiller, a Thoroughbred stallion in Europe, is the sire of the Holsteiner jumper Boy (winner of the Hamburg Derby in 1978 with Eddie Macken), and Landgrafin (a successful jumper ridden by Hugo Simon). Ladykiller is also the grandsire of Livius, a member of the gold medal winning team at the European Championships in Munich,  1981, ridden by Peter Luther. Ladykiller descends from Dark Ronald on his dam's side through Son-In-Law.
Little One (also known as Jasper), the great jumping stallion ridden by Hugo Simon to win the Hamburg Derby and many Grand Prix, was sired by the Thoroughbred stallion Courville. The sire of Courville is out of a daughter of Son-In-Law of the Dark Ronald line.

The Thoroughbred stallion Battle Burn descends from Bay Ronald, who was the sire of Dark Ronald. Battle Burn is the sire of the Irish jumper Boomerang, ridden by Eddie Macken. Boomerang won the Grand Prix in St. Gallen, Wiesenbad, Wembly, New York and La Baule. Other victories include the Daily Mail Cup in London, the German Jumping Derby in Hamburg and the British Jumping Derby at Hickstead.
Another descendant of Dark Ronald’s sire, Bay Ronald, is Jab, the Thoroughbred sire of the Irish bred jumper, Edenvale, a leading grand prix jumper and World  Cup contender in the United States, ridden by Bernie Traurig.
The German Thoroughbred stallion Vollkorn is a descendant of Dark Ronald. Vollkorn is the sire of Volturno, a winner of many three day events and a member of the German Olympic team in the Montreal Olympics.
Grebe, ridden for Great Britain by Peter Robeson, is by Even Money, who is agrandson of Dark Legend by Dark Ronald. Grebe was a member of the Prix de Nations winning British Team in Lisbon, Nice and Madrid, and winner of the Grand Prix  Palermo, as well as reserve horse for the Munich Olympic Games.

Der Lowe, a Thoroughbred stallion who is considered one of the leading sires in the Hanoverian breed in Germany, is out of a daughter of Herold, a son of Dark Legend by Dark Ronald. As well as being a leading dressage sire, Der Lowe sired the jumpers Leporello, Der Lord (an international Grand Prix winner for
Hartwig Steenken), and the three-day event horse Lapis-Lazuli. Der Lowe also descends from the

*Rock Sand line on his sire's side of the family, through the stallion Flamboyant. Flamboyant will be mentioned later with the *Rock Sand line.

Pik As, another Thoroughbred stallion in Germany and an important sire in the Hanoverian breed, is also a descendant of Dark Ronald through Dark Legend and Herold, as is Der Lowe (previously mentioned). Pik As is by Abendfrieden who is out of a daughter of Herold by Dark Legend. On his dam's side, Pik As descends from the stallions *Blenheim II and The Tetrarch, both of whom founded important jumping lines that will be mentioned later. The dam of Pik As, Pechfachel, is by Mirza II, a son of Blenheim II. Mirza II is a brother in blood to the sire Mahmoud.
Pik As is the most successful sire of jumping horses in Europe, based on purse earnings. His descendants include Porta Westfalica (an Olympic medalist under Hartwig Steenken), Pesgo (winner of many German Championships), and the jumpers Pro Domo and Palmos.
Perser, a full brother to Pik As, sired the jumper Patras.
It is interesting to consider at this time the other German Thoroughbred line descending from the stallion Louviers. Through his grandson, Ferro (a German Derby winner), Louviers' line has been important in producing jumpers.
Adlerschild, a Thoroughbred son of Ferro, is the sire of Adlerfarn I, a Hanoverian stallion who sired Answer, a World Cup Qualifier winner with Hugo Simon.
Adlerschild is also the grandsire of the successful Hanoverian stallion Ehrenschild, the sire of E1 Paso, who was a winner of the Grand Prix of Aachen, ridden by Paul Schockemohle. Alderschild is also out of a granddaughter of Herold of the Dark Legend line, thus combining these two prominent German lines.

Diester, the European Jumping Champion of 1981 and among the top ten jumpers in the world in 1981 (also ridden by Paul Schockemohle), descends from Adlerschild through his dam.
Gladstone, ridden by Hugo Simon of Austria to win the 1979 FEI World Cup in
Goetenburg, Sweden, and place 3rd in the 1982 FEI World Cup, is by the Hanoverian stallion Gotz, who is a grandson of the Thoroughbred Alderschild of the Dark Ronald line. The dam of Gladstone is a granddaughter of the Thoroughbred stallion Der Lowe, also of the Dark Ronald line. Der Lowe also descends from the Rock Sand line through the stallion Flamboyant. The Rock Sand line will be mentioned later. Both Dark Ronald and Louviers have had a very important role in the German horse breeding industry, in producing both racing and jumping offspring.

 Abgar, a grey former steeplechaser who currently stands at stud in Holland and who is one of Europe's leading jumping sires, descends from Son-In-Law. His sire, Abernant (who also sired the great international jumper Aberali) is out of a granddaughter of Son-In-Law.
In North America, many international jumpers descend from the Dark Ronald line through Son-In-Law and Dark Legend, both of whom are so prominent in Europe.
Foxhunter, the grandsire of Rantzau, is a grandson of Son-In-Law. Foxhunter is also the sire of  *Hunters Moon IV a sire of steeplechasers in America, including the Champion steeplechaser Neji. *Hunters Moon IV is the maternal grandsire of Don Juan, winner of the 1974 Grand Prix of New York. Foxlaw, the sire of Foxhunter, is present in the pedigree of Volunteer, a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team's gold medal winning squad at the alternate Olympic Show Jumping Festival in Rotterdam in 1980.

Son-In-Law sired *Beau Pere, who was a leading sire in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Beau Pere stood at stud in California. and many jumpers originating in the western United States  descend from him. His descendants include such jumpers as Encore (a Grand Prix winner in both Europe and North America), Black Market, Johnny's Pocket (a Grand Prix winner in Jacksonville and Upperville, and winner with the United States Equestrian Team in Europe), Old English (winner of the Grand Prix of Ocala twice, Devon Grand Prix winner,
and a member of the winning United States Nations Cup winning team at Washington International), Silver Exchange (on the United States Nations Cup winning team in Dublin in 1980), Singapore (winner of the American Jumping Derby), Sombre (a United States Equestrian Team member in 1979) and White Lightning (winner of Queen Elizabeth Cup in London and a member of winning Prix de Nations Team for the United States Equestrian Team in London, Dublin, Ostend, Rotterdam, New York, and Toronto, and on the silver medal United
States team at the Munich Olympics).

 Lurking, the dam of Sombre, is a granddaughter of *Beau Pere. Sombre won the Virginia Jumper Classic and in 1979 was a member of the United States Equestrian Team on the North American Fall Circuit. Beau Pere is the sire of Doctrine, who sired Sundancer (twice winner of the American Invitational and winner of the Grand Prix of New York) and his full brother, Easy Doc (who was a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team and winner of the A.T.C.O. Cup at Spruce Meadows). Another full brother, Adam was a major grand prix winner and World Cup competitor.
Son-In-Law is also present in the pedigrees of Silver Lining (winner of the Cleveland Grand Prix), Aberali (of the Italian Equestrian Team and the United States Equestrian Team), Bally Cor (the Montreal Olympic gold medal winning event horse), In My Cap (the United States Equestrian Team Puissance jumper), and Countdown (winner of the Jacksonville Grand Prix and member of the Canadian Equestrian Team).

Dark Ronald's son, Dark Legend, sired Easton, a name well known in jumper pedigrees in North America. Although Easton was a poor race sire, he is present in the pedigrees of the jumpers Fleet Apple (an international jumper with the United States Equestrian Team and member of the Nations Cup winning team in Aachen, and on the silver medal winning United States team in the Munich Olympics). Nazarius (Grand Prix jumper and member of the United States Equestrian Team), Massacre (a Grand Prix  jumper and full brother to Revenge, a member of the Mexican Jumping Team).

Dark Legend's daughter, Rosy Legend is the second dam of the stallion The Hammer, well known as the sire of such important jumpers as Sympatico (a leading Grand Prix winner and Pan American Games silver medal winner) and Golden Gavel (a member of the United States Equestrian Team).
Dark Ronald sired Prunus, a classic racing winner in Germany who went on to sire one of the best horses ever bred in Germany, Oleander. Although Oleander was the leading race sire in Germany eight times, he does not appear to be very influential in the pedigrees of jumpers in Europe. In North America he appears in the pedigrees of two United States Equestrian Team jumpers: he is the grandsire of *Crinon. the dam of the United States Equestrian Team jumper San Pedro, who was a member of the Prix de Nations winning teams in Ostend and Toronto; Oleander also appears as the paternal grandsire of the jumper Silver Scot, a member of the United States Equestrian Team and on the Nations Cup winning team in Lucerne in 1970.