Bay Ronald - Part Two

"Pile Galopin on Galopin and damn the rest," was the breeding philosophy of A.W. Cox, breeder of Bayardo.

Cox was "an individual about whom many unsubstantiated tales circulated," reports Abram S. Hewitt in his Sire Lines. "One of these was that as a young man Cox had been in Australia and on the eve of his departure for his retum voyage to England, he had become involved in a poker game during which he enjoyed a run of luck." After winning all the chips on the table, Cox was preparing to leave when one of the players offered to put up a quarter-share in a valueless mine. Cox agreed, won the share in the Broken Hill Mine and on the voyage home, received a cable reporting a fresh strike at the mine. He was advised to sell his shares, refused, and at Suez another cable announced a greater increase in the share prices. By the time Cox reached England he was "a man of substance--well able to afford a life of leisure, a breeding farm, and a racing stable."

Such was the nature of Cox's luck.

Bayardo's dam, Galicia, was a daughter of Cox's favorite stallion, Galopin, who had been a superlative racer, leading sire three times, and was 26 years old when Galicia was born. Her dam was by Isonomy, sire of two English Triple Crown winners (Isinglass and Common) from a female family which began with Queen Mary, one of the greatest taproot mares in England's General Stud Book.

Galicia was bred to Bay Ronald in 1905 and the following year produced Bayardo. Though Bay Ronald had been only an average race horse he had already sired a colt of classic standard in Macdonald II. Since his influence through Rondeau, the dam of Teddy, and Dark Ronald, Germany's most important sire, would not be felt for many years, the most probable explanation for Cox's choice in this mating was to produce an inbreeding to Galopin with two free generations.

On the racetrack Bayardo was a handicap horse of the highest order, frequently winning at distances up to 2 1/2 miles and carrying weight anywhere from 135 to 148 pounds. As a sire he produced three classic winners (during a brief career which ended with his death at age 11), and consecutive winners of the English Triple Crown---Gay Crusader (1917) and Gainsborough (1918), the sire of Hyperion.

Gay Crusader was ranked the better race horse of the two, but Gainsborough was the more important sire, producing a classic horse in Solario in his second season at stud. As a 4-year-old Solario contested the 1 3/4 Jockey Club Stakes carrying 136 pounds and lost by a neck to Foxlaw, who was carrying 130. This is the same Foxlaw, by Son-in-Law, who is the paternal great, great grandsire of Cor de la Bryere.

Solario's greatest influence in the sport horse world was through his daughter Sun Princess, dam of Royal Charger, whose sons have produced some of the world's leading show jumpers including Olympic and Pan Am Games Gold Medalist, Canadian Club, Damuraz (Gold Medal Alternate Olympics 1980), Johnny's Pocket, and puissance winner, Texas (a Quarter Horse by the Thoroughbred stallion Chittagong). Royal Charger's best son was undoubtedly Turn-to, an exceptional racehorse, a sire of sims, and an unquestioned source of jumping ability to this day.

Eight years after Solario's birth, the Chaucer daughter Selene produced a small chestnut colt by Gainsborough. In fact, Hyperion was so small that his principals considered gelding him as a yearling.

"Hyperion had a very interesting pedigree," Abram Hewitt states in Sire Lines. "His sire, Gainsborough was a Triple Crown and Gold Cup winner which already was established as a sire of the first rank. The dam, Selene, was the best female racer of her year, out of a mare which had bred another classic winning filly, but beyond this the paternal grandsire, Bayardo, was inbred with two free generations to Galopin, while the dam was inbred with three free generations to the mare Pilgrimage (crossing inbred strains)."

No discussion of Hyperion's pedigree could be complete without mentioning the record of his remarkable dam, Selene, who was to say the very least, a "stallion mother" as the Germans would put it.

Her first foal, Sickle, was the best 2-year-old of his year and winner of the Two Thousand Guineas at 3. He was imported to the U.S. where he became a leading sire twice and the great-grandsire of Northern Dancer. His influence is found in the pedigrees of jumpers, steeplechase horses and eventers such as Night Spree, Excitress, Might Tango, Second Balcony, Sympatico and Augustus Bay, to name only a few.

Also came to the U.S. and sired Menow, the sire of Tom Fool. Menow is found in the pedigrees of jumpers such as Johnny's Pocket, Mighty Ruler and the event horse, Auchinbreck. Tom Fool is the grand sire of the conformation hunter stallion, Sir Thomson.

"It will be noticed that Hyperion' s pedigree gives an inbreeding to St. Simon with three free generations, but it also should be noticed that Hyperion bore no resemblance to St. Simon, which was a leggy, short-bodied horse, bay or brown with almost no white on him, and which also was a pure dominant for bay or brown in his produce. Hyperion was a very short legged horse (15.1 1/2 hands) with a long body, chesnut in color with four white feet. St. Simon was a very highly strung colt which was a profuse sweater in training; Hyperion was as calm as possible, and it was very difficult to get him to sweat at all."

"When Hyperion went to stud, he carried with him credentials unequaled by any British-bred horse in the 20th Century. In performance he had won the Derby in record time, the St. Leger, and he had set a new track record for five furlongs as a 2-year-old. The only thing really against him was his lack of height and the absurd prejudice against horses with four white feet!"

Despite his white feet, Hyperion was leading sire six times, and ranked among the top 10 sires for 16 years. He was also two time leading broodmare sire. His sons include some of the most influential names in breeding, whether for racing or sport: Heliopolis, twice leading sire in the U.S. is also the grandsire of champion steeplechaser, Top Bid. Helianthemum, dam of the legendary American show jumper, Jet Run, was by Heliodorus-a son of Heliopolis out of Spotted Beauty (who is also the dam of the Selle Francais sire, Dark Tiger xx). Heliopolis's son, Grey Eagle, sired A Little Bit, winner of an Individual Silver Medal at the Pan American Games.

Alibhai, sire of 54 stakes winners, is the sire of Determine who produced American Invitational winner, Third Man. Determine's son, Decidedly won the Kentucky Derby--setting a new track record in the process. He also sired, Another Legend, a conformation hunter champion. Two of Decidedly's daughters produced the international three-day event horses, Out and About and Patrona.

Alibhai also sired Exquisite, dam of the Thoroughbred stallion Khalex who sired multiple Horse of the Year, Albany (who won no less than 9 grand prix in 1983-84, including team gold at the Los Angeles Olympics) and his full sister, Doris Ragland, dam of the show jumping stallions Grand Jete and Galouway (both by Galoubet). Oddly enough, Khalex is by another Hyperion son, Khaled, resulting in a 3 x 4 inbreeding to Hyperion. Khaled was unbeaten as a 2-year-old and sired 61 stakes winners. His sons have sired the jumpers Black Market, Encore (winner of the Grand Prix at Fontainebleu, and member of the USET. Encore is also the older half sister of the Holsteiner event mare, Landlady), Hole in One (Puissance winner at 7'3"), etc.

Khaled's most important son was the Derby winner, Swaps, whose pedigree boasts two separate branches of the Bay Ronald line---once through his sire Khaled and again through his dam, Iron Reward, a daughter of Beau Pere. Swaps' son, Kudu, sired the Canadian Equestrian Team horse, Stoic. Tudor Success, dam of Anne Kursinski's Olympic horse, Eros--winner of the Grand Prix of Monterrey, and 2nd in the Grand Prix of Aachen--is by the Swaps son Mambrino (Swaps/Turn-to). In fact, Mambrino's dam, Success is a half sister to both Bold Ruler and Independence a champion steeplechase horse and sire. Karen O'Connor's Worth the Trust, winner of the Rolex Kentucky CCI*** is a grandson of Swaps' son, No Robbery, who also is an influential sire of dressage horses in North America.

Hyperion's son Owen Tudor is a popular source for sport in Europe and the U.S. Owen Tudor's daughter, Idealist, is the dam of Compromise, sire of the legendary Dutch stallion, Lucky Boy xx. In Ireland, the stallion Leapman xx--a descendant through Owen Tudor's son, King of the Tudors--is the sire of the internationally ranked dressage horse, Clearly Canadian.

Owen Tudor's son Abernant sired the international USET show jumper Aberali, who won the puissance at Aachen. In Europe, Abernant is best known as the sire of Abgar xx, who has produced many international jumpers, as well as stallion sons Ommen (sire of Hidden Creek Glory, etc.), Transvaal (sire of Sandstone Dorina), Volckmar (leading sire of FEI dressage horses in the U,S. for 1997), and Pion (ranked 15th in the world for dressage sires by the WBCSH, and sire of stallion performance test winner, Democraat), etc. Abgar xx is equally important as a broodmare sire, especially in combination with the Holsteiner stallion Joost (Consul/Anblick xx). In the 1997/98 issue of the World Breeding Championship for Sport Horses all save two of the 12 showjumpers by Joost were out ofAbgar xx mares. The cross of Ramiro/Abgar xx has produced the stallions Zeoliet (sire of the American show jumper Super Cruise) Armstrong (sire of Figaro, winner of the $35,000 Devon Open Jumper Stake) and Rolando.

Through, Tudor Minstrel, Owen Tudor's line has produced the popular Hanoverian sire, Laurie's Crusador xx (who is also licensed by the Holsteiner Verband). Celle has this to say about their popular refining stallion: "His offspring prove him to be a class of his own as a refining stallion, a Thoroughbred stallion of a kind every stallion owner is looking for but which is rarely found. His sons attract attention at licensings as well as in the dressage arenas. Last year a son of Laurie's Crusador became champion stallion at the Verden licensing--the perfectly modeled Londonderry--who inherited the nobility from his sire. In the Bundeschampionat for 5-year-old dressage horses, Le Bo... became vice champion. The Celle state stallion Longchamp has the same pedigree and reached 5th place in the finale of 6-year old dressage horses."

Not only does Laurie' s Crusader descend directly from Hyperion through Owen Tudor. He is inbred 4 x 5 to Dante, a son of Nearco out of the Dark Legend daughter, Rosy Legend. In addition to Dante, Rosy Legend produced Dark Rose II, dam of the Thoroughbred stallions Double Hitch (sire of the legendary hunter mare, Sign the Card--3 time AHSA Horse of the Year, and in the top ten for AHSA every year from 1969 to 1977) and The Hammer, sire of Sympatico (Set new indoor puissance record at 7'4" and leading jumper in NA four times), War Dress (3 time AHSA Champion Junior Hunter) and the USET jumper, Golden Gavel. Additionally, Laurie's Crusader is inbred to Bay Ronald through two crosses of Fair Trial (4 x 5), whose dam, Lady Juror, is by Son-in-Law. Add to that a cross of Abernant through his dam sire High Top and you have the scope of the influence of Bay Ronald in this one pedigree.

The fact that Hyperion' s descendants work well in the Hanoverian formula can readily be seen through yet another Hyperion son, Aristophanes, whose great grandson is Prince Thatch xx. "There are few Thoroughbreds who pass on as much elasticity and quality of movements with a very good walk as Prince Thatch xx," reports the 1998 Hanoverian Hengstkoerung catalog. "So far he has distinguished in particular through outstanding daughters and impressing riding horses which are particularly talented for dressage. This became evident again at this year's Bundeschampionat where his son Piccolino won the Bronze Medal in the competition of 6-year-old dressage horses." Last year an imported Hanoverian filly by Prince Thatch xx was named Best Young Horse at Dressage at Devon.

A third Hyperion son, Hornbeam, founded a dynasty in Hanover through his son Ecuador xx. Selected Sires of Germany 1994/95 reports that Ecuador was "a true foundation sire with an outstanding transmission. His true-to-type foals were often chestnuts with smooth action and good character. These characteristics made them easy to sell so that several Ecuador xx progeny were the top-priced lots of the Verden elite sales, e.g. Ecuyer, Epaminon. In addition to many state premium mares, Ecuador xx presented 4 approved stallions to Hanover: Eklatant, Eldorado, Egerlander, and Exquisit. He also left some outstanding dressage horses such as internationally ranked Exakt 029, the approved Oldenburg stallion Escorial, and Elevation.

Hyperion' s son Aldis Lamp was the leading sire in Belgium twelve times. In sport, Aldis Lamp sired Pedro (dam sire of Alison Firestone's Major) and Le Faquin (dam sire of the KWPN stallions Usselo and Zenith).

Bay Ronald - Part 1

Sources:

Bloodlines of Hunters and Jumpers in North America, by P.H. Birdsall DVM. Printed in 1981, by P.H. Birdsall DVM.

Bloodstock: Breeding Winners in Europe and America, by James Gill. Printed in 1977 by Carter Nash Cameron Limited and Arco Publishing Co., Inc. NY.

1998 Catalog, Hannoveraner Hengstkoerung und Verkauf Auktion nicht gekoerter Hengste.

Great Racehorses in Art, by John Fairely, University of Kentucky Press, 1984.

"Racing Pictures of the Mellon Collection," Mary Dougal, The British Racehorse, December, 1972.

Selected Sires of Germany 1994/95, Bernd Eylers.

Sire Lines, by Abram S. Hewitt. Printed in 1997 by The Blood-Horse Library, for the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

The Compendium of Sport Horse Bloodlines, by P.H. Birdsall DVM. Printed in 1987, by Equine Bloodlines, Brantford, Ontario, CAN.

The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America, by William H.P. Robertson. 1964, Bonanza Books, NY.

Thoroughbred Breeding of the World, by Martin E. Eversfield, John Aiscan, Dan M Bowmar III, M. Noirot-Nerin, Tsuneo Usami, F. Landes, K.C. Stewart, Peter Nicolle, Bert Lilley, Harald Siemen, Erich Siegel. Editor-in Chief Rainer L. Ahnert. Edited by Direktorium fur Vollblutzucht und Rennen, Kdln, Podzun-Verlag, 6364 Dorheim/H., West Germany. Printed in 1970.

Many thanks to Linda Franz for her pedigree research for this article, and to Henk Dikkers for his comments and the exerpts from Thoroughbred Breeding of the World.