Dark Ronald

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Dark Ronald was a racehorse who had a global influence on the breeding of sport horses, with many show jumpers tracing back to him, as well as an influence on the Thoroughbred racing world.

  • Lived: 1905-1928
  • Color: Bay
  • Breed: English Thoroughbred
  • Breeding: by Bay Ronald, out of Darkie by Thurio
  • Breeder: Edward Kennedy


Contents

[edit] Breeding

The sire of Dark Ronald, Bay Ronald, was a fair racehorse who was underestimated as a 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 to the very significant sire Teddy (the stallion who produced the likes of Athelstan, Ortello, Sir Gallahad III, Teddy, Case Ace, and Sun Teddy).

Darkie was a poor performer on the turf with only two placings, both as a two-year-old.

Pedigree for Dark Ronald
1905 Bay colt

Pedigree of Dark Ronald
Sire
Bay Ronald
b. 1893		 Hampton
b. 1872		 Lord Clifden
b. 1860		 Newminster
The Slave
Lady Langden
br. 1868		 Kettledrum
Haricot
Black Duchess
br. 1886		 Galliard
br. 1880		 Galopin
Mavis
Black Corrie
blk. 1879		 Sterling
Mare by Wild Dayrell
Dam
Darkie
blk. 1889		 Thurio
br. 1875		 Cremorne
b. 1869		 Parmesan
Rigolboche
Verona
ch. 1854		 Orlando
Iodine
Insignia
b. 1882		 Blair Athol
ch. 1861		 Stockwell
Blink Bonny
Decoration
br. 1873		 Knight of the Garter
Toison D'Or (F-No.9-b)

[edit] Dark Ronald's career on the turf

Foaled in 1905, Dark Ronald was purchased at the Doncaster sales as a yearling for 1,300 guineas, by breeder Sir Abe Bailey. 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 came out lame. Both front tendons were fired, and he was rested for two years at Sir Bailey's farm in South Africa.

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 7-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 7-start career, Dark Ronald had four wins and 2 places, and earned £8,239 (besides landing a huge gamble in the «Royal Hunt Cup» by winning some £100,000 in bets for his owner).

[edit] Breeding career

Dark Ronald first stood at Tickford Park in 1910. His first crop included the great racehorse and sire Son-in-Law, 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 fantastically 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.

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.

  • Son-in-Law: sired of the racehorses Beau Pere, Foxlaw, Trimdon, Lady Juror. Very notable in warmblood breeding, his progeny included Maureen, dam of the exceptional Furioso.
  • 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 Nashua and To Market).
  • Vancluse: winner of the One Thousand Guineas, dam of Bongrace (winner of Doncaster Cup)
  • 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 Dante and Sayajirao).
  • Brown Prince II: winner of the Cambridgeshire Stakes and Jockey Club Cup. Was imported to America, where he sired Brown Bud, sire of Cinquepace. Also seen in the pedigree of Secretariat and Sir Gaylord.
  • Magpie: placed in the Two Thousand Guineas. Imported 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 to Oleander.
  • Herold: two-time leader of the sire list. Produced Alchimist and Arjaman (both German Derby winners).
  • Wallenstein: number one on German sire list in 1930.

[edit] Influence on Warmblood breeding

Dark Ronald was incredibly influential in warmblood breeding, especially in the Holstein breed. Cor de la Bryere, Lord, and Langraf I were all linebred to him. Other influential sires that have Dark Ronald blood include:

  • Furioso: (sire of 10 Olympic contenders in the Tokyo Games, and 30 international winners)
  • Cottage Son: grandson of Dark Ronald and fantastically influential in warmblood breeding
  • Ladykiller xx
  • Cor de la Bryère: the great jumping sire, through his sire Rantzau.
  • Langraf I
  • Beau Pere: influenced breeding of 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 Löwe
  • Abendfrieden: great-grandson of Dark Ronald, sired the great Pik As
  • Bolero: dressage stallion, sire of Brentano II, who sired Brentina and was grandsire to Poetin, foundation sire of a new B-line.
  • My Babu: great racehorse sire, also sired several phenomenal eventers, including Babu Dancer, sire of Bruce Davidson's mount JJ Babu
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