| Horsename: | Dark Ronald |
| Sire: | Bay Ronald |
| Grandsire: | Hampton |
| Dam: | Darkie |
| Damsire: | Thurio |
| Sex: | Stallion |
| Foaled: | 1905 |
| Colour: | Bay |
| Breeder: | Edward Kennedy |
| Owner: | 1. Sir Abe Bailey 2. Burkhard von Oettingen |
| Record: | 7: 4-1-1 |
| Earnings: | £8,288 |
| Race: | Royal Hunt Cup (1909) Princess of Wales's Stakes (1909) |
| Awards: | Leading sire in Germany (1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922) |
Dark Ronald (1905 – 1928) was an English bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire with a global influence on the breeding of Thoroughbreds and sport horses, with many show jumpers tracing back to him.
The sire of Dark Ronald, Bay Ronald, 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, the dam of the very significant sire Teddy (that 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.
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 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 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[1] (besides landing a huge bet in the Royal Hunt Cup by winning some £100,000 for his owner).
Dark Ronald first stood at Tickford Park in 1910 at a stud fee of £98 a mare.[1] His first crop included the great racehorse and sire Son-in-Law and Ambassador IV, 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.[1] 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.[2]
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:
sired the racehorses, Beau Pere, Foxlaw, Trimdon, Lady Juror. Very notable in warmblood breeding, his progeny included Maureen, dam of the exceptional Furioso.
winner of Germany's Two Thousand Guineas and St. Leger, five-time leading sire in Germany. Sire of Oleander, who won 22 breeding championships.[2]
winner of the One Thousand Guineas, dam of Bongrace (winner of Doncaster Cup)
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 with Dark Ronald blood include:
(sire of 10 Olympic contenders in the Tokyo Games, and 30 international winners)
grandson of Dark Ronald and an influential sire in warmblood breeding
the great jumping sire, through his sire Rantzau
dressage stallion, sire of Brentano II, who sired Brentina and was grandsire of Poetin, foundation sire of a new B-line.
great racehorse sire, also sired several phenomenal eventers, including Babu Dancer, sire of Bruce Davidson's mount JJ Babu