RAMIRO

Height: 175 CM
Colour: Bay

“Even as a yearling, Ramiro radiated high quality and sovereignty. As a two and a half year old, he was runner up at the Holsteiner licensing in Elmshorn. He was very big, already standing 1.75 metre high as a three year old, with a clever head on a long, beautifully arched neck. Gentle to handle, just like his grandsire, Ramzes, he was very talented at jumping, which he not only proved by finishing the stallion performance test in Westercelle as the best of his year, but also later at international level with Fritz Legges. However, at the time he was already a self confident stud stallion and occasionally tested his rider with a trial of strength.”

Ramiro first stood at the Vornholz stud where his grandsire, Ramzes stood. In that period he sired the World Cup finalist, Danau (Fatinitza) and the licensed stallion, Romanow. The Holsteiner Association leased Ramiro for just one year, 1969, for half of a stud season.

Ramiro was among the early stallions to compete. During his own sporting career, Ramiro had numerous wins at all levels of showjumping – Nations Cups, Puissance (jumping over 2.2 metres) and in international Grand Prix competition.

In 1974, after his competition career ended, Ramiro was first sold to Fritz Legges’ sponsor, Rudolf Hirschmann but he was then acquired by Zangersheide Stud where he became part of Leon Melchior’s two pronged breeding program – Almé and Ramiro.

Ramiro’s influence on the Dutch Warmblood breeding was, and still is, of utmost importance. The Dutch bestowed the title – ‘Horse of the Year’ – on Ramiro in 1992.

Based at the Zangersheide Stud, Ramiro was presented with a selection of superbly bred jumping mares. His most famous ‘nick’ was with the foundation mare, Heureka. Argentina Z, the Heureka daughter by Almé, produced with Ramiro the stallion sons: Rebel I Z, Rebel II Z, Rebel III Z and Rock Z, none of whom were wildly successful, but their full-sister Ratina Z was a superstar. Ridden by Piet Raymakers and Ludger Beerbaum, she won World Cup Finals, the European Championships, the Grand Prix of Aachen, individual Olympic Silver, double Olympic Team Gold, Team Gold at the WEG, and twice team gold at the European championships. Like his grandsire, Ramzes, Ramiro was more a broodmare producer than a stallion maker.

Perhaps his most successful son was Ronald out of Adrette by Heilbutt/Monarch, who sired five licensed sons and more than a hundred top broodmares, many of whom became dams of sires like Alcatraz, Libero and Lord Incipit. Ronald, like his famous father, went to Holland, where he stood for five years, and sired, among others, the showjumping sire Saluut.

In the survey of the world’s top 75 jumping sires that appears in the French publication, Monneron 2007-2008, Ramiro (who thanks to frozen semen was still producing foals 12 years after his demise), is ranked 23rd with 11 CSI winners, while his son, Robin I Z is 43rd with 7 representatives jumping competitor.