1965 Bay 175cm

Breeder: Clemens Frhr v. Nagel

The influential Anglo stallion, Ramzes stood twice in Holstein and in his second stint, produced four licensed stallions: Roman, Rigoletto, Raimond and Rhenus. Rigoletto was sold to The Netherlands, while Rhenus ended his days in the circus tent. Roman became a good competition horse, and an excellent sire of broodmares. Raimond was a more attractive type than Roman and sired over 120 daughters and eight stallions, but of these, only Ramiro was a success.

Conceived in Holstein, born in Westfalia, licensed at Neumünster, and himself an international performer under Fritz Ligges, Ramiro influenced nearly all European Performance Studbooks.

Ramiro was the most popular representative of the Ramzes line and at one stage was the most frequented sire in Germany. He stood at stud in Westfalia, Holstein, Zangersheide and Holland.

When Ramiro was presented for selection, he was described as the ideal type of the modern Holsteiner – strongly imprinted by his dam, tall and elegant, showing the top line of his grandfather, Cottage Son xx, with powerful frame, a glorious face and large, clear eyes. His excellently formed neck, beautifully set, could still be seen – even when he was an old horse – and is stamped on his progeny. Ramiro displayed a very good walk, a normal trot, and a great canter.

Ramiro was by the Ramzes son, Raimond who was born in 1960 out of Infra by Fanaticker. According to The Holsteiner Horse, “his progeny were very uniform, true-to-type and of good character, were trustworthy and easy to ride. Raimond sired well over 120 daughters who were held in high esteem, especially when they were out of Thoroughbred mares.” He was the sire of eight approved sons but only Ramiro, born in 1965 out of the Cottage Son daughter, Valine, was successful. He was the only foal of Valine, who went to Italy where she was a successful jumping competitor.

 Valine H, the mother of Ramiro

Again, let The Holsteiner Horse, tell the story:

“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.

 One of the last of the Ramiro’s – the stallion Van Schindels Rascin is competing Grand Prix with Piet Raymakers

While he may not have established a sire line, Ramiro blood prevails in the mare lines, perhaps the most outstanding example is Gofine by Ramiro, who is the dam of Contender.