IS DRESSAGE FOR YOU?

Recently Dressage has had the honor of coming to the forefront of equestrian sports. Many prominent trainers of all disciplines have realized the usefulness of dressage training with all types of horses. This has led to both greater understanding and misunderstanding of just what dressage is.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDER POSITION ~ Horses go exactly the way they are ridden!

              Many of us remember that learning to ride was WORK! Your position was the first thing taught and of THE most importance. There was not much concern for the rider feelings if you were riding poorly, the comment of “you couldn't ride a stick-horse” was heard all to often! Now we seem to be in a time when instructors will only tell riders what they want to hear. Or is it that students are so thin skinned that they can not handle criticism? Which ever it is, please remember that it is the horse who suffers from poor riding.

              No one wants to be told they may need several years and many hours to learn to ride correctly, we all want the quick and easy method. But one of the truths of this world that will never change is that any thing that is worth pursuing is going to take time and effort.

              Last week while watching the latest “infomercial trainer” on television, we were shown the PROBLEM horse of the segment. The rider was a very poor, unbalanced passenger. She went from a chair seat to a perched seat, back and forth, all the time jerking on the reins because her horse had “attitude”. In her chair seat, she would swing her legs way back and spur the horse. The horse would throw it's head up and lurch into a lope on the wrong lead. Then the rider who now is trying stay with the horse grabs the horn jerks the reins and yells whoa! The horse starts to stop which throws the rider off balance again. She flops forward, only to spur the horse trying to catch her balance. This goes on as our infomercial trainer makes a running commentary, all about the horses “attitude”. His assessment was “boy we are going to have to train that attitude out of him” or some similar comment.

           Never was the subject of the rider not being able stay with the movement of the horse addressed! Instead the horse was blamed because it had “attitude.” What we saw was that the only “attitude” the horse had was patience in trying to compensate for a very poor rider.

          At this point the Trainer gets on. Of course he is a solid, balanced rider with a secure seat and legs. So using one of his “top secret techniques,” the horse's attitude magically disappears and off they go in a nice frame. It was pretty obvious that the rider was what made the difference, not any new training technique! Then our Trainer was off to sell one of his many products and of course they were glad to take credit cards.

          Naturally, business is business and the trainer does not want to turn away customers! We all know that people want to hear that we have the secret or gimmick that will make the horse perfect. But there is no secret other than the horse is a living breathing thing that does not speak English and the human is supposed to be the smart one of the two.

         George Theoderescu, one of the masters of our time, was quoted as saying “Man begins his life as a pedestrian, negotiating the world on two legs. In order to become a rider he must think and move like a horse. The rider must become one with the horse, and the world must, suddenly, be negotiated with four legs in balance. He likened the horse to a tightrope walker “one man can manage to walk the tight rope, but if you put another man on his shoulders, the job becomes much more difficult. Only if the top man remains steady, still and supple can the task be achieved. It is not the horses who make mistakes.”

         We understand how people get frustrated and want to blame the horse, but if each of us will step back and take time to work on our riding, you and your horse will be a lot happier. Asses your riding abilities honestly. Do you have an independent seat? Are you comfortable and secure at all gaits? Is your horse steady and balanced at all gaits? Will he go quietly in a snaffle? These are the “tools” you need to get started on your way in Dressage. Achieving a correct seat isn't all that difficult. It does however, take time in the saddle.

Above are examples of a good seat, a chair seat and a perched seat.

       A correct Dressage seat teaches the rider to control the horse more with the seat and legs and less with the hands. In referring to inside and outside leg or hand remember that if your horse is traveling to the right, his right side is the inside and his left side is the outside. The rider “positions” the horses body with their legs. The outside leg further back than the inside leg will help “bend” the horse. If your horse is obedient on the lunge line, having an instructor give you lunge lessons is very helpful as well as lessons on a schooled horse. But if that is not an option, there are many wonderful videos available. The United States Dressage Federation (www.usdf.org) has a wealth of information available as well. Dressage does take more time but with correct riding, most horses progress quickly. There are no shortcuts however, and doing it the proven, “classical” way WILL get you there the quickest.

     The word dressage is French for “to train”. Dressage and the principals of Dressage are very useful tools in the training of young horses being started under saddle as well as older horses in need of a tune-up. What sets Dressage apart from other training methods is it's systematic approach. There is a clearly defined “training scale” that successful dressage trainers use. The training scale is a gradual, logical system of strengthening and supplying exercises with the goal of developing the horse to it's full potential. Competition Dressage is different levels, beginning with simple exercises at Training Level, consisting of walk, trot and canter, on 20 meter circles and on straight lines, and in both directions. Each Level of Dressage requires more suppleness, strength and obedience from the horse and better, more precise riding from the rider.

     One of the best things about Dressage is that almost any horse is suitable for at least the lower levels. Your horse needs to be sound and able to walk, trot and canter. Dressage is good for gaited horses as well, but lateral gaits are heavily penalized in competition. You will need a snaffle bridle and a Dressage saddle. A dressage saddle is built to help place the rider in the correct position. Dressage saddles come in all price ranges, from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. A good alternative for the budget conscience rider are the synthetic saddles. We prefer the Wintec saddles as they fit a wide variety of horses and are comfortable for riders.

      Dressage differs from many disciplines in that correct Dressage is ridden “back to front”. In other words, from the time a young dressage horse is started under saddle, he is ridden with the intention of developing the weight carrying capacity of the hind legs and as a consequence, the forehand becomes lighter as the horse learns to step up into the bridle. He is not ridden in draw reins or other gadgets to set his head. The arched neck and head set of a dressage horse develops as a result of correct riding.

               The Half Halt                                         Probably the most important “tool” in Dressage is the half-halt. A half-halt is exactly what it sounds like. The rider sits deeper in the saddle and “stops” his seat and closes his hands on the reins, momentarily telling the horse to halt with seat and hands. The horse will take shorter, more upward steps. But instead of a full halt, the rider again rides forward and the horse will be more energetic and attentive. The half-halt is something that you will develop to “tell” your horse that something new is going to happen.

Before we go further, lets talk about straightness. A Dressage horse MUST be straight. But straight is not stiff. A dressage horse must be supple from side to side and over their top line and comfortable traveling straight. Straight means that his rear feet follow the path of his front feet. Lack of straightness will be most apparent at canter so I'll address it there. But always be aware of crookedness on your horses part and ride correctly to minimize it. Correct Dressage basics will make many things easier for your horse regardless of his discipline. In addressing straightness you will also teach your horse to “stand up straight” and not bank around corners like a dirt bike. As he becomes straighter he becomes stronger and more able to stay “on the aids” and carry himself.

To begin, ride your horse forward at the walk, encouraging him to march along, on a large circle. You should have a light elastic feel of his mouth through the reins, without him pulling into your hands. He should have a slight bend in the direction of travel. Your inside leg is at the girth and your outside leg is slightly behind the girth. Your inside leg is creating energy and you outside leg keeps his hindquarters from swinging out. Keep the idea, “inside leg to outside hand” in your mind. As you move him up into trot, maintain the same feel of his mouth and send him into a forward, swingy working trot. This trot should have steady rhythm. The rider helps the horse maintain the rhythm by sending him forward with their legs. The amount of “leg” required will be determined by how responsive your horse is. If you are dealing with a horse who is “dead” to the leg the use of spurs or a dressage whip may be necessary. You want your horse to respond immediately to your leg. Picking at him will only make him more insensitive. Ideally, you deepen your seat, close your leg with a nudge forward and your horse will strike off in a nice, forward, rhythmic trot. Keep in mind that forward does not mean speed. A horse that scurries along on the forehand is not forward. Forward is the feeling of controlled energy because the horse is pushing forward and upward from behind. His back feels soft and he is comfortable to sit. However until you are able to develop this feel, posting the trot will make it easier for your horse. You can help your horse be much more “aware” of his hindquarters by doing many transitions. Transitions from walk to trot and trot to walk with only a few steps of each will help greatly to engage the hind legs AND make your horse more attentive to you as well. In short, you are creating energy from “behind” and “capturing” it in front with your soft elastic contact of the reins. Gradually your horse becomes stronger and more able to carry himself.

Canter will be the most difficult for the majority horses because most horses are either right or left “handed” resulting in a crooked canter. Watch horses canter free. You will notice that most horses have a preferred lead and will carry their hindquarters slightly (or sometimes dramatically) to the side of their preferred lead. Make sure that you ride the same on both leads although you will have to do more positioning in your horses “bad” direction. Make sure that you always position you horse so he is bent in the direction of travel. The bend is slight, from the saddle you should see just the corner of the horses eye. Any more bend only pushes the shoulder out and disengages the hindquarters further and thus creates more crookedness. Proper positioning will result in nice canter departs, always on the correct lead.

In your horses “good” direction he will maybe offer too much bend which you will need to correct by using more outside rein and more outside leg to encourage him to travel straight. The opposite will be true on his bad side. He will want to counterbend to the outside. You will need more inside hand and more inside leg to position him with the proper inside bend. If you are consistent and correct in your riding your horse will become comfortable with straight and become much more capable. He will travel with his hind feet closer together and his hind feet will follow in the path of his front feet not to one side or the other. If crookedness is addressed as soon as possible in a horses training, it will solve many “training” problems later on. For instance, most horses can do a single flying change regardless of weather they are straight or not. But if your goal is the upper levels, until a horse is straight he will not be able to do the upper level movements. And remember that Dressage makes a horse physically stronger so passing up basics such as straightness will come back to haunt you.

In closing, remember, basics! When riding we think “relaxation, suppleness and forward. Followed by “positioning, soft elastic contact and transitions”. If you are starting a young horse, stick to correct basics and your horse will develop quickly. If you are reschooling an older or spoiled horse, the same basics apply. Yes, it will require work on you and your horses part but the rewards are a wonderful partnership!

This article first appeared in TODAY'S HORSE MAGAZINE

 Horseman versus Horse Exerciser
by Craig Heckert

I was talking to a well respected older horse trainer one afternoon and was very surprised when he told me he felt that for most of his career, he had been a horse exerciser rather than a horseman. As we talked, I came to understand how much truth there was to what he was saying. He said that the biggest challenge is to realize that correct horsemanship is truly an “art” that takes a lifetime to learn. The more you learn, the more you realize how much more you need to learn.

We live in a society and at a time that requires an escape from the stress of daily living. Many people are first drawn to horses for this reason. Like dancing and music, classical horsemanship has stood the test of time. What was true 1000 years ago is still true today. And like dancing and music, classical horsemanship requires a systematic approach with a thoughtful and open mind.

The 3 Ps of Classical Horsemanship

1. Patience. To be really good at anything requires a lot of patience. Patience with yourself to take the time to learn as much as possible regarding your breed of horse and your chosen discipline. Read, watch video tapes, study the history of horses and horsemanship. “If you don’t know where you have come from, it is hard to know where you are going”. And patience with the animals you are training. Patience is more than a virtue when it comes to working with animals, it is an absolute necessity. The horses have only YOU to rely on. You have to help them to understand what is required of them. If you do your job correctly the desired outcome WILL happen.

2. Practice. Practice makes perfect, right? However, practicing it wrong makes it perfectly wrong. Everyone will have bad habits and make mistakes. That is part of the learning process. But you must be aware of your ability and your limitations. Taking lessons from someone you trust who has done well with your breed and/or your chosen discipline. Have a friend video tape your rides and watch the videos. Of course you can’t expect everything to be perfect but if the overall picture is pleasant and harmonious you are probably on the right track. Look for your weaknesses and/or bad habits and address them. But remember, it will not happen overnight, it will take time. (patience again!)

3. Perseverance. Perseverance takes on an almost Zen-like quality. It is something within yourself, the ability to do the very best you can do within the abilities of yourself and your horse. Our society is so geared towards winning at all costs that it can become easy to lose sight of a long term goal.

OK, then, what does it take to be a horse(wo)man? It is very easy to get trapped into the “instant gratification” syndrome that seems to rule the world these days. Success is something that we all like and it is hard not to try to hurry success. I think this has led to so many of the “flavor of the day” Colt Breakers. Everyone wants a quicker way to get a job done. Unfortunately the horse often suffers because of people’s desire to get it done quickly. Classical Horsemanship isn’t quick but it need not be slow either. When we use the term Classical Horsemanship we tend to think Dressage but keep in mind that all dressage means is “to train”. Classical horsemanship can and should apply to all disciplines.

When humans first domesticated the horse, it was primarily to use it as a pack animal. A horse could carry much more than a person and he wasn’t bad to eat either. But it didn’t take long for people to realize how useful a horse was as a riding animal. Before long horses became a powerful partner for everything from getting food to fighting wars. We can’t go back in time so can’t prove what type of training was used but both history and common sense tells us that people began to develop a systematic way to train horses during the time the foot soldier was being replaced by mounted soldiers. A cavalry mount would need to be trained in a way that would make him suitable for any rider. He would also need to be trusting and confident in his rider in order to perform safely and well in a frightening situation. If you were a cavalry soldier, your life would depend on your skills as a rider and the obedience and willingness of your horse.

So really then our training programs should depend more on a common sense approach to make the horse choose the correct response. Teach the horse that he must do as he is asked but more importantly make what he must do the easiest of his options. For instance, when I start a young horse, he is hobble broken. Yes, it is a frightening experience, but only for a very few minutes until he realizes the hobbles are no big deal. He quickly learns that standing still is the easiest option, and what I reward him for. I then have a horse that must think before he reacts because the hobbles make it difficult for him to run away. He learns that “standing his ground” is a good thing and that he won’t be hurt and WILL BE REWARDED. Reward will vary from horse to horse. A pat and verbal praise for the bold confident horse, a food treat and lots of pats and praise for the timid nervous horse. The horse will “tell” you what he needs if you listen.

I won’t go on a lot about starting a young horse under saddle. I will say that I won’t start a 2 year old. We start 3 year olds or older. It may seem like a long time to wait but it is well worth the wait.

“Colt Breaking” is one of the easiest things to do. Getting a horse to accept a rider is no big deal if common sense, and a decent amount of time is used. We start all the youngsters bareback, with a person on the ground in control of the horse and let the horse tell us how quickly they are ready to progress. Before they are ever asked to walk with a rider on they have been sat on and “sacked out” while wearing the hobbles until they are very relaxed and not concerned with what is going on, on their backs. Since we are going to expect these horses to willingly work hard we want them confident and looking forward to their sessions.

I believe the most difficult aspect of developing a young horse with the principles of Classical Equitation is making yourself wait for the horse’s physical and mental development. If you have done your job correctly you will have a partner willing to do more than he is ready to do so you have the responsibility to know when he has done enough. If you allow them the time to develop their strength, you make their job easier which makes the horse easier and more cooperative and so on……..Doing it right from the beginning will pay off quickly when you don’t have any “problem solving” issues, later on.

Now, least you think I am one of those “touchy feely” guys who uses the term Classical to do nothing with my horses, I will explain a little about what I expect of the horses I start. Most of them are sold on to people who either do competitive Dressage, Eventing or Hunter / Jumpers. If these guys aren’t willing to work hard for their new owners it would be bad for business. I have to turn out a horse suitable for the average rider. A horse who is willing to gallop cross country courses, jump jumps and do Dressage movements, plus be sane to travel to shows or maybe just go on a trail ride. The horses that I keep and show are the stallions that are the backbone of our young horse program. So yes, I expect honest and willing work from a horse. But in exchange for that I’d like to think that the horses enjoy their time with me as much as I enjoy my time with them. With their help, I hope to be a horseman and not just a horse exerciser. After all, I’ve yet to invent any new training techniques. I am only trying to do what the true Masters of Classical Equitation have been doing for a few thousand years!

Foundation Stallions used in Warmblood development.

There are so many stallions that have influenced modern “sport horse” breeding today, that choosing just a few, “Foundation Stallions” to write about has turned into quite a project. I have tried to pick a few stallions that are important to this day and bloodlines that are contributing to our present day champions.

One of my favorites is LAPIS. Lapis was a Yugoslavian Shagya-Arabian stallion sired by Siglavy II and out of Phänomen. He can be traced back as far as 1816, when Siglavy was imported from the Arabian desert as a breeding sire for Babolna, the Hungarian National Stud. Lapis stood at the Hungarian National Stud before being captured by the Germans and assigned to the Army Riding and Driving school at Krampnitz. While at the school he won the admiration of first Lieutenant Schmidt-Salzmann, who took Lapis to the front in 1941 as his cavalry mount. Lapis carried his rider home to Germany from Central Russia after the defeated German army was dispersed. This horse carried him through enemy lines and the perils of the Russian winter, at one point swimming alongside his rider's boat across the Elbe River to escape enemy forces. Sometimes having only the straw from thatched cottage roofs to suffice as fodder, Lapis survived the 6000 kilometre ordeal healthy and sound. He and his rider were taken prisoner by the British on the trek home; however, diplomacy secured the release of horse and rider, and Schmidt-Salzmann received permission to bring him home to Germany. Once in the safety of his hometown, Salach, located east of Stuttgart, Schmidt-Salzmann helped the staff of the evacuated Stud Babolna return to their own country. In gratitude of his support, the Babolna Stud gave him the choice of a broodmare. He selected the elegant chestnut mare 68 Fenek V of Anglo-Arab lines, born at the National Stud Kisber. Lapis was bred to the mare, and in 1948 a bay colt was foaled... Burnus.

Burnus was to become one of the superstars in the Trakehner breed, with his influence reaching into European and American Warmblood breeding.  Burnus, ridden by Dr. Reiner Klimke won the German National Eventing Championship before he embarked on his illustrious stud career. Burnus became one of the pillars of the breed, mating 420 mares until the time of his death at age 32 in 1980.   He produced three approved sons, and 40 broodmares but the coal black, 16.3 hand Habicht would prove to be the most successful proginator of the Lapis line. Habicht had very elastic movement with great impulsion that he passed on almost 100% to his get. He passed his inspection and was entered into the stud book as a Premium Stallion. He won the stallion performance test at Westercelle with a commanding lead a year later. After standing as chief sire at the Rantzau stud, he was offered at age 7 to the German Olympic Committee. Dr. Klimke wanted him as a dressage horse, Lutz Goessig requested him as a show jumper, but the event team won him and Martin Plewa took him for three-day eventing. Habicht competed in Eventing for six years and was one of the most successful three-day eventers on the national circuit. He was returned to breeding in the 1980's, and he won the Southern German Warmblood Horse Grand Champion title and was named Premium Stallion at the Federal Stallion show Habicht sired 13 approved sons: They have been used in several Warmblood breeds including Dutch Warmblood, Belgin Warmblood, Zweubrucken, Zangersheide and of course Trakehner.

Two of Habicht's most famous sons are Windfall and Sixtus. Windfall a black Trakehner was first ridden first by Ingrid Klimke, winning many National and International Eventing Championships. At the young age of 6 he won the prestigious title of federal champion. At age 7, Windfall won every single CIC** and CIC*** that was held in Germany, including such big events like the National open European championship trials in Cavertitz and was named Trakehner of the year. The following year, Windfall and Ingrid won the German professional rider championships, a unique test where all the professionals meet and compete against each other in intermediate dressage, open jumping and intermediate cross country. You are allowed to take different horses for the different disciplines. Ingrid showed only Windfall, and won. That had never been accomplished before . Imported into the United States in 2000 by Dr. Timothy Holecamp Windfall, ridden by Daren Chiacchia has had resounding success in Eventing in North America and in fact have just won the Gold Medal in the Pan American Games Three Day Event!!

Sixtus, himself, is a very successful show jumper in Germany and is one of the most sought after sires in Germany. He was named Trakehner “Stallion of the Year” in 2001 and is one of the youngest stallions ever to be named “Elite Stallion”. Already represented by 5 Approved sons including the Hanoverian State Stallion, Buddenbrock. The Lapis line continues to be an important influence in modern Warmblood breeding and the impact of the bloodline will be felt for years to come.

Another Anglo Shagya stallion of enormous influence was Ramzes. Foaled in 1937 in Poland, Ramzes was imported to Germany in 1948 by Clemens Freiherr von Nagel, who initially gave the stallion to German jumping rider, Hans-Heinrich Brinkmann as a competition horse. Ramzes was leased by and stood at the Holstein Verband in 1951 and 1952 to refine the heavy Warmblood horses of the area. His sire was the great Thoroughbred, Rittersporn, while his dam was the Shagya Arab, Jordi. His jumping offspring Retina, ridden by Fritz Thiedemann, Romanus with Hans Günther Winkler and Ramona with Alwin Schockemöhle established Ramzes' fame in Holstein, and resulted in him standing there for two more seasons, in 1959 and 1960, before he was transferred to Westfalia.

While in Holstein, Ramzes bred show jumpers, but when used in Westfalia, he produced dressage horses. The Ramzes son, Remus won individual dressage silver and team gold at the Tokyo Olympics, where he was ridden by Harry Boldt. Two years later, another son, Mariano (ridden by Josef Neckermann) won the World Dressage Championship, with Remus collecting another silver medal. Mariano won silver at the 1968 Games - and four years later, at the Munich Games, another son, Robin was a member of the German gold medal winning show jumping team. The Ramzes son, Radetzky established in Westfalia a line that led to Romadour and in turn to his gold medal winning son, Rembrandt, Nicole Uphoffs brilliant champion.

In Holstein, Ramzes produced five licensed sons, including Raimond and Rigoletto. Rigoletto was sold to The Netherlands where he was an enormously successful sire of showjumpers. Raimond was the sire of Ramiro, arguably the most successful jumping sire of them all.

In his history of the breed: 'The Holsteiner Horse', Romedio Graf von Thun-Hohenstein, sums up the influence of Ramzes: “The marvelously positive results were doubtless due to the large percentage of Thoroughbred blood carried by Ramzes himself... Ramzes influence in Holstein seems to have achieved its greatest importance with the whole list of first class approved broodmares which carry his blood. “

There are some names that keep appearing on performance horse pedigrees over and over and over again - none more so than the English Thoroughbred, Bay Ronald, foaled in 1893. The hurdler, Hampton, sired Bay Ronald who had a successful career as a racer. However, he was a sensation at stud, both as a sire of race horses and founding a line in Warmblood breeding that still flourishes today. His most influential son, Dark Ronald (sire of Son In Law) is certainly one of, if not, the most influential jumping progenitors of all time. The line descends from the Darley Arabian.

Before his prepotency could be proven, Bay Ronald was sold to France for £5,000 where his career as a sire really bloomed. In France he sired the mare Rondeau, dam of Teddy - one of the most important influences in Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and the USA. Teddy features on the pedigree of France's most successful export to Hannover - Matcho (Anglo-Arab) (by Pancho II (Anglo-Arab)-Nit hard (Anglo-Arab) Kesbeth (Anglo-Arab)-Dadji (TB)-Astérus (TB) by Teddy)

In Germany, we regularly find both Teddy and Dark Ronald. Take the pedigree of Donnerwetter, the sire of Donnerhall (Oldenburg). His dam, Melli is by Matador (Marconi-Marcio (TB)-Aventin (TB)-Teddy (TB), and Aventin's dam's sire is Dark Ronald!) and out of Lilli by Der Löwe whose dam, Lehnsherrin (TB) is by Herold (TB) by Dark Ronald. World Cup I (and his brothers II-IV, of course) is by Woermann whose dam, Mandat is by Marabou (TB)-Oleander (TB)-Prunes (TB)-Dark Ronald. World Cup's dam is Sendernixe out of Lünenixe by Lugano 1 by Der Löwe.

According to one report the Dark Ronald grandson, Oleander features on the sire line of the Lithuanian bred dressage star, Rusty, although it should be noted that several pedigrees have been produced for this horse.

In Hannover the influence of Dark Ronald has been strong. The influential Thoroughbred sire, Der Löwe, is out of a daughter of Herold, by the Dark Ronald son, Dark Legend. Another daughter of Herald, produced Abendfrieden, sire of Pik As, sire of Pik König. Another of the great modern sires of the Hanverian breed - Werther who is out of Meisterkrone by Marcio (TB) - once again two crosses of Bay Ronald in the breeding of Marcio's sire Aventin. The Thoroughbred, Pik As who is so influential through his son Pik Bube, is by Abendfrieden (TB), whose dam Antonia (TB) is by Herold by Dark Ronald. Another influential Thoroughbred in Germany is Valentino (TB) - by Nuvolari (TB) by Oleander (TB) by Prunes (TB) by Dark Ronald. Or take Waidmannsdank (TB) who appears on many Hannoverian pedigrees - his dam, Waldrun is by Alcehmist by Herold by Dark Ronald, while his sire, Neckar (TB) is out of Nixe by Arjaman by Herold. Neckar is by Tricino who is out of Terra who in turn is by Aditi who is an own son of Dark Ronald.

Bay Ronald's dam, Black Duchess was also the third dam of Blandford, sire of four Derby winners, including Bahram, sire of Persian Gulf, the grandsire of Marlon (TB), an influential sire in Holstein breeding. Marlon's dam, Maralinni is out of Misguided, by Knight of the Garet by Son-In-Law by Dark Ronald.

Even more influential in Holstein breeding has been Ladykiller (TB), bred in Britain in 1961. Ladykiller is by Sailing Light whose dam, Solar Cygnet is by Hyperion, by Gainsborough by Bayardo - while Ladykiller's dam, Lone Beech is by Fartuch by Apron by Son-in-Law by Dark Ronald. Ladykiller was the most influential Thoroughbred stallion in Germany for many years, and his sons Landgraf I and Lord were two jewels in the crown of modern Holstein breeding. Ladykiller produced 33 stallion sons in the Holsteiner Studbook!