One of the most successful dressage sires in the world is celebrating his 25th birthday: Rubin Royal OLD. The dark bay was born on March 24, 1996, to Harli Seifert in Löningen. And “Rubinchen,” as his proud breeder always called him, is still the star at the Dressurpferde Leistungszentrum Lodbergen (DLZ). “We are very proud that this main sire is enjoying the best of health,” explains Wolfgang Stagge. The DLZ’s operations manager has the barely restrained jubilarian on hand to pose for a photo shoot together with his 80-plus-year-old breeder. “Not an easy task at all,” smiles Wolfgang Stagge, “but he was always so full of energy and this joy of movement and willingness to perform certainly explains his own placings in the Grand Prix quad and the outstanding successes of his offspring.”
Harli Seifert always had a special relationship with this direct son of Rohdiamant, who was still actively breeding until last year. After all, he was the first colt out of her favorite mare Rumirell. The Grundstein II-Akzent II daughter was a great-granddaughter of Rudilore II, the famous Chronos daughter who galloped to the top of international eventing under the name Chica with Wolfgang Mengers. After the end of her sporting career, Harli Seifert put her Chica into breeding, where she became the foundation mare of one of the most powerful strains in Oldenburg breeding. Soon 30 licensed stallions were produced from the Rudilore line, such as the show jumping stallions Gio Granno, Conterno Grande, Couleur Rubin and Couleur Rouge and the dressage stallions D-Day, Don Chico and Tantris, as well as numerous highly successful sport horses.
From the sire pairing of the El.St. Rumirell times Rohdiamant, there are still five licensed full brothers to Rubin Royal OLD: the Team Vice European Champion Glock’s Romanov/Hans-Peter Minderhoud/NED, Rumicello/Bianca Nowag, who was successful up to Intermediate I, Rubino Vincento, who was placed in the Junior Tour, Rubin Action/Stella Charlotte Roth, who was successful in Grand Prix, and Blue Hors Rockefeller. Full sister St.Pr.St. Rumirella produced De Royal (by De Niro), also stationed at DLZ.
Rubin Royal OLD started his career in 1999 in the Oldenburg Weser-Ems Halls: as the Id premium stallion at the Oldenburg licensing. In 2001, he was the main premium winner at the same venue and won the final qualifier at the Bundeschampionat for young dressage horses under Dieter Weichert. In the final itself, he ranked twelfth. In 2005, he also placed eighth in the final of the Nuremberg Burg Cup. In 2006 he switched under the saddle of Hendrik Lochthowe and won or placed in the Grand Prix squares of Dortmund, Bremen, Münster, Bern/SUI, Aachen, Turin/ITA, Donaueschingen, Munich and Stuttgart – and there was silver at the Westphalian Championships. Already in 2007, Rubin Royal OLD was honored for this with the sash of the VTV dressage stallion. He is also one of the figureheads of Oldenburg’s sport promotion program, recognizable by the suffix OLD.
Rubin Royal OLD also caused a stir in terms of breeding: In 2015, he made it into the top ten of the world’s best dressage sires for the first time and even ranked third in 2017 and 2018. He had his offspring to thank for this, starting with Real Dancer FRH/Jan-Dirk Gießelmann, Fohlenhof’s Rock’n Rose/Dorothee Schneider, Rosalie B/Laura Tomlinson/GBR, Rubins Nite/Hayley Watson-Greaves/GBR, Ruling Pedro/Ulrike Kick, the World Cup participants Rubicon D/Beata Stremler/POL and Rigoletto Royal CH/Caroline Häcki/SUI, the European Championship participants Indoctro v. d. Steenblok/Fanny Verliefden/BEL and Ultrablue de Massa/ Arnaud Serre/FRA and the Hamburg Derby winner Rockefeller’s Cinderella/Anabel Balkenhol as well as the Olympic reserve Rubin Al Asad/Lara Griffith/GBR. But the Rubin Royals are also successful in the show jumping and cross, as the CICO3* Aachen seventh-placed RF Demeter under his rider Hannah Sue Burnett/USA proves.
Rapunzel, dam of the quartet Damon’s Satelite NRW, Damon’s Delorange, Damon’s Divarouge and Damon’s Divene, who have been successful at the Bundeschampionat, the World Championships for young dressage horses and the U25 European Championships, proved that his daughters also have what it takes.
More info at www.dressurleistungszentrum.de