Breeding

DAMON HILL is classically dressage-bred, being by the prolific sire Donnerhall and out of Romanze, by Rubinstein. Both stallions are known for rideability, and Damon Hill inherited that in bucketloads.

Romanze had 11 foals, but only one other by Donnerhall: the chestnut mare Donna, in 2001. Romanze produced three licensed stallions, including Freudentaenzer 8. He is owned and ridden by Ingrid, who was very excited to find him because he is so closely bred not only to Damon Hill, but is by Franziskus, whom she rides at grand prix.

Ingrid competed Damon Hill in pure dressage, but always jumped him for fun, too (pictured).

“Once we jumped him for some photographers and before I knew it, the jumps were very high,” she recalls. “He would never stop; you could always rely on him and he’d never let you down. I would use him to breed a jumping horse or an all-rounder – not just dressage.”