Warmblood Horse Sales · Hall of Fame
The Ramiro Z Son Who Refined the Line
Raphael belongs in this Hall of Fame because he was more than another son of Ramiro Z. He became a foundation sire in his own right and the direct bridge through Ragazzo and Raphaela into Noah, with that influence still visible generations later in Rameros.
Raphael was foaled in Germany on 26 March 1979. He was a dark bay Westphalian stallion standing 169 cm, bred by Heinrich Hüppe.
His sire was Ramiro Z, while his dam, Annekatrin, was by Abhang I and out of a Wotan mare. That pedigree brought together Ramiro Z's power and international jumping blood with the refinement and rideability associated with the Hanoverian and Westphalian maternal family.
Raphael later stood at Amselhof Walle and became known not for a major competition career of his own, but for the remarkable quality he passed into both jumping and dressage descendants.
In 1981, Raphael became reserve champion of the Oldenburg Stallion Licensing and finished third in his Stallion Performance Test. Although his own competition record remained limited, he quickly proved to be an exceptional breeding stallion.
The reported prize-money figure reflects the published total at the time of Raphael's death in 2004, not a modern lifetime update.
International Showjumper
Robinson became one of Richard Spooner's defining horses. Published accounts credit the grey gelding with more than forty Grand Prix victories and prize money exceeding one million dollars.
International Showjumper
Ridden by René Tebbel, Radiator became one of Raphael's best-known international show-jumping offspring and helped establish his reputation as a sire of genuine performance horses.
Grand Prix Performer
Reveille competed at Grand Prix level with Kamilla Dupont and added further weight to Raphael's record as a sire whose offspring could succeed at the highest levels.
Direct Ancestor of Our Horses
Ragazzo carried Raphael's influence into a more modern, dressage-oriented type and became the direct link to Raphaela, Noah and the generations produced at Warmblood Horse Sales.
Standing, close-up and under saddle: the photographs show the conformation, expression and movement that helped Raphael influence both jumping and dressage families.
For Brian Mills, Raphael represents the point where the Ramiro Z line became noticeably more refined. The photographs show an expressive, cleaner head, a long neck, a proud carriage and an athletic frame that could contribute to both jumping and dressage.
When Brian compares Raphael with his own young stallion Rameros, he sees a striking family resemblance in the head, eye, neck and overall expression. Rameros is still only three years old and will naturally broaden and fill out as he matures, but the underlying elegance is already visible.
Through Noah, Raphael's blood continues into the next generation bred at Warmblood Horse Sales.
Rameros Ramedoc Zara Elizabeth Diamond Maggie May Bella Ragazza Ramesses II
Raphael died at Amselhof Walle in 2004 at the age of twenty-five. He had reached old age and was humanely put down at his home stable.
His influence, however, did not end there. It continued through his licensed sons, international offspring, dressage descendants and direct family lines.
For Warmblood Horse Sales, that legacy has a clear route: Ramiro Z → Raphael → Ragazzo → Raphaela → Noah → the young horses living on the yard today.
“A great sire does not need every generation to look identical. His influence is recognised when quality keeps returning.”
This profile was compiled from documented pedigree and breeding records, including:
The wording on this page is original. Statements about Raphael's resemblance to Rameros and the refinement seen through the family are identified as Brian Mills' breeding observations rather than presented as guaranteed genetic rules.