Covering history: Moorhausen 1965, Siethwende 1966 to 1970, Langenhagen 1971 to 1972, Bredenbeckshorst 1973, Haselau 1974, Marne 1975 to 1981, put down in 1981

Concomitant with Ladykiller xx, the thoroughbred Marlon who was born in Ireland in 1958, entered the Holstein breeding stage. Partly for this reason, the two stallions were often compared with one another. Both had a height of 164cm, both were bay coloured and both partly covered at the same covering stations, so that there was a considerable number of mares that foaled the progeny of both Ladykiller xx and Marlon xx. They moreover covered for approximately the same length of time in the Holstein breed, although Marlon xx covered two years longer. In his phenotype, Marlon xx was very noble and endowed with a long body that had a certain length in the centre piece, which he also transmitted to his progeny. The somewhat difficult transmission of type might have made the difference in the fact that the Ladykiller xx blood became so widely disseminated. Marlon xx’s nobility often only endured for one generation, the heads of his progeny were not always the most aesthetic and there were not seldom deficits in conformation. Some Marlon xx offspring also did not have enough tenacity. Still, they convinced by their generally good size and their exceptional rideability values. Different to Ladykiller xx, he also produced outstanding horses for advanced dressage sport, including the approved stallion Montevideo, who won Olympic team gold with Uwe Sauer, Marius / Dr. Josef Neckermann and the approved Marlon xx grandson Marmor (by Marengo). In three-day eventing too, Marlon xx’s progeny such as Maniok / Thomas Rüder, Milano / Herbert Blöcker and Madrigal / Karl Schultz were thoroughly convincing. The same applies to showjumping. More than any others, the approved sons Mentor / Otto Becker and Mowgli / Lene Nissen-Lembke celebrated numerous triumphs, not to forget top showjumpers like Malva and Ma Soleil / both Breido Count Rantzau, Min Jung / Peter Hoff and many more,who substantiated Marlon’s fame as one of the most versatile sires of Holstein. The aforementioned Ma Soleil was clothed in an Isabell coloured yellowish bay coat, a characteristic that is not infrequently observed in Marlon xx’s progeny. Some of these were systematically used for Isabell breeding. Marlon xx progeny with this colouring are often found in Hungary today. Despite numerous approved Marlon xx sons, the male line is not destined to survive. Although attempts have repeatedly been made to preserve his genotype after most of his sons were no longer actively engaged in breeding, and the direct Marlon xx sons Marlo, Mentor and Marquis who was approved on the basis of his performance record, were reintroduced into the Holstein breeding programme at an advanced age, with the declared goal of rescuing the male line, these efforts have not borne much fruit to date.