Haras de Semilly has announced that their legendary stallion Diamant de Semilly (Le Tot de Semilly x Elf III) passed away on Tuesday morning, at the age of 31.
With Eric Levallois in the saddle, Diamant de Semilly won the team gold for France at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, and placed 9th individually. That same year the pair also became French Champions. In 2003, they took silver with the French team at the European Championships in Donaueschingen, Germany.
Diamant de Semilly did not only have a remarkable sports career, he has for years also been one of the world's leading sires. He topped the WBFSH Ranking for jumping sires in 2015 and 2016, and was last year ranked number two – illustrating his constant presence as a sire of top-level horses. He has sired countless of horses for the highest level of the sport, such as Emerald van't Ruytershof, Quickly de Kreisker, Don VHP Z, Utamaro D'Ecaussines, Dominator 2000 Z, Mumbai, Antidote de Mars, Ilex VP, and the list goes on and on.
On their official Facebook page, Haras de Semilly released the following statement [unofficial translation]: "This morning, on February 15, 2022, a star went to shine in the sky... DIAMANT DE SEMILLY passed away during his daily outing in the paddock, where he was enjoying a pampered retirement. Even if at 31, we could expect this inevitable farewell, and even if we have experienced others in the past, the emotional shock is not any less. Some pages of history are more difficult to turn than others... because this force of nature was not a horse like the others: He had become a member of our family, and our lives were deeply entwined...
So many memories in more than thirty years... a whirlwind of flashbacks surges like a tsunami of emotions... your first bottles, your charisma that set you apart from others, your victories, great moments of stress experienced by your side, the tears of happiness with gold at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, the moments suspended in your breath during your 3 colic operations 14 years ago, your crowning as the best stallion of the world in 2015 at the dawn of Germain's death where you gave him his ultimate and most beautiful gift… Two stars will shine a little more than others in the sky of our hearts tonight…
Tonight, in your box, the surveillance camera will remain off... The curtains have closed on more than thirty years of living together, but a common destiny remains sealed between us for eternity.
It is not the page of the history of a horse that is turning, it is an extraordinary history that was written with you and will continue to be written thanks to you. You changed the destiny of our life. Through your production, you have also marked the lives of many people, breeders, riders, owners... who have had the chance to appreciate the many qualities of your offspring, in particular strength, courage and the will to do well that make the difference. You have left your mark on the world of sport horses and for all that: THANK YOU DIAMOND. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING! YOU WILL FOREVER BE IN OUR HEARTS AND IN HISTORY."
On his Facebook page, Eric Levallois wrote [unofficial translation]: "Diamant is gone... It is with a heavy heart that we announce that our legend, our very dear Diamant, the emblem of the Haras, left us yesterday morning. He passed away peacefully, leaving behind him a great void and our collapsed team... Diamant has enjoyed a beautiful, well-deserved retirement until the end and has been surrounded by a loving and caring team. "I lost my horse, but above all my best friend..." EL.
Farewell Diamond."
At WoSJ, our thoughts are with all those close to Diamant de Semilly.