Diamant de Semilly with my mare

[Centuree]

For those of you who know this stallion, please offer some advice.

My mare is an 8 year old maiden AHHA. She is 16hh, so not huge, but has a very large stride and is very athletic. Personality is a bit tough, she is an alpha mare and has a huge buck, not for the faint of heart.

This summer she competed with an amateur (16 year old) in the 3 foot and 3 foot 3 hunters and hunter medals and did very well though did injure herself (i have no idea how, I live in Tanzania). She tore her hind suspensory, and this was evident following her last horse show.

Please see her pedigree (she is jumper bred): http://www.horsetelex.com//horses/pedigree/270578

Strengths: athletic, brave, big stride, power

Weaknesses: weak hind end, toed-in in the front, temperament, short.

I aim to breed an upper level competitive jumper and improve on her temperament, size and hind-end strength. I would like to keep her athleticism, her braveness, her jump.

Here is a youtube video of her from this summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te-XTqx3z2U&feature=youtu.be

This is a keeper foal for me and a one time shot, hence I want a very strong and proven stallion. I love the mare, though do want some improvements. I love the stallion, and would like to know your opinion on this cross.

[Fred]

Nice mare!

I love Diamant de Semilly - he has long been one of my favourite stallions.
There have been a couple of threads about him, that may help you,

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?317887-Diamant-de-Semilly-semen-type-of-mare

[Centuree]

Thanks a lot Fred. I was starting to think no one was going to reply to me. I am curious, did you breed to him to your AFR daughter? If yes, please do tell of the offspring you now have

[Fred]

[QUOTE=Centuree;8343693]
Thanks a lot Fred. I was starting to think no one was going to reply to me. I am curious, did you breed to him to your AFR daughter? If yes, please do tell of the offspring you now have :)[/QUOTE]

You are welcome, Centuree.
I didn’t end up breeding that mare to Diamant, instead I bred her to a very nice local stallion using fresh semen. There were a number of factors in that decision, mostly to do with pressing family matters, and no local vet willing/able to do frozen. So I made the decision to go with fresh and Canadian.
I ended up breeding her to VDL Windsor H (Indoctro x Ahorn) and absolutely love the colt we got from that breeding.

Here is our VDL Windsor H x A Fine Romance 2 yr old colt:

https://www.facebook.com/119405697399/photos/a.121353542399.111618.119405697399/10153636090342400/?type=3&theater

[weixiao]

Based on the offspring and limited interactions I’ve had, I’d think your mare would be a good option with him. She is lovely.

Fred- your colt is stunning!

[Fred]

[QUOTE=weixiao;8343761]
Based on the offspring and limited interactions I’ve had, I’d think your mare would be a good option with him. She is lovely.

Fred- your colt is stunning![/QUOTE]

Thank you, weixiao.
I appreciate that.

[weixiao]

[QUOTE=Fred;8343932]
Thank you, weixiao.
I appreciate that.[/QUOTE]

If he wants to hitch a ride to Ireland with me to be an event horse over there, he’d be totally welcome!

[Fred]

[QUOTE=weixiao;8343993]
If he wants to hitch a ride to Ireland with me to be an event horse over there, he’d be totally welcome! ;)[/QUOTE]

I’m sure he would love that! thank you weixiao!

[julie710]

If you want to use fresh, I stand a lovey Berlin x Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel x Landgraf I x Calypso I stallion. His name is Five Kings HsH. He is 5 years old and was recently licensed ISR/Old-NA. He has also been licensed NAS which also allows for sBs foals. He is lifetime elite in the 5 star program with AWS. His colt presented at the Oldenburg inspection was site champion premium.

[Centuree]

Hi Fred,
Well you seemed to make a good choice, that is one gorgeous colt!

[Centuree]

Thanks for the nice compliments about my mare weixiao.

Thanks also Julie, if I can’t seem to breed with frozen, I will certainly consider your boy, do you have a link to some videos/web pages of your stallion?

[Hillside_H_Ranch]

I love Diamant de Semilly and am expecting a foal by him, from a Calido/Indoctro mare.

I have a Diamant de Semilly yearling filly, from an Abdullah/Galoubet mare. the mare was a maiden mare and is 16.1. I used him for many of the same reasons you described…but primarily to try and add some size. Unfortunately for me, the resulting filly looks like she’s going to finish smaller than her dam. She has much more substance than the dam, but her height is…well…of the three yearlings in the field, she’s the smallest I do like everything else about her, but I’m guessing she’s just a bit of a throwback, size wise (my mare’s dam was actually quite big, but DdS’s sire is small). Just my experience, and I think I’m in the minority

[caballogurl]

Diamant de Semilly is a lovely stallion who has many proven offspring, but I would not look to him for adding length of leg. I have a very solid 16.216/3H mare and her breeder in Europe who has bred to him multiple times said that he can throw “stubby” or short legged. I have a friend who has a Diamant offspring that is super leggy and tall, but that is from his dam’s side.

Now in regards to your mare, I know the former owners of La Vinia and she had a foal by Calido that was lovely.

Here are some videos of her:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV_TpEyDleA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPK1kbCDQHU

Have you considered any other stallions?

[Centuree]

Thanks Hillside, wow, this is the first I have heard of Diamant not producing height. Though I guess you just never know what the combination is going to produce. Love your breeding program and your Indoctro/Diamant foal sounds very exciting.

Thanks caballogurl, breeders in Europe said he breeds stubby? Well that is interesting. The only other stallion I was interested in was Kannan, but then I figured Diamant would be a better match (I like the SF lines). However, I could be wrong and still have time to decide. Feel free to tell me your thoughts though and make suggestions.

[caballogurl]

[QUOTE=Centuree;8346220]

Thanks caballogurl, breeders in Europe said he breeds stubby? Well that is interesting. The only other stallion I was interested in was Kannan, but then I figured Diamant would be a better match (I like the SF lines). However, I could be wrong and still have time to decide. Feel free to tell me your thoughts though and make suggestions.[/QUOTE]

Kannan should add more height the only thing I will caution you is that the mare should have impeccable front legs/feet. I was warned about Kannan throwing poor foot conformation by an associate in who has bred 150 plus foals in the Netherlands. I myself had a Kannan born this year and he had issues with both his front feet and had to have his check ligament cut because his front right hoof was a grade 2 club foot confirmed by x-rays. His right front foot is also less than idea and he is also a bit behind the knee. Even with the confrontational issues, the colt is still lovely and hopefully with make a nice performance horse, but he is not breeding stock.

Both Kannan and Diamant are amazing sires, you just need to be aware where they fall short and adjust your expectations accordingly. Don’t expect a leggy supermodel from Diamant and don’t expect perfect front legs from Kannan. If you mare has issues with her front feet, I would absolutely not recommend Kannan.

From seeing a daughter and a grand daughter of La Vinia, I would look for stallion that will improve the topline, canter, and improve the bascule and carefulness of her jump.

[julie710]

[QUOTE=Centuree;8344963]
Thanks for the nice compliments about my mare weixiao.

Thanks also Julie, if I can’t seem to breed with frozen, I will certainly consider your boy, do you have a link to some videos/web pages of your stallion?[/QUOTE]
Website is www.hshorses.com

[Centuree]

Well in that case, Diamant is a better match then Kannan. She does not have impeccable legs and feet, is a bit toed in, and also not the strongest feet either. Zinnia already has a beautiful canter (is really like butter on her back), you can’t see it from the video, she may have already been a little sore there. Her topline is quite good with a cresty neck and natural roundness, but her back and hind end do need strengthening. I also want to improve her feet. I hear Diamant offspring have fabulous feet and bone. I think he will throw a hardier type, and as she has a lot of blood (over 60%); therefore, I don’t mind adding bone. Though I really don’t want something smaller than she is.

Your stallion is just lovely Julie, I will take him into consideration as well.

[Centuree]

[QUOTE=Hillside H Ranch;8345653]
I love Diamant de Semilly and am expecting a foal by him, from a Calido/Indoctro mare.

I have a Diamant de Semilly yearling filly, from an Abdullah/Galoubet mare. the mare was a maiden mare and is 16.1. I used him for many of the same reasons you described…but primarily to try and add some size. Unfortunately for me, the resulting filly looks like she’s going to finish smaller than her dam. She has much more substance than the dam, but her height is…well…of the three yearlings in the field, she’s the smallest I do like everything else about her, but I’m guessing she’s just a bit of a throwback, size wise (my mare’s dam was actually quite big, but DdS’s sire is small). Just my experience, and I think I’m in the minority :)[/QUOTE]

Hi Hillside, any chance you’d be willing to post a photo or two of your 3 year old filly by Diamant? Is this a keeper mare for you?

[Hillside_H_Ranch]

She’s actually just a yearling…sorry if that was confusing. I don’t mind posting photos, but I don’t think I have anything recent; and yes…that’s bc she’s a keeper for me (for now) and I tend to spend lots of time photographing the sales horses, but not the keepers, lol! I might have some baby pics from last year…

[JazCreekInc]

I unsuccessfully used Diamant this year on a mare that has never not taken (including iffy semen in the past). Two other friends also had no luck with doses this year. I ended up using Emerald on my mare, she took on the first try with that. Having just gotten home from working LA Masters and speaking with Harrie Smolders and Jos Verlooy about him, along with watching him extensively in the warm up and show ring I could not be happier with my decision. He is adorable, lovely to ride, and made easy work of a very tricky 1.60m track on Sunday with only 4 faults.