From Jane Manning, Kilpeck Stud.
ROMA DIAMOND SKIP.-- “AT HOME”
When sending in my advertisement for the 2006 yearbook, I received the following email from the Editor !!
“Jane, I think it is time to take the bull by the horns and to write about HIM, mention his progeny as well, but people want to know about him----he has had some Phenomenal Results !!”
Martin and I bought HIM as a Yearling from Robin and Margaret Cook who owned the Roma Stud in Devon.
We had been looking for a colt for a while and had not been inspired by anything we had seen, however Rob and Margaret’s Stud Vet was a great friend of ours and suggested we look at Diamond, we purchased him in Autumn 1993 as a Yearling.
We could never have guessed how successful he would be, taking everything in his stride, passing R.I.D, inspection easily and travelling out to Royal Dublin to see what the Irish thought of him in 1996- I thought he was good enough—but did I really know? Taking The Reserve Championship in The Irish Draught Stallion Class was quite something for an English Bred four year old, but the welcome we were given I will never forget and YES he really was good enough, very much so .His stable was full of Irishmen, just checking him over---I learned so much about Irish Draughts that week and about Diamond’s Pedigree. Several told me that Shannon was by Blue Peter but was never registered as such, that would explain the high percentage of greys thrown by Diamond out of grey mares, which is in excess of 50% even when the dam sire is chestnut like Roma Kitty Jay.
Diamond had enjoyed a busy stud season for a four year old and it was quite a journey, having only travelled up from Devon when we bought him and to Stoneleigh for Stallion Inspection. However he travelled very well chatting to .the Irish team horses going home to jump at Dublin. It was a hot and rough crossing for August, they dropped the lorry ramps to let air circulate and the party began! He adored the whole trip, he loves attention bathing, grooming, and generally being pampered—typical male really!
On returning home he really had a “Been there, Done that, Got the T shirt, “attitude and we had several chats about manners and behaviour! He has the most lovely temperament, very laid back but cheeky and with a mischievious sense of humour. Diamond loves to help with everything from mucking out –the brush is his favourite toy, to clipping—which he thinks is heavenly, to holding hosepipes and squirting water .
Diamond has always done all the teasing for us, he’s very good at it, gentle but persistent, if a mare was rude to Elvis he would stand back and sulk but Diamond thinks he is irresistible and keeps trying. His favourites are Grey Draught mares and Black Thoroughbreds. We usually collect semen for AI and use a Dummy Mare, known as Dolly, we don’t even need a mare around, Diamond knows his job well, loves her, she never kicks or has a headache!!
Diamond is extremely fertile, the vet joked one day that he could put a Gelding in foal. We froze semen and tested it on one mare, the result Kilpeck Ice Diamond is a super mare and competed at the Pony Club Eventing Championships last year. Diamond’s chilled semen travels and flies extremely well, we frequently get favourable comments from vets and other studs.
Diamond can see all the fields from his paddock and stable, counts the mares in and out and the foals talk to him over his stable door. He enjoys company ,understands about Stallions and Mares but took a while to work Geldings out ! I turned a new grey TB gelding out next to him last week and he gave up after a while with a “You’re one of those!” looks on his face.
Diamond loves being ridden, is very light on his feet , has a super walk ,canter to die for, and brilliant trot with super extension when he chooses, and a stunning gallop. He adores jumping, I feel guilty that he hasn’t done more but with two hours to the nearest Eq Centre, It’s not easy .He has a mighty jump, Is very neat in front and behind and uses his back well, he is very careful, doesn’t like touching fences and if it’s spooky just gives a huge jump. He hacks out alone or in company and is very bold.
He stamps his stock, we could hardly believe how much when his first crop were born he loves to shake when sweaty after being ridden, and to itch his nose on his off foreleg, most of his stock do that too.!
Diamond is very tough and sound, he has excellent feet, and is a very easy horse “to do.” he has just started nipping again which means he’s ready for the stud season he likes to smell everything and loves visitors especially those wearing perfume!, Many mare owners bring a carrot or apple , some even toys –he has a ball that food falls out of as he rolls it around which he thinks is brilliant. Talking of food, he’s not too greedy--- for a Draught and loves the Timothy hay we make, he can eat it Ad Lib and doesn’t get too fat!
2005 has been a very successful yea.r
It started very sadly though, with the loss of Blue Chip Kinkaid, he had such a future in front of him, to have won The Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead as a yearling in hand hunter and again as a Small Hunter when only four years old, having been broken in that Spring was outstanding. Our thoughts are with Clare Baskey, Robert Walker, and connections
Then we found out that on the day Kinkaid died his full brother Ballin Ross had won the Supreme Hunter Breeding Championship and Reserve Supreme Hunter and then won The Irish Draught Sports Horse Class all at Leicester County Show for Dot Collins. This was his first outing, with Dot on painkillers and her knee bound with vetwrap, she struggled to cope with the classes, let alone the Championships. ”He’s really behaved today, He’s been so good for me.” commented Dot in Horse & Hound.
Dot has now had further surgery and hopefully will be showing under saddle in 2006.
Further successes followed throughout the summer for his progeny, it is difficult to keep track of them all, but thank you to everyone for their emails, letters and pictures.
Jack O’ Diamonds II had tremendous success, taking the Supreme Hunter Championship at Royal Highland, Qualifying for H.O.Y.S. and then winning the Lightweight Hunter Class at Royal Dublin and 2nd in the Ladies Hunter (sidesaddle) He was bred in Herefordshire and sold to Linda Anstey in Ireland last year.
Two other H.O.Y.S. qualifiers were Cutting Edge, a Middle Weight Hunter and Rock a Fella, a Light Weight Show Cob, he qualified at The Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead and was 9th at H.O.Y.S
Kensons Rose Diamond R.I.D was Supreme Champion at the Southern Irish Draught Show and she won the 4-6yr old Performance Class at the Breed show.& has points with Br. Dressage.
It is exciting to already have two Stallions by Roma Diamond Skip passed R.I.D, Kilpeck Diamond Knight standing in Canada and Tors Murphy Mcginty in the U.S.A. both were exported as foals.
At the Pavo British Eventing Breeding Championships, Six year old National Finals, . Thirty Six horses had qualified for the Intermediate Novice Final at Tweseldown . Diamond was the only R.I.D .stallion represented , and along with Rock King and Mayhill, were the only Stallions to have more than one Finalist.
Much of a Muddle , Dam TB called Gerfuffle is a Bay Mare and bred a foal as a three year old, jumped a superb double clear having qualified at Tetton Hall and has 12BE Points. She is owned and ridden by Louise Skelton.
Classic Diamond Charm, Dam TB called Classic Charm qualified by winning at Stockland Lovell, Hatherleigh, and Royal Bath and West and finished the season by coming 5th in his first CCI* at Aldon. He now has 28 BE Points. He is ridden by Christelle Durrant.
Numerous other progeny are competing successfully at Pony Club, Riding Club, and across all the disciplines, including Hunting, I am unable to mention them all ,
Roma Diamond Skip Progeny is sought after by professional riders and aspiring amateurs alike, most of his progeny are still young and not fully mature yet. However they are proving to be capable of competing against and sometimes beating allcomers.
Jane Manning.
Page