Juliette Piotrowski's Sir Diamond Passed Away

Dressage

Germany

Sir Diamond, a five-time German team horse at the European Young Riders and Under 25 Championships for Juliette Piotrowski, has passed away.

Sir Diamond is a 19-year old Oldenburg gelding by Sandro Hit out of Lady Diva (by De Niro). He is bred at Stall Troff.

Licensed Stallion

Discovered by Claudia Haller as a foal, the black was licensed at the 2007 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Vechta. Two months later he was also approved for Rhineland at the licensing in Wickrath.

Sir Diamond never did his stallion performance test although he briefly stood up for stud at Ferienhof Stucker. He has only 1 offspring registered for sport in Germany, the highly successful daughter Summer Rose OLD, who won team gold and double bronze at the 2017 European Junior Riders Championships under Romy Allard. Summer Rose is also bred by Stall Troff.

European Young Riders Medalist

Sir Diamond made his competition debut as a 4-year old under Haller in May 2009. She trained him up to M-level, gelded him in 2010, and last showed him in the spring of 2011 after which daughter Juliette Piotrowski took over the ride.

At the 2013 European Young Riders Championships

Juliette and Sir Diamond made their competition debut at the local show in Nettetal-Lobberich in August 2011 at M-level. In 2012 she rode him in the Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifier in Verden and in 2013 the pair moved into the Young Riders division at small tour level.

2013 became a highlight year for them. After placing second at the Preis der Besten, they captured a spot on the German team via the selection trials in Wiesbaden and Hagen to compete at the European Young Riders Championships in Compiegne, France, where they won team silver, individual test silver and kur bronze. At the 2013 German Young Riders Championships they got silver.

In the early spring of 2014 Sir Diamond made the transition to Grand Prix level at age 9, but in April dropped back down to small tour level and placed third at the 2014 Preis der Besten. They qualified back on the German team for the 2014 European Young Riders Championships in Arezzo, where they won team gold but were 10th in the individual test so did not make it into the freestyle as fourth German. They skipped the 2014 German Young Riders Championships in Zeiskam

European U25 Team Medalist

Sir Diamond had already lived up to plenty of expectations as a medal winning Young Riders' horse but he also proved his worth at Grand Prix level.

In 2015 the pair made the definite move to Grand Prix level and competed in the national Under 25 tour (Piaff Forderpreis) as well as at the 2015 CDI-U25 in Hagen. They were second that year in the Piaff Forderpreis Finals in Stuttgart.

In 2016 they won team gold at the inaugural European Under 25 Championships, held for the first time at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen. They placed 8th in the Short Grand Prix. In the 2016 Piaff Forderpreis Finals they were second once again.

They were back on the team for the 2017 European Under 25 Championships in Lamprechtshausen, where they got another team gold and placed 8th in the Short Grand Prix. The Kur to Music was cancelled due to the bad weather. They had to withdraw last minute from the 2017 Piaff Forderpreis finals due to an infection, but instead competed at the 2017 CDI Frankfurt in December and placed sixth in the Kur.

In 2018 they competed in their third, consecutive European Under 25 Championship, this time in Exloo, where they scored another team gold and this time made it to the Kur Finals in which they were 7th.

Retirement

Piotrowski and Sir Diamond briefly competed in the senior Grand Prix tour in 2019 with starts in Pilisjaszfalu, Cappeln and Exloo. Their last international was the CDI Lier in February 2020, their last national show in Wurselen in September 2020.

Sir Diamond was retired from sport in August 2021. Since then Piotrowski only briefly returned to the international scene: in 2022 with two 7-year olds (Grand Diamond, Earl of Pearl) and in May 2023 with 5-year old Dance On.

Early Passing

On 24 July 2024 Piotrowski announced Sir Diamond's passing. He suffered from a severe colic attacked caused by a Ileal impaction. Despite all efforts he could not be saved.

"You were the horse that brought me one of the hardest tests and experiences, but because of you I grew beyond myself," said Piotrowski. "Even away from the show scene in everyday life your incredibly strong character has made me come up with new things for you. Whether we went baerback in the field, rodeo in the indoor, I rode the Grand Prix movements with you in a halter, or we jumped a little course at home in between! It never got boring. You were and remain a very special horse to me and I will never forget you.! You chose me to be your rider and let everyone know that too! I am so grateful for all that you have enabled for me and I hope you are galloping above the clouds now."