Word comes from Germany of the death of Diamond Way, the champion sire there for an incredible 17 consecutive years
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I simply cannot imagine that any other stallion of any breed has dominated breeding in any country for such a long period. And there may still be a few titles for Diamond Way to claim in the future years.
Diamond Way was the pride and joy of Olympic Gold Medalist Alwin Schoeckemoehle, a longtime patron of trotting in Germany. A great horseman himself, Schoeckemoehle dearly loves a great horse and his affection for Diamond Way was understandable.
Alwin Schockemoehle won his first Olympic gold medal in show jumping in Rome and won another gold medal in the Montreal Olympics in 1976. He switched from riding to trotting because of health problems that continue to bedevil him at age 72.
Diamond Way, foaled in 1982, won 28 of his 37 career starts during the 1984-88 and earned the equivalent of about $1 million on the track. He was the first German horse to win the prestigious Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli in Italy. He also won the German Trotting Derby and numerous other major events in Germany.
It’s estimated that he sired 2,500 foals. Diamond Way sired not only numerous German champions, but horses that could compete in the international events across Europe. Admittedly the names are not well known in North America, but they were headliners in Europe.
His best performers include Freiherr As, Unforgettable, China As, Campo Ass, Diamond Circle, Sunset Lane, Dino As, Pablo As, and others.
A word about those names: Alwin Schockemoehle used Ass until someone pointed out to him the meaning of those initials in English. (One of my personal favorite horses was Schockemoehle’s filly named Charming Ass.) Schockemoehle later changed to using simply As to identify horses he bred.
Diamond Way was a son of Super Way, an exquisitely-bred trotter with a scant record on the track in the USA. He was by Super Bowl and the first male foal of Noble Gal, whose 1:58.2 win as a 3-year-old in 1971 made her the fastest sophomore trotting filly in history.
Super Way was trained by John F. Simpson, Jr. and was a stablemate to the superb filly Classical Way. Super Way, a foal of 1976, won only $25,922 in two seasons and earned a 2:00.1 at the New York State Fair in 1979.
Diamond Way’s dam Konigskrone was a Germn mare by sired Arden Al, a son of Jamie out of a daughter of Hambo winner Helicopter. The rest of Diamond Way’s female pedigree is a combination of French and American bloodlines.
In Germany, Diamond Way has been awarded the title “Sire of the Century.” After being the champion sire for 17 straight years, is there any question why he earned that title?
His picture is stunning what
His picture is stunning what a beautiful animal. 17 years is amazing, to be top sire WOW!!