Diamond plays a significant role in my new chapter in life. I first met him on the 14th of March 2025, to be exact. His appearance was the first thing that caught my eye, as it did with most people, as he is a beautiful grey gelding, but with a sad story. I will never forget the day Jean (my mentor) and I went to fetch him.
He was on a stunning property in Kyalami, with a middle-aged woman, who unfortunately had to euthanise her other horse. Jean and I were there simply to remove Diamond from the situation. But Diamond wasn’t stupid. It was as if he knew what was happening. The vets were there, they had to separate the two, who seemed quite bonded, had their toolkits available and ready, and to this day, I’ve never witnessed something so sad.
My heart broke for Diamond. He had to stand there while they put his loved one down, and there was nothing he could do about it. I still feel choked up writing about it. He wasn’t easy to put in the horse box, I believe it was because he didn’t want to leave his friend behind, but unfortunately, he didn’t have a choice. He was being surrendered to The Society for Animals in Distress. The lady who was surrendering him kindly donated the rest of the food she had left over to the shelter. I believe she did not want to or could no longer invest in horses.
So Diamond came with us.
When we arrived back at the shelter and unloaded him, all the people who saw him were drawn to his beauty like moths to a flame. But after witnessing what I had, I perceived him in a way that was deeper than his appearance. Everyone was greeting him, taking photos of him and commenting on him. I was still a little bit emotional about what had happened at his previous home.
This was all in the year that I still believed I had to be in yachting because it was all I knew and thought it was what I wanted to do. I had left shortly after Diamond’s arrival to work on a boat for seven months, but in those two weeks I was still around, I hung out with him often and created a special sort of bond between us.
I thought that I would introduce Diamond first, as he is a big part of my journey and realisations, even though he is not my horse. Jean ended up adopting him. Just over a year later, they are both still a perfect fit for one another.
I have had the privilege of being on his back a few times these past two months and he is a good horse.
He is a grumpy gelding, often seeming sad or moody, but that’s just his temperament. He is a big sweetheart who adores attention and who wouldn’t hurt a fly. I am so grateful for our paths to cross and I have a feeling they will stay crossed for a long time to come. He truly does have a special place in my heart, and I am happy for him that he is in good hands and shares a paddock with a new friend who he loves dearly; Avalanche. I am so excited to see where our journeys take us, and so happy I get to see him on a weekly basis.
