SHOW JUMPING commentary maestro Steve Hadley once said, “Breeding is an inexact science.” And so, even with three gifted coaches as parents and godfather, it wasn’t written in stone or the stars that Jennifer Micklem Diamond would automatically follow their careers.
She did and after a valuable grounding in journalism, is now Horse Sport Ireland’s Coaching Administrator.
“I guess you could say it’s no surprise that I have taken the path I have, considering my own breeding, but for me, it’s still a slight surprise! My parents, Derval Diamond and John Micklem, and of course my godfather and uncle William Micklem, are all very involved in the industry,” said Jennifer.
Between them, John and William have sourced many of the eventing world’s top performers. There’s US Eventing’s ‘Horse of the Century’ Biko, spotted as a three-year-old by John in the late Jack Deacon’s yard and the Olympian full-brothers Mandiba and High Kingdom, bred by William, author, inventor of the ‘Micklem bridle’ and another renowned coach.
Jennifer had what she describes as “very much a dream childhood” for a pony-mad youngster, growing up in Newcastle, Co Wicklow where her mother managed the Dragonhold Stables livery yard. “I became more involved in the yard, working on the weekends, schooling horses for clients and beginning to coach.”
Like Aintree and Cheltenham heroine Rachael Blackmore, she is another shining example of an Irish Pony Club (IPC) graduate. “I think the Irish Pony Club provides a great foundation for so many people who go on to become involved in the industry. It really is one of the primary grassroots organisations.
“In the past we have seen a number of sport horse stars come through the Pony Club and most recently Rachael Blackmore, who has taken the world by storm. I think the role played by the IPC can often be overlooked.”
A former Bray Pony Club member herself, she describes her summers as “filled with pony club camp and rallies. I very lucky that throughout all of my Pony Club days I had one D.C (District Commissioner) Dorothy Guilford.
“Mrs Guilford was a huge influence for me from an early age. She suggested I compete in some working hunter pony classes, so I began with starter stakes and 133cm classes.
“Up until my early teenage years I was a very cautious rider, however, this changed when I got a wonderful 13hh pony called Toby. Toby was the perfect all-rounder. He did everything from Pony Club eventing, tetrathlon, hunting, working hunters, etc. He gave me such confidence and a real love for the sport.”
After she outgrew this four-legged paragon, her parents gave Jennifer the choice of a 14-hand working hunter or a 14.2, to focus more on eventing, for her next size pony. “For me, the choice was easy and I made my move towards eventing. I competed in Eventing Ireland events in the spring and focusing on the Pony Club eventing league in the summer.”
Early Spring
And then along came her horse of a lifetime in 2008. “Mum bought a lovely five-year-old gelding from Bryan Maguire, the breeder of Rolex Kentucky winner Bay My Hero, in Wexford.
“By the woefully underused Sky Boy son Kiltealy Spring, the plan for Early Spring was for Derval to compete him with a view to selling him on. He stayed put.
“The next summer, we decided it would be good education for me to compete ‘Blizzard’ a little in Pony Club.”
Their first show was an IPC combined training and dressage area qualifier.
“This also happened to be the first year that the combined training would take place in the RDS. So having told everyone that I was only there to get some milage up on this young horse we won the pure dressage and the combined training, qualifying for two classes at the Pony Club Festival and RDS.”
Early Spring and Jennifer Micklem Diamond in action on the cross-country course at the 2014 European young riders championships at Vale Sabroso in Portugal
Now out of ponies and with John scouting for a junior horse, Jennifer contined to borrow Blizzard for Pony Club and Eventing Ireland competitions. “I would love to say it was all smooth sailing but it did take some time for our partnership to build,” she said candidly. “Thankfully, we had plenty of time and no pressure. By the end of that summer, there was no doubt he was the right horse for me.
“We went from strength to strength, teaching each other along the way. He really was my horse of a lifetime.”
2011 was a very good year for the pair and proved a preview of their Irish young rider team credentials. “We competed in our first international, won the IPC dressage championship and the senior eventing championship.”
After some time out to complete her Leaving Cert, the pair stepped up in 2013 to compete at EI115 and CIC3* (then 2*) level.
“In 2014, things really came together, placing first and second in my first two national events that year. Due to college commitments, our next event was Tatts for the under-25 class where we were fifth and best of the Irish. We were third in the final trial at Camphire and then selected for the European Championships in Portugal, where I finished 14th individually.”
That summer was her own firsthand experience as an Irish team member and being in constant contact with three figures, who featured in her later job role with HSI.
“Sally Corscadden, Heike Holstein and Ian Fearon were my coaches during the Young Rider programme. They were a brilliant support team and we were very lucky to work with such high quality coaches.
“Representing my country is certainly the greatest highlight of my riding career, especially on a horse who I produced with the help of both my parents.
"After the Europeans, Blizzard was sold to the most lovely home in the UK and I focused my attention on my final year of college.”
A past pupil of East Glendalough School in Wicklow town, Jennifer went on to study Politics and History in UCD before completing her Masters in Journalism in DCU.
Career options
“I grew up surrounded by coaching. I remember sitting up in the indoor happily watching both mum and dad coaching, so it’s no real surprise that I began helping out at Pony Club Camp as soon as I wasn’t riding and quickly became interested in coaching.
“Throughout college, I coached various pony club camps and rallies and began to build a base of riders, who I coached privately throughout the year. I really enjoyed the process of getting my HSI coaching qualifications.”
That said, her mainstream education and qualifications came first. “I have always been drawn towards school, college and career.
“My passion for journalism stems from my uncle, (Mum’s brother) Donogh Diamond, who was the editor of Prime Time until earlier this year, when he became the Programme Editor in the RTE newsroom.
“During my masters, I interned with Morning Ireland, this was a great experience and it also showed me that I was increasingly drawn toward mixing my equestrian knowledge with journalism. My highlight from this internship was producing a package on Dublin Horse Show and getting it broadcast.”
Another example of how horses and journalism dovetailed in her career was during her years with The Irish Field when she put her own creative stamp on her job role.
“After completing my masters, I got in touch with Irish Horse World editor Isabel Hurley and began doing some freelance work with the ‘Field’ in 2017, I instantly loved it. This was the same stage I was completing my HSI Level 2 so the timing worked well. Covering the Eventing Demo Tour in February 2018 was a real highlight from early on.
“That spring, a job opportunity arose in The Irish Field, editing Horse Sense and The Irish Horse pages in the Irish Farmers Journal, I was lucky enough to get the position and went on to work there for another year and a half.”
Any particular highlights? “It’s very hard to pick any one standout moment from my time with The Irish Field. Being out and about, meeting new people, was always something I enjoyed.
“I was drawn towards personal interest stories and helping to impart knowledge. Horse Sense was really information-based which I loved and The Irish Horse pages had more human interest, so the combination of both really suited me.
“I loved that no two weeks were the same and I got to meet some amazing people during my time with The Irish Field.”
Despite her college commitments and blossoming career, horses were never far away.
The cleverly nicknamed Sky, or Believe In Better was one. “She was by Jack of Diamonds, same as Rioghan Rua. I broke her under Dad’s watchful eye, a very sharp mare but had an exceptional jump. I stayed involved with the high performance side of things on the Under 25 Development Squad until 2016, when I unfortunately lost Sky after she sustained a kick to her hindleg.
“After Sky’s accident, I took a little downtime. William very kindly gave me the ride on some of his younger horses who I helped bring on. Mum then bought another nice grey, a Connemara-cross called Dusty or LSH Steel Dust. I produced him up to CCI2*-L as a seven-year-old and he’s since been sold to America.
Key influences
Now living in Westmeath with fiancé Richard Bonham, the couple have “three horses, two donkeys, two terriers in the house and a pack of beagles, despite both of us having fulltime jobs!”
Amongst the flock are Early Spring’s two half-siblings. “I am very lucky to keep in close contact with Martin Doyle who bred Blizzard. Martin still has Blizzard’s dam Barnafea Chloe at home, and now I have two of her offspring; a seven-year-old mare by Jack of Diamonds and a four-year-old gelding by Kings Master. I really enjoy producing younger horses and I am especially excited to see what the four-year-old will do.”
There’s another touch of Dorothy Guilford’s influence in how Jennifer met her future husband. “I met Richard at the Westmeath Hunt Ball five years ago and as they say the rest is history. I always have gone to the Westmeath Hunt Ball because my best friend Hannah Wentges (Dorothy Guildford’s granddaughter) lives in Westmeath, so Hannah deserves some credit for the introduction!”
Another close schoolfriend is Sophie Woodroofe, whose father Richard stood the Croker Cup champion Colourfield at Raheenmore Stud. A talented chef, Sophie recently started her Brown Sugar Bakery wedding cake venture and has the task of making this couple’s cake.
Although at this stage and after two lockdown postponements, Jennifer is philosophical about her big day plans.
“Like many people, Covid-19 and lockdown has really slowed down my pace of life. Which I probably needed! We were due to get married last June, which we postponed to this April, which we have postponed again, so we are now hoping it will be June 2022. Fingers crossed.
“Richard is a solicitor, working in Mullingar, while I am working with Horse Sport Ireland in the Coaching Department, but like many people I have been working remotely since last March.
“It’s a job which combines so many aspects of my life and keeps me very connected to what is going on the industry which I really enjoy. I very much see my future within HSI and look forward to what the future brings,” she added about her post which she started in 2019, the same year as she gained her Level 2 Coach qualification.
Against its many speedbumps, lockdown has brought time to think. “Looking back now, I can see a number of key people who helped shape me and bring me to where I am today. Of course both my parents played a huge role. Their support was the perfect balance of endless and realistic.
“Mum has been very involved with the Pony Club on a national and branch level for as long as I can remember. Her enthusiasm for helping people learn is something which has really rubbed off on me.
“Dad has been my voice of reason throughout my life and the perfectionist in me definitely comes from him. His eye for a horse is like no other and he taught me everything I know about producing young horses.
“I must add that for two very horse-focused parents, they were just as supportive for the non-horsey milestones as the horsey ones, although standing at the side of a hockey pitch on a cold Wednesday afternoon was slightly beyond them. I guess one sport that involved being out in the elements was enough!
“They both taught me great discipline and to this day, I work on the belief that if you are going to do something you have to give it 100% and do it right. This would be the main thing they all taught me and it’s something I apply to all aspects of my life. I find it impossible to be half-hearted about something.
“William has been a huge support to me, helping me prepare for the ‘A’ test, my HSI Level 2 Coaching and so much more. His overall enthusiasm and belief in people is something I really admire and something I always do myself.
“Beyond family, Dorothy Guilford and Sally Corscadden were both hugely influential. Mrs Guilford always believed in me when I didn’t have the confidence to believe in myself.
“One of my proudest moments was in the ride-off in the IPC individual dressage finals and Mrs Guilford was standing with Mum, watching me, and I thought to myself ‘I bet she can’t believe I’ve made it this far, considering how nervous I was when I started in the pony club,’” she said frankly.
“Sally Corscadden also gave me great confidence and as a coach, she has been my greatest inspiration. She transformed me from being a good pony club rider to competitive international rider.”
There is little doubt that the bubbly Jennifer Micklem Diamond applies these life lessons to every project. “I am someone that is always looking for the next big step, I rarely stop to enjoy where I am now so I guess you could say Covid-19 has made me enjoy the moment a little more.
“I have no doubt that I will always be involved in the horse industry in some form. As you said, it’s in my blood.”
Next week: William Micklem