Éric Levallois: "Diamant and I have the same personality"

Every horse that is etched in our collective memory has its story. Everyone knows Diamant de Semilly, even though nobody would have known him for the same money. A combination of circumstances brought together two identical personalities: Diamant (29) and Eric Levallois (57). They became world champions and vice European champions. Later, Diamant became even more popular as a breeding stallion. Z-Magazine paid a visit to breeder Eric Levallois and the sire of Dominator Z, Diamant de Semilly.

It is difficult to make a portrait of Eric Levallois and not regularly return the subject to Diamant de Semilly. Eric Levallois will always be mentioned in the same breath as his famous stallion, although he was also successful as a rider with Le Tot de Semilly, Diamant's sire, before that. Levallois became European champion with Le Tot in 1984. Before that he took part in three youth European Championships with the mare Graine d'Oria (Rantzou xx). And then there was Diamant, with which he won team gold at the WEG in 2002 and silver at the European Championships a year later. He made his name in the sport and later became even more famous as a breeding stallion.

'German horses bring power and a good mouth to the French, who in turn bring in a good head'

And to think that he ended up with you through an accidental coincidence? For the same money we would never have known Diamant?

Each exceptional horse has a separate story. Diamant's mother died an hour after his birth. The breeder wanted to put her foal to sleep. He called my father with a simple request, "Either you come and get the foal, or he dies," because he didn't want to bottle-feed Diamant. My father then went to pick up Diamant and he did put in the time. So yes, if my father hadn't adopted Diamant, we never would have known him.

You were already known as a rider with Le Tot de Semilly, Diamant's father?

My father was mainly a trader, my brother a breeder and I was a horse rider. Breeding has always interested me, although it was impossible to combine it during my sporting career. In 1994 I started my own stable, in Beaufour. I arrived here with Diamant de Semilly. I was married, started a breeding farm with my wife. After our divorce she took the broodmares with her and I only had Diamant. After the WEG in 2002 I bought some fillies in Belgium and my breeding started again from scratch.

How did you combine his cumul of sport stallion and breeding stallion?

Diamant only really started breeding when he was 8 years old. That was my demand. I felt that covering would play tricks on him mentally and didn't want to take that risk. We will never know, but if we had run him as a young stallion, we might never have become world champions? It is my belief that breeding and high level sport do not go together. The fact that Diamant only started breeding at the age of 8 years had the advantage that he was already a sufficient competition horse and was therefore alert. He clearly knew the difference between sport and training, and breeding. This can be confusing for young stallions. Zangersheide managed that well with Dominator Z. As a young stallion he covered a lot and did little sport. Now he runs in sports and covers less. That's a good approach, because the combination doesn't work.

Do you see Dominator  Z as the successor to Diamant de Semilly?

Dominator is a unique stallion that I also use in my breeding. For me there is no successor to Diamant. Because that means that the son follows in the footsteps of the father and every son of Diamant that we know in the sport is unique in itself. Horses like Diamant are "once in a lifetime" and you should be happy that you have such a stallion. There is no second Diamond, just as there is no second Dominator or Emerald. You cannot compare generations. Although I am in favor of the Diamant/Cassini combination. I even presented a five-year-old at the Z-grading in Deauville (Farenheit de Beaufour: Diamant x Cassini, ed.)

So is it easy when you're on the jury?

On the contrary! Because you certainly don't want to go off. I also introduced Falcao de Beaufour (Contendro I x Allegreto) and withdraw when my stallions enter the ring.

Do you have a strong preference for the combination of French and German blood in your breeding?

I've always had that. You always have to look at someone else to improve. And the success of German breeding is largely due to the influence of French blood. Think of Cor de la Bryere. Look at the success of Belgian breeding, which is currently the best in the world. That is thanks to the mix of French and German blood. German horses bring power and a good mouth to the French, who in turn bring in a good head. But let's be honest, to breed that one topper you always need that little bit of luck. Breeding is the combination of knowledge, hope and luck. It is hope that makes us dream and motivates us. Because it only starts at birth. Because even if you have crossed the best genes, every future topper has to be made and then many factors come into play. Where does that horse end up? Will it get every chance? Are his talents optimally developed? That's the hope that makes you think it's worth investing the time. And then you have to be lucky that everything takes the right direction.

What does a foal tell you when it is born?

I expect about 40 foals this year, which means that you can already compare. Still, I don't want to judge at that moment. I'm not going to say after three days that a foal is exceptional. My father could. He had a nose for it, though he couldn't explain it himself. Of course you always have a sentiment, a certain feeling with a newborn foal. You see the movement and balance. So there are certain indicators. Regardless of that image, I give them the opportunity to grow out and take a long-term view. The foals, up to three years old, go to pasture in mid-April and come in in November. During that period I do not judge, then I mainly dream. And I will never claim to have bred a super crack. I breed good horses and the next few years will tell how good they become. Sweet de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan), with whom Daniel Deusser jumped 1.60m, looked promising. Yet Sweet was still very delicate at six. He needed time to develop and he got it.

How difficult is it to approve young stallions for Studbook Zangersheide?

The great difficulty is that you judge the moment. And unfortunately there will be good horses that present themselves less at that moment. The balancing act is to judge today with a vision of the future in mind. Fortunately, there are three of us on the jury and both Luc Tilleman and Heinz Meyer are experienced experts who are very good at assessing a horse.

Do you know your horses under the saddle?

That's done. I don't drive anymore. Or rather sporadically to stay in shape (smiles). Until two years ago I drove Diamant every day. Now we are both too old for it. I have about 50 young horses in competition and I know them inside out. I am still of the generation that lived with his horse. For me, horses are still romance and passion. Today it has become more of a business.

Did Diamond make you rich?

He has given me a rich life. So yes, he made me rich, as a person and as a rider. And of course he has made a major financial contribution to the success of Haras de Beaufour. Most of all he is my best friend. There is a camera in his stable and when I am away I often watch him on my smartphone. We are one and indivisible. Understandably, I've known him for more than half my life. I can't think of the day he will be gone. Twelve years ago he underwent three colic operations in as many weeks. I was sick of that myself. Diamant spends his day in a sand paddock. For the surface of his stable I had an air mattress made with a thick rubber. This way it lies soft, because the risk of a straw bed is too great. And since his colic he eats a soup that I put together myself five times a day. I have always done everything to offer the best.

You yourself have been in a serious traffic accident. The admiration for your character, willpower and fighting spirit to recover was great. Was that also true for Diamant and his colic?

I do think that we have the same attitude and that Diamant also had the fighting spirit to survive. I still remember how he got up in the recovery room after his surgery. The assistants didn't have time to help him up. He did it on his own. And with such force that the suture came loose. Our characters are similar, that's right. We understand and understand each other well and mutual respect is very high (smiles). A bond between man and horse cannot be more beautiful.

Haras de Beaufour

Eric Levallois started Haras de Beaufour in 1994 in the Normandy village of Beaufour-Druval, 20 km from Deauville, where it settled in an old thoroughbred horse breeding farm that, with 150 hectares of pasture, perfectly met the requirements. In the meantime, the Haras de Beaufour has expanded to various locations, with the sport horses at one location and the rearing and breeding facilities at other locations. The first known horse from his breeding was Peanuts de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly) who jumped 1.60m with Latifa Al Maktoum. The most famous horse was Sweet de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) who we know under Daniel Deusser.

Eric Levallois also bred several 1m50 and 1m60 horses including Vinci de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly) who jumped 1m60 under Chad Fallows, Sultan de Beaufour (VDL Cardento) who jumped 1m60 under Simon Delestre and horses such as Amy de Beaufour (Calvaro Z), Casanova de Beaufour (Kashmir vh Schuttershof), Uckland de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly), Baldini de Beaufour and Bolero de Beaufour, both by Nabab de Reve.