The June 1901 Horse Show Monthly described Jack O’ Diamonds as a beautiful champion saddle gelding.  This magnificent horse possessed “great easiness of gaits, brilliant style and perfect manners,” and was considered by many to be “one of the most finished saddle geldings in the show ring.”[1]  Many observers and horse related publications frequently referred to the deep chestnut gelding simply as “Jack.”  Jack O’ Diamonds was the property of Thomas Dunn, a well known resident of St. Louis, Missouri.  He was cared for and trained by Thomas Bass in Mexico.  Bass was also given the responsibility of showing Jack O’ Diamonds in numerous competitions throughout the state and nation.  The graceful horse and skilled rider proved to be an extremely successful team.

Jack O’ Diamonds competed at the Stilwell Stake in Kansas City, Missouri in the fall of 1903.  He competed with eight other entries in the saddle horse competition.  He  eventually finished second to Montgomery Chief in that event.  Horse Show Monthly believed that Jack O’ Diamonds, who demonstrated collection and form in his gaits, had improved greatly since his visit to the Kansas City show the previous year.  The publication stated that he could “still move like a whirlwind, but he went with more smoothness, and more confidence, and wore a mannerliness he did not have too much of last season and in all gave Montgomery Chief a fight that brought all his graces into play.”[2]

Jack O’ Diamonds took the blue ribbon in the gelding event which was held later in the week during the 1903 Stilwell Stake.  No one present chose to challenge his superiority over Vivacity, who took home second place honors, and Dr. Faulkner, the third place finisher.[3]  Jack O’ Diamonds was also entered in the class for mares and geldings of any age at the Kansas City Horse Show.  He was narrowly defeated for the blue ribbon by Gypsy Queen.[4]  Horse Show Monthly stated that this decision caused “discussion among saddle horse fanciers, many of whom thought Jack the best horse in the open class.”

Jack O’ Diamonds competed at the St. Louis Horse Show in November of 1903.  The open gaited gelding class was held on November 4, the third night of the event.  Competition for supremacy in this class “brought out strongly demonstrated partisan feelings for three local horses in the ring---Jack O’ Diamonds, Dr. Faulkner, and The Frenchman, all owned by well-known St. Louisans.”[5]  Many observers felt that the brunt of the jealously was directed towards Jack O’ Diamonds.  Horse Show Monthly wrote that there were “efforts made to handicap the gelding from showing his best.”  Despite these efforts, Thomas Bass “remained seemingly oblivious of everything but his own horse, deporting himself quietly and effectively and taking his young, sound, well mannered, well broken horse to the head of his class, as he deserved.”[6]

Jack O’ Diamonds and Tom Bass would pair up again at the St. Louis Horse Show in 1904.  Jack O’ Diamonds competed in four classes for saddle and combination horses at this event, eventually winning the mare or gelding combination class. A combination class was one in which the same horse was first shown in harness with a vehicle, then under saddle at walk, trot, rack, canter and running walk, fox trot or slow pace. The August 1904, Horse Show Monthly wrote that the victory in the combination class led Tom Bass to believe that Jack O’ Diamonds could go on to capture the gelding blue ribbons. Jack O’ Diamonds helped Tom Bass become the major Missouri winner in the saddle classes at this event.[7]

Jack O’ Diamonds was one of many talented saddle horses that competed at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.  On August 30, he took home top honors in the mare or gelding combination class.  This distinction earned him a $30 prize from the World’s Fair and a $30 duplicate prize that was paid by the state of Missouri.[8]  Despite his early triumph, Jack O’ Diamonds finished second to T. C. Houtchin’s Silver King in the class for geldings aged four years and over.[9]  Horse Show Monthly stated that Tom Bass “put up an excellent show on Jack that gave every promise of taking the blue and surprised many people when he did not.”[10]  

This page was designed by Adam Brock under direction of Dr. Lyndon Irwin