high-goal season However talented their riders, it’s the horses that make the difference in polo. Argentine 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, widely considered the world’s best player, identifies the ponies bringing victory to high-goal teams in England this season
pony power
n Formula One racing, the teams with the right tyres on their cars are the ones that win the race. In polo, the teams that have the right ponies under their players are those that mount the winners’ podium. It’s a sport in which 70 per cent or more of winning or losing is down to how well a player is mounted. You need the right ponies not just for the star players, but for every member on the team, and enough mounts to last through two and sometimes three high-goal tournaments in just a couple of months or so. That is a lot of high-pressure polo for the horses. The two top pony strings in England this season were probably equal to those being played in the big tournaments in Argentina, including the Argentine Open, or in the US Open in Florida. One was that of my team, Dubai, patroned by Al Albwardy. We entered three high-goal tournaments and won the two most important: the Queens Cup at Guards and the British Open for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray Park.
The author at Dubai team’s Berkshire stables with champion Small Person, about to load the pony up for a well-deserved rest in pastures after victory in two major tournaments.
HERBERT SPENCER
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