Polo Times Pony Powers

Moneda

Height: 15.1hh Age: 20-years-old Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Owned and played by: James Donnelly Tournament: The Glenpatrick Cup at Northern Ireland Polo Club

Where is she from/breeding? Moneda is from Argentina.

How long have you had her? Two years.

What are her strengths? Strong ride off, quick to turn, with a good turn of speed.

How has she gone this season? She has been great this season. She has played consistently strong in Irish tournaments and club chukkas.

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? Not to my knowledge, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she had!

What are your plans for her in the future?

To continue to play her for as long as she is able and wants to. She knows the game better than I do and I continue to learn from her.

Photograph courtesy of NIPC

Does she have any special quirks? She does likes to be scratched in the morning and will point to where she likes/wants to be scratched with her nose. This can take some time! Also, she is very talkative and complains when being tacked up even though she has been for so many years! She is also a serious Harry Houdini, and will happily release herself from the rope and any other horses next to her!

Describe her in three words? Won’t be intimidated!

Roxy (Oxygenic)

Height: 15.2hh Age: Five-years-old Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Owned by: Rugby Polo Club Tournament: The SUPA Summer Nationals at Offchurch Bury

Where is she from/breeding? She’s a retrained racehorse.

How long have you had her? We got her off the track two years ago and retrained her for polo, here at Rugby Polo Club.

What are her strengths? Her temperament and speed.

How has she gone this season? She’s going very well, she’s got a very mature head for her age.

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? She won the Best Retrained Racehorse at the Rugby Polo Club 2021 awards.

Photograph by Emmpix Photography

What are your plans for her in the future?

She will have a bit of a break in September, then come back into work for our arena season in October playing 0-15 goal.

Does she have any special quirks? She used to have terrible feet as she would pull shoes very often! Her farrier has done a great job to get her feet good again after many trips back to nail them back on!

Describe her in three words? Sweet, honest, level.

Maria Antonieta

Height: 15 hh Age: 10-years-old Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Owned and Played by: Charlie Walton Tournament: The Polo Stallions Wichenford Bowl at Beaufort Polo Club

Where is she from/breeding: She is from Argentina, she is by Machitos Libano (Durazno x Dolfina Cuartetera) out of a good mare of Magoo Laprida’s. How long have you had her? I bought her last season from Hugo Taylor, he brought her to England in 2019. What are her strengths? To look at she is the ideal type – small and compact. For a smaller horse she has a lot of power and speed, but always has a very good mouth and sides. How has she gone this season? She took a few weeks at the start of the season to get settled and in a nice rhythm, but from June onwards she has been very good, and as the season goes on she has been getting better.

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? This is her first Best Playing Pony prize with me.

What are your plans for her in the

future? Hopefully she can carry on being an important horse in my string. She is one I will breed from. Does she have any special quirks? She isn’t the most straightforward on the field. She isn’t a fan of line outs but as long as you keep her moving she is fine. Describe her in three words? Speed, handle, comfort.

Pili Pichimahuida

Height: 15hh Age: 10-years-old Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Owned and Played by: Owned by King Power and played by Marcus Cork Tournament: The Duke of Wellington Final at Guards Polo Club

Where is she from/breeding: She was bred by Fernando Riera, Open Maestro x Pili Venus.

How long have you had her? King Power has had her for eight years.

What are her strengths? She is very handy and quick.

How has she gone this season? She has been super comfortable to hit the ball from.

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? No, this is her first Best Playing Pony prize.

What are your plans for her in the

future? She will keep playing for King Power Describe her in three words? Quick, small, handy.

Height: 15.1hh Age: Eight-years-old Knowledge Colour: Bay Sex: Gelding Owned and played by: Owned by Jim Gilmore played by Jake Daniels Tournament: The Balaclava Trophy at Polo Times Pony Powers Druids Lodge Polo Club Open Callaway Where is he from/breeding? Casa x Clarin – Jim Gilmore’s breed from Australia. How long have you had him? Jim has had him since birth, I’ve been riding him for five years. Matias Machado’s Open Callaway has won not one but two Polo Times Best Playing Pony What are his strengths? He’s extremely soft across the neck, very smooth, has lovely and efficient power, extremely correct and has the capacity to play a lot of polo with a beautiful mouth and sides that are never ending. awards this season, in The Indian Empire How has he gone this season? This has been his best season to date. Shield at Guards Polo Club and The Duke of Has he won any other Best Playing Pony Awards? No, this is his first. Cornwall Trophy Final at Guards Polo Club.What are your plans for him in the future? Jim will eventually want to sell him, however I hope that day never comes. He’s

a horse that brings me so much happiness just seeing his happy, naughty face in the stables every morning. Regardless of how great he is to play, he is even more fun to have around the barn. I don’t think I can ever love a horse as much as I do Caesar. If I could, I’d have him live in my garden. Does he have any special quirks? A few, although nothing like he did when he was young. He was a lot of fun when he was young and can still make me concentrate

Photograph by Andrew Yates Photography pretty hard when he’s fresh at the start of the season. If he could, he would get away with not doing anything at all. He stops on set twice every morning to do a poo and would rather sleep and eat than do anything else. He has a true strong character that would exist in any circumstances he was put in. He’s a horse that will ruin your morning by stopping on set, but if you had to ride a horse to war, you’d absolutely want Caesar.

Open Callaway

Height: 15hh Age: Eight-years-old Sex: Mare Owned and played by: Owned by Matias Machado and played by Adolfo ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso Jnr Tournament: The Indian Empire Shield at Guards Polo Club

Where is she from/breeding? Open Callaway is from the Ellerstina breeding. How long have you had her? I brought her over from Argentina in 2019 when she was six-years-old. What are her strengths? She is physically strong, fast and handy. How has she gone this season? She has been very important this season, she did very well in the Semi Finals and Finals, especially in the last two games of the Indian

Empire Shield. Has she won any other Best Playing Pony Awards? She won the Polo Times Best Playing Pony the first year I brought her over (in 2019), which was also in The Indian Empire Shield! Last year, we didn’t play much because of Covid-19. What are your plans for her in the future? To help us win many more tournaments!

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

58 Polo Times, August 2021 Height: 15hh PT August2021 Inners.indd 58Age: Eight-years-old

Sex: Mare

Owned and played by: Owned and played by Matias Machado

Tournament: The Duke of Cornwall Trophy

Final at Guards Polo Club

www.polotimes.co.uk

02/09/2021 13:35

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Apache

Height: 14.3hh Age: 12-years-old Colour: Chestnut Sex: Mare Owned and played by: Toby Bradshaw Tournament: The Budgett Everett Final at Kirtlington Park Polo Club

Where is she from/breeding? I am not sure about her breeding, but, she was brought over from Argentina when she was six-years-old, this is my second season with her.

What are her strengths? She is really powerful, especially for a small horse. She is also very quick around the fi eld.

How has she gone this season? She’s been great in everything from 6 goal to 15 goal. She just loves playing!

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? This is her fi rst award with me but, she has received some before.

Photograph courtesy of KPPC

What are your plans for her in the

future? I want her to stay in my string for a long time. She’s always gives 100%. Does she have any special quirks? She’s very grumpy before a game, she likes to get in the zone!

Describe her in three words? Fast, powerful, special.

Plover

Height: 15.1hh Age: 14-years-old Colour: Black Sex: Mare Owned and played by: Timi Badiru Tournament: Gannon Final at the Pony Club Championships

How long have you had her? Two seasons, going on three.

What are her strengths? One of the best things about Plover is how explosive she is, very quick of the mark and always gives me a 100 percent every time I ride her. She also has extremely good sides on her, she can always turn before the others.

How has she gone this season? Plover has gone very well this season I could not be happier with her to be honest, she started the season playing at least twice in most games and she is now playing no more than once in the games. This is simply because I don’t want to put her under more pressure than she is already is – she deserves an easy time.

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? No, she has not won any other awards.

What are your plans for her in the

future? My plans for Plover are to play her for as long as I feel she wants to play for, then I will retire her as soon as I feel she has stopped enjoying it. Then in all probability I will put her in foal. Does she have any special quirks? Plover tends to get quite fiery at times but just wants to please all the time.

Describe her in three words. Strong, fast and brave.

Tank

Height: 14hh Age: 10-years-old Colour: Blue Roan Sex: Mare Owned and played by: Matias Maldonado Tournament: Handley Cross Section at the Pony Club Championships Breeding: UK bred Criollo

How long have you had her? We bought her as an unbroken 3-year-old in 2014, she had an unexpected foal which delayed her training, but I started playing her in the arena in 2018, as well as using her for mounted games, jumping and working with the cows at home on the farm.

What are her strengths? Endurance and a big heart.

How has he/she gone this season? She has been a solid part of my string and willingly participated in any activity that I want to do!

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? She won the instructor’s favourite pony at Pony Club Camp this year.

What are your plans for her in the

future? I plan to keep her for as long as I am riding!

Does she have any special quirks? She has a very baby whinny and sounds like a foal, especially when calling her son who we have kept for my Dad!

Describe her in three words. Brave, strong, loyal.

Doc No Razonar

Height: 15.1hh Age: 12-years-old Colour: Chestnut Sex: Gelding Owned and played by: Nico Fontanarrosa Tournament: The Roehampton Trophy Subsidiary Final at Ham Polo Club

Where is he from/breeding? He is from the first prodigy of the Doc Polo Breeding line based at Estancia El Rocio in Argentina. His sire is Espi Brad Pitt (by the famous Pucará), the same sire as Doc The Eagles who also won the Polo Times Best Playing Pony in The Eduardo Rojas Lanusse Final in June at Beaufort.

How long have you had him? I have owned him since he was three-years-old.

What are his strengths? He is a ballet dancer with his legs – excellent manoeuvrability!

How has he gone this season? Incredible as usual and my favourite last chukka pony.

Photograph by Ham Polo Club

horse that often goes unnoticed around his flashy sisters! cautious everywhere else and always has to take a second look at his surroundings!

What are your plans for him in the

future? No doubt he will be passed down to Lolo in the near future. Describe him in three words? Athletic, fast, focused.

Has he won any other Best Playing Pony

Awards? This is his first, but he’s a dark Does he have any special quirks? He’s at his happiest on the polo ground – he’s very

Nipper

Height: 15.2hh Age: 13-years-old Colour: Dark Bay Sex: Mare Owned and played by: Nina Clarkin Tournament: The Claire Tomlinson Trophy at Beaufort Polo Club

Where is she from/breeding? She is by Rough Nipper and out of Astro Girl. She is a New Zealand thoroughbred and we bought her from Missy Browne and Gary Vickers.

How long have you had her? We bought her in 2016 and she came to England in 2017.

What are her strengths? She is very fast and super strong in the ride off. She also has excellent stamina and lots of power. She never runs out of gas and always gives 100 percent. I often refer to her as my war horse, as If I were riding into battle she would be my first choice as I feel very powerful on her!

How has she gone this season? She has gone really well this season, and has got better and better as the season has gone on. She is an absolute powerhouse and I always get a lot of work done on her. She is still feeling amazing and playing really well after a long season.

Photograph by J Ridley Photography

Has she won any other Best Playing

Pony Awards? She won BPP at the Beaufort Ladies in 2018. Does she have any special quirks? She doesn’t really, she is pretty easy in most respects but Elin (my groom) says that if any horses or dogs get too close to her stable she gets very cross and pulls very angry faces!

What are your plans for her in the

future? I will keep playing her in all the levels that I play and I hope she continues for a long time to come as I would miss having her in my string! Describe her in three words? Powerful, fast, gutsy.