RoR Polo Series

Overview

Owners and players of polo ponies that started their career on the racetrack have another chance in 2010 to win substantial cash prizes from Retraining of Racehorses (RoR).

RoR is offering a first prize of £5,000 to the ex-racehorse judged to be the most successful on the high goal polo circuit. A prize of £2,500 will also be awarded to the best bought and played pony ridden by a 4-goal and under player, as well as five prizes of £500 to the best bought and played ponies ridden by 1-goal and under players.

The prizes are open to any polo pony that has raced in the UK and is registered with RoR.

They will be judged by a committee, in conjunction with the clubs and the HPA, on their polo performance past and present, with their racing record also taken into account. The £5,000 and £2,500 prizes will be awarded at the HPA dinner on 22nd July, and the £500 prizes will be awarded at the end of the polo season in September. 

RoR is hugely supportive of polo as an alternative career but polo needs to support RoR by registering horses to help the charity know that racehorses has a life after racing.

To have their horses considered, owners need to register them on the RoR website – a process that is simple, quick and free click here – and to submit a performance record, with details of past tournaments and achievements and future plans to darbuthnot@ror.org.uk
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In addition, RoR in association with Lycetts Insurance will be awarding prizes during the season in high, medium and low goal tournaments as well as at Pony Club/Junior HPA Championships. 

For more photographs view the Gallery.

RoR and Lycetts Polo Series 2010

RoR and Lycetts will be awarding prizes at the following events in 2010:

MAY
22nd May - TEST MATCH, Cowdray
30th May - GERALD BALDING CUP, Cirencester

JUNE
5th June - ARTHUR LUCAS CUP, Beaufort
19th June - INTERNATIONAL, Beaufort 

JULY
15th July - GOLD CUP SEMI-FINAL, Cowdray 
25th July - CARTIER INTERNATIONAL, Guards 

AUGUST
8th August - PONY CLUB/ JUNIOR HPA CHAMPIONSHIPS, Cowdray
8th August - WARWICKSHIRE CUP, Cirencester
30th August - CREDIT CRUNCH LEAGUE, Knepp

Marmite wins £5,000 first prize in new RoR Series

Polo pony Marmite ridden by Mark Tomlinson was the inaugural winner of the £5,000 first prize in the new RoR Polo Series.

The prizes were presented at the pre-Cartier Day HPA dinner on 23rd July, with Marmite being judged the most successful ex-racehorse on the polo circuit this season.

This eleven-year-old mare raced five times on the Flat under the racing name of Fille de Dauphin without troubling the judge. She was bought by Bruce Urquhart, who won the RoR 'producer/sources' prize, from her trainer. Following which the Bromley Martin family retrained her to play regularly in Low and Medium Goal polo matches.

Mark Tomlinson then took Marmite on, and has now had her for two seasons, playing in the Queens Cup, Gold Cup and Cartier. She is his second best pony and Mark will be playing her in the International this Sunday.

Other RoR prizes awarded at the dinner were runners-up prizes of £2,000 each.  One was won by Dashfa Baileys ridden by Henry Brett, a six-year-old gelding bought privately from a trainer's yard by Brett Thoroughbred Polo, who have bought over 70 ex-racehorses to go into polo over the years.  Henry said of Dashfa Baileys, "He is the fastest horse in my string, and has a great temperament." 

Crafty Politician ridden by Max Routledge won the second runners-up prize.  Having raced all over the world he quickly took to polo at the age of seven, now 12 years he is playing 12 - 18 goal.  He is also a stallion with his first progeny aged three proving willing and very sensible.  An excellent achievement to excel at both a playing pony and a polo stallion.

Finally a prize of £1,000 was awarded to United Onion (Onion) ridden by Robin Spicer, a former junior RoR winner.   

Results

1st prize of £5,000 - Fille de Dauphin (Marmite) ridden by Mark Tomlinson

Runners-up prizes of £2,000 each - Dashfa Baileys ridden by Henry Brett and Crafty Politician ridden by Max Routledge

3rd prize of £1,000 - United Onion (Onion) ridden by Robin Spicer

RoR and Lycetts Polo Series - Results 2009

RoR and Lycetts will be awarding prizes at the following events in 2009:

MAY
31st May - GERALD BALDING CUP, Cirencester
Polo Pony Prize Winner:  BEEKO - Ollie Taylor

JUNE
6th June - ARTHUR LUCAS CUP, Beaufort 
Polo Pony Prize Winner:  LAPA LA LA - Ollie Cudmore

20th June - INTERNATIONAL, Beaufort 
Polo Pony Prize Winner: MARJELLA - Ruki Baillieu

JULY
16th July - GOLD CUP SEMI-FINAL, Cowdray
Polo Pony winners
FALTA ENVIDO - Adolpho Cambiaso
CUVEE - Nachi De Plessi 
26th July - GUARDS, Cartier International 
Winner: OCHO - Henry Brett

AUGUST
7th to 9th August - PONY CLUB/ JUNIOR HPA CHAMPIONSHIPS, Cowdray 
Best ex-racehorse in Junior HPA:  MAGIC GENIE - Jack Richardson
Best ex-racehorse in Pony Club polo:  ASOFNOW - Hamish Denton

SEPTEMBER
6th September - INTERNATIONAL, Cowdray