THE popularity of thoroughbreds within polo is making an impact globally with awards for ‘Best Playing Thoroughbred’ in Australia, to the thoroughbred Mongrey Puzzle playing at the highest level at the Polo World Cup. The thoroughbred encompasses all the qualities required for this fast moving game - agility, speed and they are quick learners.

In Ireland, polo has become a popular second career option for thoroughbreds and Treo Eile is very pleased to reward a low-goal and a high-goal thoroughbred that is deemed by the appointed team of judges to be the ‘Best Playing Thoroughbred’ at four selected tournaments during the season. Treo Eile also wants to reward the retainer associated with the chosen thoroughbreds, having sourced and retrained the horses for their second career.

Siobhan English’s photo (right) captures a wonderful selection of raced and unraced thoroughbreds, playing recently at the Bishopsland Polo Club: - Marge Gunderson (H Valentine), 2015 f Mastercraftsman – ran seven times (Edward Lynam); Unnamed (T Berney), 2013 f Yeats; Mind Your Step (C Brophy), 2015 f Milan - ran seven times (Ms Margaret Mullins); Rhythm And Tempo (A Aito Tagle) 2009 s Invincible Spirit - unraced; Eunoia (A Kent) , 2016 f Poet’s Voice - ran six times (T F Shaw) and Global Voice (T Tagle), 2019 f Vocalised - unraced.

Tournament dates:

May 27th-28th Bishopsland Polo Club

July 17th-18th Waterford Polo Club

July 29th-30th Bunclody Polo Club

August 26th-27th All Ireland Polo Club

All entries must have a Weatherbys or equivalent racing authority passport. The passport must be available for checking at each tournament. Horses must be referred to using the name as per the Weatherbys or equivalent recognised foreign racing authority passport.

Horses competing for the Treo Eile Polo Sponsorship, should be registered with Treo Eile (FREE on www.treoeile.com/register). When registering the horses, noting the ‘polo’ option in disciplines, will allow Treo Eile to raise the profile of polo as a second career opportunity for thoroughbreds. The number of horses registered with Treo Eile, assists Treo Eile in sourcing funding to re-distribute as sponsorship/training rewards under the ‘Support’ pillar of the Treo Eile Mission.