Santiago Ballester:“ Breeding is not only a question of selling”
What can you tell us about Vasca Harrods? I raised her grand dam and there are several anecdotes relating to the female bloodline of this pony. Both she and her dam, Vasca Confianza, a daughter of Oro Pastilla and Optimum— and Oro Pastilla herself too— are ponies that played Open finals, and all three won at Palermo. Two mounted by Eduardo Heguy and this last by Juan Martín Nero. In fact, Oro Pastilla won the very same prize as Vasca Harrods in’ 99.
What about Oro Pastilla? Oro Pastilla was born in Colón and was brokenin aged a year and eight months and then put up for auction at a sale of newly tamed mares organized by Alberto Heguy at the time, and at which I always presented horses for sale, and used to take two-year old or two-and-a-halfyear old mares. And that year Eduardo and Pepe bought the three that I took … Oro Pastilla; Oro Festuca and Oro Copita. In the case of Oro Pastilla, they had to wait for quite a long time, but she played the opens and I believe her to be one of Eduardo’ s best mares as a breeder. She is a pony that has given him very good offspring. Oro Pastilla is the daughter of a very good thoroughbred playing mare; very small and very powerful; a daughter of Four Fingers that played and later was presented to me as a gift by Federica
Darragón. In short, a thoroughbred selected for her aptitude.
How important do you consider it to be that a High-Goal player should play your horses? I would say that it is essential. That year in which I put these ponies up for sale, I had the possibility to sell them for a better price, but with no chance that the Heguys should play them at that time, and as a breeder, my aspiration was that some Open player should have these ponies. And although they were two years old, there was still a long time to go before they could play. It is essential when you know that you have a good mare, to cooperate with the players so that they are played and shown off. Breeding is not only a question of selling. In order to breed and be acknowledged, you must see to it that your horses play the Open. Young players should be given support. With bloodstock such as mine, I am lucky to have Pepe play my horses.“ Negrito” Zabaleta also plays my horses, and even Pepe’ s twins. I can only hope that I continue having horses so that they may go on playing them for me.
Going back to the prize: it was bestowed together with the Rural Association; it is also a matter of pride for the AACCP, is it not? Yes, of course. To improve the Associations these must increasingly strive to join forces with each
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