Anuario Raza Polo Argentino Anuario2017 | Page 239

First Great Influence of the AACCP: the Palermo
Exhibition.
In the central arena of the Palermo Rural Exhibition
I was able to observe how over 70 Polo Argentino
horses (mares and stallions) were put through their
paces; their type was very similar (short; well aligned;
correct head insertion), sensitive; very correct in their
movements… and I thought two things:
1. How far my bloodstock was from what I was
seeing, and
2. How would it be possible for me to breed that type
of horse.
I started asking around as to who could help me and
every road lead to Alberto P. Heguy… I introduced
myself and told him what I was doing as a breeder
(may I add that this was not—nor is—what I do for
a living), and said I needed to buy a stallion from his
blood-stock so as to improve mine, and he said:
“My horses have no price, they have a soul… come to
see me in the Spring at Intendente Alvear, La Pampa,
at my farm Anay Ruca. Bring a newly-tamed filly in
your trailer and I’ll exchange it for a young stallion.”
Second great influence of the AACCP: one of its
founders, APH, was giving me the opportunity
of having genetics that his family had gathered
together for over 50 years… the cradle of world
polo, a place where the best polo ponies were
being bred and which had mounted nine 10-goal
players from his family.
And that’s how it was: I turned up with my filly and my
friend Luis Padilla, (another breeder from up North),
and after traveling 20 hours in a trailer, AP asked Nito
Uranga who was at Anay, to mount her, and after
watching her performance he said:
“That’s it; we’ll exchange. I like your mare. Tomorrow
you may choose from two 2-year-old young stallions
that I set apart for you (whose dams had played the
Open), and now let’s go and have a whisky so that you