Wide spread of buyers at Sydney International Polo Sale.

Buyers came from interstate and overseas to bid at the first International Polo Pony Sale held at the Sydney Polo Country Club at Richmond north west of Sydney and only an hour from the airport.

After withdrawals there were 72 horse of varying ages and levels of experience and of these there was a nearly 60% clearance.

The top price of $25,000 was paid by Queensland player and patron Glen Wright, who mostly plays medium goal polo, said that his purchase, Shadow, was an ideal horse for this level.

Prepared for sale by Dick Doolin for Victorian breeder and player John Patterson, Shadow is purpose bred for polo, being by Sharka, a son of Goldfinger which was bred by Sinclair Hill.

With prices ranging down to $4,000 for green horses that had just been stick and balled and were yet to play, the average came in at just under $10,000 and demonstrated that there is a demand across the board for polo horses.

President of Sydney Polo Country Club, Peter Higgins, who initiated the sale to provide an annual market for producers and trainers of polo horses, said that ³he was pleased with how the sale went- we attracted interest from England, New Zealand and Asia with bidders at the sale from the Phillipines and China.

The club offered a number of its own ponies, prepared by the resident professional, Rob Ballard, and also assisted other vendors in providing sale preparation at the club¹s extensive facilities.

One of the star lots, Dolly, who had won champion pony in a number of tournaments in Queensland this year, was passed in on a bid of $70,000, and negotiations were still taking place after the sale.

For enquiries,
Sarah Ingham 0413 707 522
Ian McDuie 0425 247 658