It's a battle of top ponies at Jamhuri Cup

Philip Arunga (left) and Kimoi Moi of Radio Africa during soldier salute tournament at Nairobi Polo club. Jan 21, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

It will be a battle of top ponies in the Jamhuri Cup Championships, the penultimate event of this year’s calendar of events of Kenya Polo Association at Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil this morning.

Top players are expected to parade their top ponies in one of the most prominent competitions that no polo player would like to miss.

Expected to grace the occasion is ,’The Sunny Champion of the World’, a pony owned by international Kimoi Moi.

The pony was voted as The Most Valuable Pony’ during The Fawcus Cup at the same venue on July 2 and Kimoi is expected to make good use of it again 

Also expected to shine is 17-year-old Honey normally used by the Nzomos.

“It’s ready for the duel and we are optimistic it’ll give those to use it the best results,” said Raphael Nzomo, Hiromi’s father.

Hiromi will partner with her younger brother Amani.

On Friday, Manyatta Polo Club captain Geoff Morley said they had done their best to make the competition a success.

“We’ll play all our matches in the morning for the next three days and hopefully, may the best teams win,” Morley told Standard Sports. 

By having the matches in the morning was a technical approach of them not being rained-off as has been in the past when they are mostly played in the afternoons.

Morley confirmed that riders were ready to give their best in the fight for top honours ahead of next week's Christmas Championships at the same venue.

"The arrival of top players will off course see them come with their top ponies to battle for a good cause," he said briefly as he rushed to prepare the program for the tournament that was being waited painstakingly by riders to see their pairings and in what teams they'll for and with who?

Also expected are top ponies 'Smash' and 'Paradise' owned by Craig Millar and Casimir Gross respectively 

Smash emerged as the Most Valuable Pony' (MVP) during the Eagle Challenge Cup at the same venue in a tournament Craig's team emerged victorious to win the senior cup.

Casimir's Paradise, which was the MVP pony at the Kenya Vs Zambia International match at Nairobi Polo Club on July 23 is as well expected here.