Cat A Joy

Cat A Joy was one of the Oxley Stable’s finest, a bay mare bred and played by John T. Oxley and trained by Joe Casey. She was played by Gonzalo Pieres in the 1980 Gold Cup finals and was awarded Best Playing Pony in the last game, an award she had received many times previously. Both Oxley and Pieres said she was the finest horse they ever played.

In her day, she could outrun anything on the field. According to John Oxley, “She had speed, and handled with a mouth as light as a feather.” Pieres was the only other player Oxley would allow to play the mare. After the 1980 Gold Cup final, former 9-goaler Daniel Gonzalez said he had never seen a performance like hers from any other horse. Cat A Joy played seven seasons in the Sunshine League and in many USPA national tournaments.

Her numerous best playing pony awards included: Best Playing Pony award in the National Intercircuit tournament in 1976; Best Playing Pony award in the USPA America Cup tournament in 1978 and 1979; Best Playing Pony Award in the USPA Gold Cup tournament in 1980. At the time of Cat A Joy’s induction into Horses to Remember, John Clark said, “She was the best and deserves to be with the best.”

Cat A Joy at Royal Palm Polo Club

Watercolor portrait of Cat A Joy (Top Photo) by artist, Melinda Brewer; www.poloart.ca