Chips Royal

Chips Royal was the winner of the 1973 Hartman Award in the U.S. Open. Chips was owned by Robert D. “Bob” Beveridge, a 7-goal amateur who was playing for Oak Brook in the final. Beveridge said, “Chips was the only green one I ever had who just knew everything. She was a complete natural. She was handy and smooth and fast and acted like she just LOVED to play. She had a wonderful temperament, too.”

Not many horses played by nonprofessionals have been honored as Best Playing Pony in the U.S. Open. Cecil Smith was judging BBP at the Open in 1973, and his son Charles was also playing on the Oak Brook team. One of Charles’ horses was poised to win the award until Cecil saw the last run Chips Royal made for Bob Beveridge. Cecil said, “I just had to give it to her.”

Bob Beveridge with Chips Royal

What set Chips Royal apart was that she could read a horse coming to her, make her calculations, and move a horse, even one half again as big as she was, out of the way with pure smarts. It was said she could outrun everything and keep on doing it. Warren Gourley, who worked for Beveridge, said, “I remember her running belly down and then sticking her tail in the ground and just waiting—with her front feet patting the ground—for the next signal.” And he adds, “Chips was such a lady.”

Watercolor portrait of Chips Royal (Top Photo) by artist, Melinda Brewer; www.poloart.ca