Tobiana

Tobiana was a celebrated Argentine-bred piebald (black & white pinto) gelding, owned and played by the great 10-goaler, Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. In 1926, another legendary 10-goaler, Lewis Lacey, selected Tobiana for Hitchcock, finding him at a race track in Argentina. Lacey bought him, schooled him, and sent him north. The piebald pony had power and extreme speed, and was played by Hitchcock in many national and international matches, becoming one of the best known ponies of the era.

This quote from Polo magazine, in 1927, describes him beautifully:

“The picturesque Tobiana, who looked as if he had been painted by an enthusiastic artist armed with a broad brush, enchanted the onlookers by his appearance and he electrified them with his performance. And it is altogether fitting that the most sensational-looking animal on the grounds should have been ridden by the most sensational player. Where the Argentine piebald fled, the eyes of the multitude followed, and that was not surprising because Mr. Hitchcock’s position at Two, and his type of play, forever keep him in the attack… Tobiana played two chukkers in the first match and two in the second, and when he left the field, his brows figuratively wreathed with laurel, every child sighed, and we all were children.”

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