Polo pony versus Audi car

By Justine Thompson

Event diary

07 July 2009 15:52

A top-league polo pony will be pitched against an Audi car at the British Beach Polo Championships this Friday and Saturday.

The charity race will take place at Sandbanks, Poole, at 5pm each night to raise funds for a Motor Neurone Disease charity, the Heaton-Ellis Trust.

Racing driver Andy Toy will pitch a Poole Audi Q7 4.2 litre TDI, with the equivalent of 320 horsepower, against an Argentinean breed of polo pony ridden by a professional player.

Anyone who buys a ticket will be able to pick pony or car as the fastest around the arena circuit for the chance to win a prize.

“The Charity Horse Power Race is extremely exciting and adds an entertaining element to the event, while at the same time raising money for a worthwhile charity,” said David Kelly, MD of Poole Audi.

“The exceptional power of a V8 4.2 litre engine may just give us the edge against the pony. After all, 320 horses should beat one pony power. We’re looking forward to an exciting race.”

All ticket sale proceeds from the race will go to the charity set up by David Heaton-Ellis, who mastermined the beach polo along with Johnny Wheeler, but died from Motor Neurone Disease in May. His hope that a cure could be found lives on through his trust.

For more information and tickets visit www.sandpolo.com.