68 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Maria Wynne
Sidelines Writer from across the Pond
Polly Stockton is a prominent British Rider and a member of
the British World Class Performance squad. She has represented
her country at Young Rider and at the Senior level. Polly has
competed at Rolex many times and has even come close to
claiming it as her own.
Earlier in her career Polly was chosen to take over the rides of
Mary Rose Cooney’s Eye Spy II and Word For Word when Mark
Todd retired to Australia and Oscar the former ride of Chris Bartle,
all of whom helped her establish herself as a force to be reckoned
with at 4* level. She came tantalizingly close to winning Kentucky
CCI**** in 2003 with her own Tangleman but was pipped to the
post by Pippa Funnell en route to her historic Rolex Grand Slam.
Your family is inherently horsey. Please tell us about your
parents Lady Sue and Sir Jonathan and siblings Tessa and
Simon.
My mother was not from a horsey background but she was
completely pony mad and worked all hours for lessons and then
worked with horses. Dad however was from a completely crazy
northern Irish family who would hack 20 miles to the Meet, hunt all
day and then get Dad and his sisters to hack all the horses home
while they had a drink in the pub. They would get back in the dark,
but it didn’t put him off!
He Point-to-Pointed (this is the equivalent of steeplechasing
in the USA), raced on the Flat and only took up eventing when
Mum broke her leg. Annoyingly he won his frst event so he got
‘The Bug.’ He competed at both Badminton and Burghley. My
sister Tessa competed in the Junior European Three Day Event
Championships and then went on to Point-to-Point. She is now
married to racehorse trainer Warren Greatrex who trains in the
racing mecca of Lambourn.
My brother Simon was always totally pampered by both his
sisters so that he would join in the fun. He never cleaned tack or
mucked out but he can ride more than adequately!
Your frst notable horse was Poggio who was something of a
character and partnered you to CCI**** level. Where did you
fnd him and what is his story?
Poggio was an interesting horse who arrived to be hunted by
my father because he was completely out of control, nappy and
vicious. He hunted well by the end of the season and since my
Junior horse had sustained a tendon injury the very kind owners
of this dinosaur asked if I would I like to event him. Luckily I said
yes but in hindsight I was really only trying to be polite. Poggio
went from Novice to Advanced in just a year and was reserve
for the Young Rider team as a seven year old. He then made it
onto the team as an eight year old. He took me round Badminton
and Burghley, however not before getting eliminated at both on
our frst visits! Once for jumping out of the dressage arena and
the other for missing a fence in show jumping. Whoops! Not the
greatest start to my eventing career.
Your husband Chris is Field Master of the Cheshire. He is
quite renowned for his skills
Chris, who I met through Point-to-Pointing and knew through
the good old Pony Club days, is one of those really annoying
e
European Connection
Polly Stockton competing at Badminton.
All photos by Maria Wynne