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ponies in England after the tournaments
to pay back their costs.
After the disaster with the APC, they
decided to prepare in secret. They planned
the journey with the welfare of the horses as
paramount, choosing and customising a boat
using coir matting and sand on deck. It was
not until they were two weeks from leaving
that they told the polo world. The APC was
furious, but there was little it could do.
Eventually, they were permitted to use the
name ‘Goulburn Team from Australia’.
It was the longest individual trip ever
taken by sporting horses. The challenges the
men faced included shipping 25 ponies and
keeping them all fit enough to compete in
24-goal polo, while having little practical
