Serious horsepower, going head to head

A good polo pony has, by comparison and (at the risk of stating the obvious) about one horsepo-

wer, which equates to three-quarters of a kW. They’re worlds apart.

Or are they?

The Range Rover Sport and the polo pony have this in common: exceptional agility and manoeuvrability – and an outstanding ability to put power down on loose surfaces and maintain traction in the most difficult conditions.

They also do so with unmatched flair, grace and style.

At the Land Rover Africa Cup polo tournament, which takes place at the Inanda Club, Sandton, from July 18 to 20, the two will go head to head in a rare, one-off, race.

As well as equine intuition and years of training, today’s polo pony harnesses a number of technology features – four, in fact. The modern horseshoe is a sophisticated piece of equipment and at a gallop the force exerted by a horse’s hoof is in the order of 1 000 kilograms per square centimetre.

The tyres play a critical role in a Range Rover Sport’s performance. So too does a polo pony’s footwear influence its dynamic behaviour and long-term health.

Which kind of horsepower would you put your money on? Find out at Inanda next weekend. – Own correspondent