2004 Olympic Games - Eventing

What's in a Horse's Name

Poggio II (Amy Tryon, USA)

Tryon, a fire-fighter from Washington State, found the horse that was to become her Olympic mount from a classified ad in her local newspaper, the Seattle Times. She and a friend bought him for just 2500 dollars. Then aged five, he was being used as a pack-horse in the mountains. Prior to that he had been on the track and even won a race. His official name was "Chester's Time to Fly", his track nickname was Pogo, as in pogo stick. Bouncy from the start, he proved his jumping ability by jumping in and out of his field for fun, which he still does.

After a double clear round in her first Olympic Games Amy commented: " He has never been easy, but I never lost faith in him. It has been a long haul, as I have had to adapt my style of riding to how he wants to be ridden. But I trust him 110 per cent." Bouncy, individual and with his own style, Poggio was named after the bottle of Italian wine Amy and her friend were drinking while discussing his future.

Photo by Diana DeRosa