Alice Gipps

 

alice gipps image polo

 

Alice Gipps

 

Alice studied at Oxford Brookes and has an Equine Science Hons Degree and is well known for her polo photography and she is also a qualified Equine Sports Massage Therapist – www.alicegippsgallery.com

 

Having ridden since the age of 3yrs Alice has plenty of ability on the field with over 15 years of polo experience, she holds a 0 goal handicap in mixed polo and a 4 goal women's rating with a number of impressive wins at major tournaments under her belt. These include winning prestigious women's tournaments both in the UK and abroad such as the British Ladies Open twice, producing top quality polo ponies and being presented on several occasions the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. 

A member of Westcroft Park Polo Club, Alice will also be competing at Guards, Cirencester, Knepp Castle, Royal Count of Berkshire, Cowdray and Black Bears as well as local polo clubs this season.

She was invited for four seasons to La Pampa in Argentina by the polo legend Eduardo Heguy and his family. There she gained valuable knowledge from playing practices mounted on phenomenal ponies, many that played the Argentine Open, while practicing with some of the best players in the world.

​

Alice Studied Equine Science at University and in 2019 she became a certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist by completing an Equissage course in California.

​ Alice mostly plays for patrons in both mixed and women's polo, she has been the core team member organizing competitive teams for sponsors since 2007.

​Alice has long been an advocate for a wider recognition of women in polo for many years and has excelled when given the chance to create teams for sponsors in the women's polo with successful wins first time out for the likes of Cadenza, Crabbie's, Vardags and E-Motion in ladies polo has given these teams great exposure within the sport.

​

With a lifetime of horse knowledge, a BSc Hons degree in Equine Science and Thoroughbred management and an endless passion to know more, it is no surprise that any spare time currently involves furthering her young horse training skills. Alice has interviewed and produced many articles for polo publications including several of her horse training idols such as the American, Monty Roberts and Australian, Warwick Schiller. https://www.alicegippsgallery.com/about-alice-2/press.html

 

​Alice currently has a string of 6 talented polo ponies. Previously her string included several ex-high goal ponies including legends, Vasco Piskui and Vasco Anegro bred by Eduardo Heguy. Both previously played at the very top level with Eduardo in Argentina at the Open and then were flown to the USA for the US Open before ending up in the UK for the British high goal. The playing string now are all homebreds she has trained herself.

Her proudest moment so far has been for the worlds No. 1 player, Adolfo Cambiaso, to try and like her eldest homebred Phoenix.

​

Ponies:

Phoenix: Foaled 2009, 15.3hh liver chestnut gelding, homebred (Paola & Rector)

The first of seven homebreds. Phoenix is out of Pip x Rector, His sire, Rector, played high goal and was brought to the UK by one of the most famous Chilean high goal players, Gabriel Donoso. His dam, Pip, was played by a British 6 goaler.

​Phoenix was the first polo pony Alice bred and trained herself. He is one of the top in her string and although he's tall, he's very agile, handy, well balanced and fast. 

​The proudest moment to date is Adolfo Cambiaso, the worlds no.1 player, trailing Phoenix for 10 days with a view to buy and play the high goal. Commenting he was ‘impeccable but just too big’!!

 

Havana: Foaled 2010, 15.2hh chestnut mare, homebred (Nicotina & Rector)

Havana is Alice's second home-bred out of a small Thoroughbred mare Alice brought over from the USA to play called Nicotina. Havana's sire was the Chilean stallion Rector, the same as Phoenix.

​Havana is very similar to her dam. Fast, handy and very pretty. 

 

Riva: Foaled 2011, 15.2hh bay mare, homebred (Nicotina & Dance Night)

Riva was late to mature but now she's filled out and has worked her way up to be as good as the others and part of the main string. 

​She is also out of Nicotina and her sire was an Irish thoroughbred called Dance Night owned by the Clarkins. Dance Night was out of Danehill Dancer and these famous bloodlines go back 5 generations to Northern Dancer. 

​Her name 'Riva Dancer' came from both the famous sires on either side of her bloodlines. Riva Ridge from Nicotina and Northern Dancer from Dance Night.

 

Sienna: Foaled 2012, 14.3hh chestnut mare, homebred (Ketty & Vasco Chamuyo)

Sienna is amazing. She may be small but she's got a huge personality, sometimes acts a little spoilt as she knows she's a star. Her and Phoenix compete for top spot!

​She has excellent polo breeding bloodlines. Her dam is Ketty, A mare that played the 40 goal in Argentina with Nachi Heguy before coming to England to play the British high goal.

Her sire is a famous little stallion called Vasco Chamuyo (Bailanta & Polo Nevadito). Polo Nevadito, owned by the Heguys, has produced 100+ offspring that have competed at the highest level in the Argentine Open.

Her sire Chamuyo also played the Argentine Open, competing with Eduardo Heguy and all the British high goal.

 With these bloodlines it was her destiny is to do great things and she loves cuddles as well!

 

Red: Foaled 2013, 15.1hh chestnut gelding (Nicotina & Stuart)

Red is the rebel who competes with Phoenix as the yard clown. Always causing trouble in the group wanting to be centre of attention.

He is out of Nicotina and his sire was Stuart, a stallion bred by Alan Kent that has played the high goal. 

​He’s quirky, can be opinionated about which humans he likes and very intelligent. He’s a solid part of the string.

 

 

Zuma: Foaled 2016, 14.3hh chestnut mare, homebred (Ketty & Chapaleufu Mediterraneo)

Zuma is a little person who thinks she knows it all. She wants to be involved with EVERYTHING.

​She is also out of Ketty who Alice played for several seasons before retiring her to breeding and the sire was another stallion from the Heguy bloodlines that played the British high goal, Chapaleufu Mediterraneo. Zuma was one of the easiest and quietest to start and she’s small, compact and great at her job.

 

 A few of Alice's polo achievements so far:

  • Winner of the 2006 Arena Ladies Nationals and MVP (Most Valuable Player) award 
  • Winner of the 2007 British Ladies Open, Cowdray Park for Cadenza.
  • Winner of the 2007 Don Manuel International Ladies, Argentina 
  • Winner of the 2007 Miriam Heguy Ladies, Argentina 
  • Winner of the 2007 San Diego Ladies, Argentina 
  • Winner of the 2008 Ascot park Ladies Invited to play the 2009 Ladies Heritage cup at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy 
  • Winner of the 2009 Jaeger LeCoultre Charity ladies exhibition at Ham Polo club invited by the Marchioness of Milford Haven 
  • Winner of the 2010 British Ladies Open, Cowdray Park for Audi and awarded the MVP award 
  • Winner of the 2010 Coworth Park Ladies International for Crabbie's.
  • Winner of the 2013 Sub Final at Cirencester Park Polo Club. 
  • Winner of the 2015 Royal County of Berkshire Ladies Polo Festival for Vardags. 
  • Winner of the 2016 Thailand International Ladies, Polo Escape. 
  • Winner of the 2016 Ranelagh Ladies and awarded the MVP
  • Winner of the 2017 Royal County of Berkshire Ladies Polo Festival for Emotion
  • 2018 - broken ribs!
  • Winner of the 2019 Fifield Ladies for Ona
  • Winner of the 2019 Guards Ladies Subsidiary Trophy for Iona House Gallery
  • Finalists of the 2020 RCBPC Ladies Festival with Inspire4Design