One of the highest value horse sports with the some of the most valuable ponies and horse tack, breeders of polo ponies are under a lot of pressure to provide the highest quality horses to compete in this fiercely competitive game.

Califa, the 2009 US and Argentine Open team pony played by Mariano Aguerre, has become the first polo pony in the world to be cloned, with his three "doubles" due in April.

Although certainly not a common practice, it is not the first time that top performing horses have been cloned with top show jumpers Gem Twist and ET being cloned in 2008 and 2006. However, cloning has proved controversial in some circles with British show jumping officials suggesting a ban on clones competing.

The chairman of the Hurlingham Polo Association Pony Welfare Committee, David Morley, however, said he wasn't against the idea: "You can't stop progress, you just have to monitor the situation and make sure it is not detrimental to the horses or the sport."

A spokesperson from the US cloning company behind the copying of Califa, Viagen, said that he could be the first of many polo ponies to be cloned.

"The top-playing ponies have a high value and are often geldings."

According to the cloning company, the polo industry is interested to see how much effect environment and training have on genetically identical horses.

England player Henry Brett said of the cloning, "I can't believe a cloned pony will be an exact replica because who knows what their temperament will be like."

At £105,260, the process certainly does not come cheap but at least some savings may be able to be made from the sharing of horse tack as, being identical, the same saddles could be swapped between the clones.

[Image genewolf via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]