The polo community bids farewell to an extraordinary mare, Dolfina Cuartetera B09, a clone of Adolfo Cambiaso’s legendary Dolfina Cuartetera. Dolfina Cuartetera B09 died on Friday October 16, at the Tortugas Open, while playing in Pilar what would be her last match, La Natividad La Dolfina vs. La Zeta Kazak. At the moment of her passing, she was mounted by Bartolomé Castagnola Jr., who had hire the mare to his string, loaned by Cambiaso.

Cuartetera B09 built a remarkable career, and became one of the most recognizable and decorated polo horses worldwide. She was presented with the highest award, the Lady Susan Townley, three times – 2017, 1028 and 2020 – as BPP of the Argentine Open. She took BPP honors at the US Open, as well.

Her story was closely bonded to Cambiaso’s most ambitious project – to preserve Cuartetera’s genetics through cloning. The original mare, considered by Cambiaso the best of his career, left an indelible mark in La Dolfina, that includes seven championships at the Argentine Open. Her clones continued the legacy and demonstrated they were up to the task, by becoming one the most renowned horses of the international calendar.

In 2017, when B09 was presented with the Lady Susan Townley BPP award for the first time, Cambiaso celebrated the recognition with a phrase that summed up his beliefs – “So, it seemed I wasn’t that crazy, was I?”. The award not only represented and individual achievement, but also the reinforcement of a project that transformed the breeding of polo horses.

Cambiaso himself spoke again of B09, a year later, when he was asked whether it was the best of all of the Cuartetera’s clones, he replied between laughs – “I like clone 06!”; but, although he remarked that “all of them are great mares”, he also highlighted the importance of B09 in one of the finals at Palermo – “The 09 helped me a great deal when we bounced back. We went from 3-6 to 6-6. I scored all three goals while riding her, and that’s what made her decisive”.

Cuartetera 09’s passing closes a chapter of a history that changed polo forever. She inherited phenomenal genetics, she was presented with the most significant awards and left her mark in the most important polo fields around the world. She was wise enough to build her own identity. Her name will be forever linked to one of Cambiaso’s most remarkable experiences; an unforgettable moment that marked the development of a polo horse.