Polo's gene-edited horse clones: The sport's GOAT bet on biotech two decades ago is paying off
Feb 23, 2026
Key Points
- Adolfo Cambassio, polo's dominant player for two decades, invested in cloning polo ponies nearly twenty years ago through Kyrion, a biotech firm now reshaping the sport with genetic replicas and engineered performance enhancements.
- Kyrion has moved beyond cloning to gene-editing polo mares, creating enhanced versions of legendary ponies like Polo Puerza to give players competitive advantages in a sport where margins are thin.
- As cloned and edited ponies proliferate, polo risks stratifying between wealthy players who can afford genetically optimized stock and those riding traditional bloodlines.
Summary
Adolfo Cambassio, polo's greatest player for more than two decades, invested in cloning polo ponies nearly twenty years ago. That early move is now reshaping the sport. At this year's Argentine Open, polo's most prestigious tournament and possibly Cambassio's last, many of the ponies he rides will be genetic clones, identical twins of his favorite horses from years past.
Kyrion, a biotechnology company cofounded by Gabriel Vachera and based in Pilar 35 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, runs the cloning operation. The company banks DNA samples in liquid nitrogen and has created genetic replicas of famous polo ponies. It has now moved beyond simple cloning to gene-editing polo ponies for enhanced speed, engineering advantages into their biology to give players an edge in a game where margins are slim.
Polo Puerza, a mare born in 1988, became one of the great polo ponies of her generation. She played at the top level for fourteen years, won the cup for best pony at the Open, and was inducted into the Polo Pony Hall of Fame. Before her death, her DNA was banked at Kyrion. The company has now created gene-edited clones of her, five bright bay foals engineered for enhanced performance.
Polo has historically favored mares, with players citing their intelligence and grit. The sport remains male-dominated at the player and official level, but the ponies driving the game are female. That dynamic is unlikely to change with cloning and gene-editing. If anything, it deepens the reliance on mare genetics as a competitive asset.
Cambassio's early bet has given him a structural advantage as cloned and edited ponies proliferate. The sport may stratify between players who can afford genetically optimized stock and those riding traditional bloodlines. Gene-edited polo ponies could split the sport into an enhanced tier and a conventional one.