Young Horseman Timmy Dutta  Knows Polo Is His Passion

Young American polo player Timmy Dutta found his passion for polo early in life. Born and raised in Wellington, Dutta has always been around horses, and started his equestrian career at the age of five with a little black pony named Stripey.

At age 12, after a few years in the show jumping world, Dutta picked up a mallet for the first time, and immediately knew polo would be his future.

“One day I had the opportunity to stick-and-ball with my father. From that day on, I was hooked,” Dutta said. “Playing polo is an addiction. I want to play every day. It’s my love, it’s my passion, it’s my life.”

Dutta’s father, Tim Dutta, also a polo player, is the founder of the Dutta Corporation, a world-class international equine transportation company, and his mother is an international Grand Prix dressage rider.

With parents so immersed in the equestrian world, it is no wonder that the young Dutta is excelling on the polo field. At just 16 years old, he is one of the youngest players on the field in the high-goal tournaments in Wellington.

During the 2018 season in Wellington, Dutta has been playing with the Pilot team in the 20-goal tournaments at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, alongside Curtis Pilot and Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres, who are widely recognized as some of the best players in the world.

“It’s a great pleasure to play with these guys,” Dutta said. “They are amazing players; they’re the top in the world. It’s a learning experience for me. As a young player coming up in the sport, playing with the top players is something we all dream about.”

He is also playing on his father’s team, Dutta Corp, in the Grand Champions 20-goal events.

Dutta has learned from his parents’ example that success in riding starts in the barn. He has 14 horses in work and is very involved in the daily operations — riding five to 10 singles a day during the season and paying close attention to his horses’ nutrition and exercise regime.

“Every horse is different — some need more, some need less,” Dutta explained when asked about his nutrition program. “We have a base Triple Crown feed that we use, and then we add in supplements. Sometimes the base feed will change depending on their needs.”

Dutta’s inherited commitment to horsemanship and horse care has drawn him attention and support at a very young age. He is sponsored by the leading supplement company, Vita Flex, as well as Triple Crown Nutrition. Both companies admire the young player’s passion not only for the sport, but the horses themselves.

Being a young American player is not easy in a sport that has historically been dominated by Argentina.

“As a young American player, there are a lot of challenges,” Dutta said. “We have great polo here in America, but down in Argentina, you get to play every day. I’m lucky that my dad supports me and allows me to go down there to play.”

Dutta is quick to recognize how vital his father’s support has been to his polo career. “My father has taught me a lot. I respect and admire him, especially his work ethic. He has really taught me to manage my horses,” Dutta said. “He has put me in a place where he has bought me the best horses, and he has been helping me from the start and training me. I couldn’t do it without him.”

Dutta also credits his coach and mentor Piki Diaz Alberdi, and said that he has tried to model himself after both Alberdi and his father. Some of the horses that he is playing in the high goal have come from Alberdi, as well as legendary player and horseman Memo Gracida and Carlitos Gracida. A true horse family, the Duttas know that good horses make the polo player, and they have mounted Dutta as well as possible.

Although a career in polo is Dutta’s main focus, he does intend to pursue a college degree in international business and psychology. However, most likely it will be online so that he can continue to ride and play at the same level.

The future looks bright for this upcoming American player, but the ever-humble Dutta is quick to turn the attention back to his father’s support.

“I wouldn’t be here without my father,” he said. “He’s been here for me and taught me everything.”