Polo: Legendary drummer's son wants to rock in Hawke's Bay

Cody Jones playing for Hawke's Bay A against Morningstar in the Dewar Cup polo tournament at Elwood Park, Hastings yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown

FOR many children of celebrities the going can get pretty tough.

There's the constant comparisons between them and their more famous parents and often there are the expectations they put on themselves to at least match the pursuits of their mum or dad. But for Hawke's Bay polo player Cody Jones, the son of Kenney Jones, there are none of the above.

Kenney Jones? Yes the former drummer for Small Faces, Faces, Rod Stewart and The Who.

"It's pretty cool being his son. He introduced me to polo 10 years ago," Jones, 23, said after Hawke's Bay A's 7-3 loss to Morningstar in their opening match in the Dewar Cup section of the Hawke's Bay Open at Elwood Park, Hastings yesterday.

He was referring to the fact his father, who is now 69, is the owner of the Hurtwood Polo Club in Ewhurst, Surrey.

"We used to play together a lot when I was younger and dad had a game last year," Jones said.

His father replaced Keith Moon as the drummer for The Who in 1978 and he remained with the band until 1988. He was reunited with The Who in 2014 at the Rock n Horsepower benefit concert held at his polo club. The event was set up to benefit Prostate Cancer UK, an organisation which promoted awareness of the disease Jones snr was diagnosed with in 2013 but has since overcome.

While Jones is on his fifth visit to Hawke's Bay to play polo his father has never been to the Bay. He had one music-related trip to Auckland during his drumming career.

Jones is one of his father's six children and one of four to former Canadian model Jayne Andrew.

"Mum doesn't play polo but likes to watch," Jones said.

And has Jones ever had a crack at the drums?

"Yes I had a go but I was bad. I prefer the beat of the horses hooves on the polo field. But in saying that I love to listen to dad's music ... it's real music."

Jones, who played for Wanstead during his first visit to the Bay, was honest about Hawke's Bay A's poor display yesterday.

"We were crap. Nothing went to plan. But in saying that I think we were a bit hard done by by the umpires," three handicapper Jones said pointing to Hawke's Bay B player Nick Coddington and Kihi Kihi's Barrett Watson.

Jones has never tasted Dewar Cup glory and because of the size of yesterday's deficit there is no way Hawke's Bay A can make tomorrow's final. He will be back for another crack with Hawke's Bay next year.

Morningstar dominated all aspects of play yesterday. Five-handicapper Angus McKelvie scored five goals for Morningstar, including a late penalty. His brother scored two goals.
The McKelvies played for Rangitikei A who last year won the Dewar Cup for a third consecutive year.

Should Morningstar beat Hawke's Bay B today they will secure a berth in tomorrow's final and there's a good chance the McKelvie brothers will be posing for celebration photos with the cup yet again.

Jones, Jared Thompson and Palam Battumur scored Hawke's Bay A's goals yesterday. They take on Wanstead A today and will have to improve their finishing and display more urgency on defence if they are going to stop former New Zealand rep Lachie Hunter, Lucas Simcox, Wirihana Kururangi and Ben Reisma from adding more misery to the hosts' campaign.

Other Dewar Cup section matches yesterday saw Kihi Kihi beat Hawke's Bay B 5-3 and a combined Rangitikei- Hawke's Bay team beat Wanstead A 5-2.

Three Coddingtons, Dan, Jonny and Nick have been joined by England's Annmarie Cavanagh in the Hawke's Bay B team.

Hawke's Bay C opened their McKenzie Cup section campaign in emphatic fashion with an 8-0 drubbing of Morningstar. Bill Glazebrook, who played for the Dewar Cup-winning Rangitikei A team last year, is joined by the father-and-son pair of George and Monty Wood and Pete Hyslop in the Hawke's Bay C team.

Other McKenzie Cup matches saw Rangitikei A beat Poverty Bay Harvest Transport 5-2 and Rangitikei B beat Poverty Bay Kirkpatrick Feeds 6-5. Play in the four-team Nelson Cup Minus section begins today.

Hawke's Bay Mole Maps will take on Birchleigh AHD and Wanstead B will play Birchleigh Eastern Trucks. Members of these four teams are:

Wanstead B: Alex James, Julia Coddington, Edwina Simcox, Simon McDonald.
Birchleigh Eastern Trucks: Dave Corson, Clint Roebuck, John Harte, Neil Lawrence.
Hawke's Bay Mole Maps: Victoria Muir, Kylie Ebbett, Jonty Apatu, Lucy Taylor.
Birchleigh AHD: Peter McIntyre, Fred Coates, Dale Ching, Izzy Kelsey.