La Low Goal
March issue
by low goal for low goal
Contents Page 5
Ex - Racehorse Feet - Yogi Sharp of The Equine Documentalist talks ex-racehorse feet
Page 13
Chukka Wellness -The importance of pre season training for polo players
Page 17
Jennifer Little -Feeding for returning ponies to work for a successful season
Page 21
Amy Sallabank - Bawtry Polo Club founder talks about her polo experiences
Page 29
Polo Drills - A selection of Drills from Riverlands Polo to get you back into shape
Page 28
Ignacio Fernandez Llorente - The Lucky Loser tournament layout
Page 34
Club News -Match reports from all o0ver the U.K.
2
Day 513 of the storms.
Loose garden furniture roams the countryside freely and rivers swell up and engulf entire settlements. Villages have taken to regular human sacrifices to please the angry weather gods and equestrians fall into a depressed state at the mere thought of leaving the house to muck out. At times like these one always has that one over-riding thought; “why the bloody hell am I doing this”.
But despite the horrendous weather we must remember that summer is just a matter of weeks away. Perhaps there is nothing better to take your mind of the appalling weather than a spot of planning ahead for warmer times.
In this spirit, this issue is jammed full of useful tips and tricks for getting up to speed for the start of the season. Jennifer Little is back, looking at feeding when returning the horses to work, India at Chukka Wellness looks into the importance of pre season training and we’ve got some great drills to practice from Riverlands Polo to make sure you’re on your A game from the very first chukka.
Enjoy the issue
Connor Kay
(editor)
1
Yogi Sharp DipWCF DipHE is a higher qualified farrier with extensive experience in ex-racehorse and Polo shoeing, with 6 years of high/medium and low goal polo under his belt helping to keep the top level horses at their best.
Ex-Racehorse Fee
An open backhand
etBy The Equine Documentalist
Why do so many exracehorses have bad feet? This very interesting question which was asked to me recently and the answer is complex. There is no denying that farriery plays a huge role in the answer to this question, but it goes well beyond simply good or bad shoeing, there are many factors, macro and micro conformation, shoeing cycles, work load, type of work and management to name a few. Aside from the fact that racing is tough on the musculoskeletal system and past injuries are almost inevitable in an ex racehorse, what factors cause specifically weak feet? Firstly, lets establish the normal life, farriery wise, for a racehorse in a professional yard and look at some studies that have quantified the effects on the thoroughbreds hoof and musculoskeletal system. They are broken in at around 18 months old and already would have been shod, they are then shod on average once every 4 weeks and often more, they are, in general, very well managed, with clean stables that they spend the majority of their time in when not working. They wear light shoes with small nails and spend most of their time cantering or galloping the same way round a track on surfaces specifically for racing. Studies into the effect of this life on the horse and its hoof have been extensive, effects of the training on musculoskeletal development higher up have been examined, Watson et al (2003) showed 76% of thoroughbred racehorses to have a larger right third metacarpal perhaps due to the continued work around the track in one direction, hinting at asymmetries effecting coordination and balance and Pearce et al (2005) questioned whether common femoral asymmetries were congenital or acquired through workload, these skeletal asymmetries could perhaps point at why many thoroughbreds have high-low hoof conformation. (https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/high-low-hoof-conformationfarriery-and-whole-horse-relevance) Peel et al (2010) expressed a reduction in hoof angle as a result of gallop training, this is significant in understanding why “flat” feet are ubiquitous in the ex-race horse population, Labuschagne et al (2017) added to the power of this statement by indicating “flat feet” are a “typical presentation of thoroughbred feet” also complimenting the theory of asymmetrical pairs of hooves being caused by one directional training.
This image shows a comparison between a common thoroughbred hoof and a cob hoof. The thoroughbred inherently has a much steeper angle and in this case is broken back, proportions were restored with a duo ellipse graduated shoe. The cob foot is much more upright and is stronger all round.
The effects of race training go well beyond the hoof and effects the entire musculoskeletal system, we know that the hoof morphs according to the forces acting upon it, so all these effects of training will have influence on hoof morphology to varying degrees. We must of course remember that thoroughbreds are bred for speed, and what lends itself to speed often doesn’t lend itself to durability, the micro conformation of the thoroughbred perhaps favours acceleration and maintained speed but smaller feet, thinner walls, less digital cushion and thinner lateral cartilages will inevitably fail sooner than more heavy weight structures. Read my article on conformation for further info. (https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/farriery-related-conformation-macro-micro-dynamic) Brown (2017) discussed this subject and eluded to the short shoeing cycle of race horses plus their management exacerbating the deterioration of the hooves, the author, while not disagreeing with this, would offer the thought that the shoeing cycle actually helps to mitigate and go some way to controlling the effects of the thoroughbreds hoof conformation and training. We know from studies that hoof growth effects the forces acting on the hoof and its internal structures (Van heel et al 2004,2005, moleman et al 2006) creating the potential for negative hoof morphology from the moment the foot is placed on the ground after shoeing, so more regular shoeing may help stop this factor playing a role in hoof deterioration by keeping the biomechanics more optimal.
This picture expresses how a low angled hoof will gain a greater proportional amount of base length for every unit of height removed from the heel, conversely this shows how the low angled feet of thoroughbreds will grow out of balance comparatively quicker in the dorso-palmer plane than a more upright foot for the same amount of hoof growth. This highlights the importance of much shorter shoeing cycles with thoroughbred feet, often once removed from the racing world owners and their farriers will use the phrase “he doesn’t grow much foot, he can go longer.” Or something of the like, but understanding hoof morphology we can see that this is contraindicated, something eluded to in Moleman et al (2006) which stated that low hoof angles had a larger increase in moment force around the distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) from hoof growth over 8 weeks. Shoeing cycle is one of the factors that causes the poor hoof morphology once these horses are no longer in that world, once they leave the racing industry they enter a world of relative chaos! Shoeing cycles range from 5 weeks to 8 weeks and depend on budget, work load and misconceptions on hoof growth, turnout becomes random and often inappropriate, feed changes, work load becomes inconsistent, sometimes hacking daily, trotting down the hard road in their now much heavier shoes with a heavier rider, just to name a few variables! The flat, weak feet inherent of the breed and exacerbated by the training which have low elastic moduli are now suddenly becoming overloaded. An unfortunate reality is that ex racehorses are relatively cheap to acquire but their conformation, working history, acquired and congenital weak feet, mean they are, or perhaps should be, expensive to keep. Aside from being higher maintenance than other breeds we must appreciate that their feet will also need more involved care. The findings of Peel et al (2010) and the micro conformation eluded to in Labuschagne et al (2017) mean they will be prone to weak heels, thin walls, thin soles, broken back hoof pastern axis’, prolapse of bulbs, frog and sole and these all predispose to pathologies such as navicular, bruised soles, abscesses etc, therefore farriery intervention needs to mitigate as many of these as possible. The important factors in the authors experience in shoeing ex-racers are A short shoeing cycle – As hoof growth in low angle hooves increases the moment arm around the DIPJ and moves the centre of pressure caudally toward the heels which will cause crushing of the heels due to the low elastic modulus.
Shoeing around the centre of rotation (COR) – Poor hoof morphology often means long toes and low heels and poor dorso-palmer balance, the biomechanical forces need to be optimised to create an environment for positive morphology. Long toes need controlling and weak heels need support (https:// www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/hoof-balance-shoeing-around-the-cor-in-3-dimensions).
Long toes need controlling and weak heels need support
Frog/solar support – When putting a rim shoe (on a weak hoof) the load is borne peripherally leading to further prolapse, padding will spread the load over a larger area reducing the pressure on weak structures. Padding will also create protection to thin soles and support the internal structures (https:// www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/frog-pressure-is-the-heart-bar-obsolete)
Mechanical shoeing – Often ex-racers will need work to create ideal hoof proportions, this can include different types of shoes and modern materials, roller motion shoes, ellipse shoes (flat or graduated), timeline shoes, graduations etc. creating ideal proportions of the foot creates ideal forces acting on that foot encouraging positive hoof morphology. Owner management – The inherent fragility of thoroughbred feet means they are often more susceptible to environmental factors such as anaerobes which can break down the feet/frog and in the authors experience can be more readily affected by changes in environment such as wet-dry. The fact that they often need heel support means lost shoes can be a factor. These points put a responsibility on the thoroughbred owner to play their part, to perhaps create an environment more closely resembling a professional racing yard, of course in balance! as the author doesn’t wish to take away the fact that many prefer to allow their animals a more free existence. All of this lends itself to possibly an expensive and regular maintenance routine and unfortunately farrier and/or owner ignorance can lead to very negative hoof morphology very quickly. However in the authors experience with patience and conscientiousness thoroughbreds can respond very well to going barefoot! So in conclusion, bad feet in ex-racers can be somewhat attributed to their breeding, their training during their working life, and their management after, they can’t be treated the same as a cob who is shod every 8 weeks and only needs basic shoes, they inherently have a different hoof angle and different hoof conformation in general, meaning different shoeing cycles and more involved farriery and management.
By The Equine Documentalist https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com References:
The effect of gallop training on hoof angle in Thoroughbred racehorses J. A. PEEL M. B. PEEL H. M. S. DAVIES First published: 10 June 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05582.x Influence of different exercise regimes on the proximal hoof circumference in young Thoroughbred horses V. Decurnex G. A. Anderson H. M. S. Davies First published: 05 January 2010 https://doi.org/10.2746/042516409X393220 Laterality in stride pattern preferences in racehorses D.E.Williams∗1B.J.Norris† https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.01.014 A Cross-Sectional Survey of Forelimb Hoof Conformation and the Prevalence of Flat Feet in a Cohort of Thoroughbred Racehorses in New Zealand WilnaLabuschagneChris W.RogersErica K.GeeCharlotte F.Bolwell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2016.11.013 Shoeing the racehorse… after training Sarah-Mary Brown Published Online:13 Sep 2017https://doi.org/10.12968/eqhe.2017.37.21 M. Caldwell, 1987, Pre-navicular syndrome, personal correspondance
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The Importance of Pre-Season Training for Polo Players After a well-earned break during the off season, it is around now that riders will start to ease their horses back into work; taking them on set, changing their feed and maybe even booking in with the farrier and vet for a quick check up. Calculations will be made and a lot of controlled work will be done to ensure the horses are at peak fitness just as the season starts.
“Preparation stops you from being caught off guard and lets you physically and mentally prep for the challenges ahead.” – Richard Wilcox, Strength Coach.
As a polo player would you say you prepare your body and fitness regime in the same way as the high season approaches? Preparing one’s self for the strenuous sport that is polo should be high on a rider’s priority list. After a much-needed rest from playing polo, the body may have lost condition which means it’s time to wake those ‘polo muscles’ up again. To kickstart your pre-season preparations it would be useful to incorporate some form of resistance training and cardio along with mobility work into one’s gym routine. British polo player Emma Boers says, “during the offseason if I am not playing, I focus on doing more gym work and building up my strength, fitness and muscles so that I go into the season as strong and fit as possible.” An effective training programme would consist of an effective mobility routine. This helps to wake up the muscles and improve range of movement through the joints in order to reduce the risk of injury. A good mobility routine should target each area of the body and consist of lunges with thoracic twists, hip openers, arm swings and back stretches. To further pre-season preparations riders would benefit from adding in a few functional exercises that simulate the movements of polo; something like a ‘Squat with Ab Twist’, ‘Kneeling on a Swiss Ball’ or even standing on one leg and practicing your swings with a foot mallet. Agustin Arellano (a 3 goaler) told us that he “trains the hardest during the offseason period in order to become stronger before big tournaments begin. I focus on strength and balance and always finish with some yoga moves”.
Nutrition is also an important element to becoming fitter & stronger. Rider’s require consistently high energy levels during tournament days but this doesn’t mean fuelling the body with Redbull and chocolate all day. Aim to supply it with nutrient dense foods needed for muscle repair and a strong immune system. UK based polo player Rebecca Walters ran through what she typically eats “a protein source such as chicken, salad and some carbs like a sweet potato. I eat my main meals in the evening and will otherwise snack lightly through the day on nuts, seeds and other good fat sources.” Here we can see that Rebecca consumes a mixture of healthy carbohydrates, fats and
protein in her diet which is just what is needed for optimum energy levels. Another top tip is to stay hydrated throughout the day, try starting your day with a litre of filtered water. To conclude with pre-season preparations try adding in some stretches to the daily routine to help reduce the risk of muscle tightness and improve suppleness. Performing a 10 min cool down routine consisting of static stretches for the inner thighs, glutes, shoulders, neck and back can really help the body to recover quicker.
To help polo players kickstart their pre-season training, Chukka Wellness has done all of the hard work and created a ‘follow along’ 6 Week Exercise Programme.
What’s Inside? * Nutritional guidance to help you prepare for the busy season * Stretching and mobilising routines to reduce muscle soreness * Strengthening workouts to improve overall muscle tone * Polo-specific workouts designed using the movement patterns of polo * A mixture of cardio sessions to improve fitness and overall health
Benefits * Stay supple and injury free with easy to follow stretching routines * Improve stamina and endurance whatever your fitness level may be * Improve power and effectiveness of your swing * Increase strength and control in your ride offs * Quicker recovery rates post play * Sustain higher energy levels during chukkas * Quicker reaction times and decision making when on the field
To order your copy of the 6 Week Pre-Season Exercise Programme head to www.chukkawellness.co.uk
Pre Season Training in Sotogrande
If riders are looking to enjoy some spring sun and enjoy as much polo and fitness as they like… Chukka Wellness has joined forces with Jamie Le Hardy to offer players bespoke polo pre season getaways in Sotogrande. Whether riders want to come alone or with their team mates, we can create a unique fitness holiday in sunny Soto which includes services such as a private chef, polo lessons with England player Jamie Le Hardy and polo-specific exercise sessions with India. More information can be found at www.chukkawellness.co.uk
CONFIRMED DATES FOR POLO FITNESS HOLI DAYS: 10TH MARCH-18TH APRIL
Jennifer Little on
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Giveaway Win a pair on RJ Polo Kneepads
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POLO2020
Photo: MLGPhotography
Amy Sallabank
1 year on from opening her own Polo Club, Bawtry Polo Club in Nottinghamshire, we talked to Amy Sallabank about her personal experiences of polo, the challenges she has faced during founding her own club and her hopes and aspirations moving forward.
1)
How and when did you first get into polo?
I grew up riding, mainly doing all the pony club stuff (sadly our pony club had no polo) and hunting but also loved team sports at school like netball and hockey and when I got in my twenties I decided getting involved in a team riding sport would be fun and polo was the obvious one! I decided to go on a polo holiday for three weeks to see how it was. A friend recommended Franshoek Farm and Polo School in The Freestate in South Africa so off I went and I’ve never looked back!! I had an absolute ball, both on and off the polo field, got completely addicted to polo and a couple of years later ended up quitting my finance job in London to go and work there. And South Africa and Franshoek have been like a magnet for me ever since! No looking back!!
2)
What has been your greatest influence/coach/role model in the sport?
I’ve been lucky enough to be taught by and learnt from a lot of great coaches, and worked and played with some great players. I try and pick up bits up from all of them and take in as much as possible. The person that has influenced me the most is Rod Gutridge who taught me from that very first polo holiday, and when I got back to London at what was then Ascot Park where I carried on my polo when I got back from holiday, and can still some times be heard bellowing directions to me when a rare chance comes up and we get to play together!
3) What would you rank as your greatest achievement to date in polo?
By far starting up Bawtry Polo Club, it has been a lot of hard work, and although almost all jobs in polo are hard work, working for yourself is just on a whole other level. It isn’t just the physical work then it’s managing to run a business, teach, play, look after members and liveries, ponies, staff, sponsors, be accountant, lawyer, HR and everything all rolled in to one! Well that a long with the big leap of faith to start with leaving a steady, accounting job in the City for a nomad polo life!
4)
How did you originally end up running Bawtry Polo Club?
I had to move back to the UK from South Africa where I’d been working in polo due to an issue with my visa, I’d got an accounting job and was going to play polo for fun as I had got fed up with the visa situation in SA. It didn’t take long before I was fed up to death of accounting and then the polo club near my parents which I had always played at when I was home had shut down (Vale of York Polo Club). It sounded like no one was going to do anything about re-opening it and it was such a shame to just leave it stood there and it was always the most fantastic, fun, grass roots club so me and my friend decided we would go for it!
5)
Have there been any challenges opening your own polo club?
There have been so many challenges! Opening the club has had so many highs and lows, it has been an amazing year long roller coaster so far! I should have been writing a blog really so I could help anyone else in the same position!! Some of it is funny really when you look back and you think you couldn’t make this up. Especially as nearly all of the work I’ve done in polo was in South Africa where everything involves much less red tape. I wouldn’t even know where to start now with listing them as there have been so many, it has been so rewarding but also very challenging year. I’m very excited for our second year and I’m sure the challenges will still be coming in thick and fast but the more we are doing the better we are becoming and each challenge is such a learning curve. I’ve been very lucky to have a great team of staff and members behind me and the club which have been amazing and we would be here without them.
Photo: Jonathan's Digi-Art & Photography
6) Working in so many roles, which position is your favourite and why? This is a tough one, I’d say they have all become intertwined!! One of my best experiences of the season was playing our last away grass tournament at Bramham where we won and I was groom, coach, lorry driver, player, the lot! It was so rewarding to see our members have improved so much since we had opened and how well our ponies went and also to get to play together. It felt like everything was coming together. But if I had to pick I think the most rewarding thing is coaching really and seeing the improvement in people and confidences rise. I get far too carried away running round our indoor arena on my feet shouting encouragement and advice when we play instructional chukkas, I’m sure there are plenty of videos out there that people have kindly kept to themselves haha. There really is no better feeling than watching people get better and watching them get bitten by that polo bug! I’m very excited to see a lot of our new members that have started playing over winter get out on the grass and experience that rush this summer!!
7) What do you have coming up at Bawtry in the remainder of this winter season and over the summer? The rest of the winter season we will carry on our lessons and chukkas which are on Thursday evenings, Saturdays and most Sundays and club tournaments, we have some universities that train with us that have their tournaments planned and lessons. We hope to be back on the grass as soon as we can and fingers crossed that won’t be so far away as we are very lucky to be on sandy land which drains extremely well. Our first tournament it set for 2nd May then our schedule is: 2nd May – opening tournament 13-14th June 18-19th July - Bawtry Cup 15-16th August 26th September - closing tournament We aim to go out as a club once a month also and play away tournaments which we did last year and had the most fantastic time. Everyone rally’s around and comes and supports each other, that is one of the great things about our club the comradery and friendship, we all laugh together and at each other like a bit of a large family!
8) What are your aspirations for the club going forward? For the club to keep on growing, both from new players and existing player who might want to come and join or we always love welcoming visitors, for the level of polo to carry on improving and our players to keep on getting better and better as they have been doing! But the main thing is to keep our club the fun, fantastic, quirky club place it is and just keep building it bit by bit as we have been doing!
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Ignacio Fernandez Llorente Lucky Loser- 6 teams- 3 days Day 1 Match 1 = A vs B (prevent them from playing teams that are traveling from afar, as it may happen that they are late) Match 2 = C vs D Match 3 = E vs F
Usually all the systems used to organise polo tournaments try to avoid fixing the matches. With the aim of achieving a result that favours fair play for all the teams involved in the tournament. In many places it usually happens that weekend tournaments are organised (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) or (Thursday-Saturday-Sunday) and there are 6 teams. On the first day there are 3 matches resulting in 3 teams that win and these would continue with chances of reaching the final. But it takes a fourth team, which as lost is called the “lucky loser”.
Day 2 Match 4 = Loser vs Loser Match 5 = Lucky loser vs Best winner (by goal difference) that has not won the lucky loser Match 6 = Winner vs Winner
There are 4 ways to choose the lucky loser: LL1: Team that lost by smaller goal difference LL2: Team that lost and scored more goals LL3: Team that lost and received fewer goals against LL4: Team that lost and won by lottery
Day 3 5th place: Loser match 4 vs Lucky loser if he lost. If Lucky loser won, best Loser (lost by more goal difference) of matches 5 and 6 3rd place: Winner Match 4 vs Loser remaining matches 5 and 6 Final: Winner Match 5 vs Winner Match 6
All the games of the first day are played and it is not known what will be the way to choose the lucky loser. With all the results of the matches of the first day, a draw is made to choose between LL1-LL2-LL3-LL4 To determine the way you get who is the lucky loser. If two teams are tied with the chosen form, they are drawn to luck.
Lucky loser cannot play for 3rd place having lost the first two days. It is important that no matches be repeated, so if the match for 5th place and 3rd place matches are repeated, you have to change to play teams that did not play with each other, and that the 3rd place takes you by sum of points of the 3 day games. Good luck!!! PS: All matches have to have a winner, there is no tie
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Best Winner
7
A
5th Place
- B
2
2
B
- F
1
F
- D 3rd Place
3 5
C E
- D - F
2
LL1
6
A
- D
2
B
- E Final
3
6
C
- E
5
C
- A
Polo Make A Plan It is important to have a plan when you go out to stick and ball so you don't just get stuck practicing the one shot. Yeah, we know... You love the offside forehand, BUT.... What about all the other shots needed to play a game of polo?! You don't wanna be a one hit wonder do you?
As you practice each different shot more and more, you will become more flexible and build muscles you didn't even know you had! Each shot will become easier and easier as you go, so try to do a mixture of everything whilst snb-ing. In this section you will find drills you can practice that will help perfect ALL of your shots. We suggest choosing 3 drills per session, & practicing each one for 10 to 15 minutes #practicemakesperfect
o Drills First Drill:
3 shots: All Offside (Yes... We thought we'd be nice on the first one!!) - Half Swing Forehand - Full Swing Forehand - Backhand
Explanation: For this one you will go up and down the field starting at one end, with a half swing forehand on the offside. Your next shot will be a full swing forehand on the offside, followed by the most amazing backhand you've ever done... (We hope!!) Turn your pony around and repeat. So that's HALF SWING, FULL SWING, BACKHAND, REPEAT! Work on the distance you are hitting the ball. Try and get the ball almost to the other end of the practice field with your 2 forehands.
Tip: If you're not good at hitting the ball long distances, you can start off small and work on hitting it further and further each time. Accuracy when stick and balling is key, when hitting always have a target, even it's another ball or a divot or even the goals. Make sure you take a break after a few laps so your pony doesn't get too worn out.
Second Drill: 1 Shot: - Offside half swing
Explanation: This drill is very useful as you will often need to turn the ball towards your goals once you win it off your opponent in a chukka. Tap the ball on the inside of the circle going around clockwise. To do this you will hit the ball forward each time using offside half swings.
Tip: You only need to tap the ball lightly for this one and hit the ball much earlier than you would a full swing shot and have your horse further away from the ball - this will also get you to rolls forward in the saddle with your chest in front of the pummel of the saddle and your head over the top of the ball with your chin towards the ground. Remember to look where you are going & turn your ponies head slightly inwards as you go around the circle tapping the ball. This one takes a bit of practice so don't give up!
Third Drill: You didn't think we were going to let you get away with not practicing the nearside did you? #sorrynotsorry
Explanation: For this drill you will start at one end of the field and hit an offside forehand diagonally across to the left/nearside. You will then do a nearside forehand hitting the ball diagonally across to the right/ offside. So basically your will zig zag down the field until you get to the other end.
“Confused? Me too...Lets look at the diagram! “
Tip: Try to stay in the middle of the field and draw an imaginary line from your ponies head to the goals. You will zig zag across that line. This one is also a bit tricky at first, but if you keep at it, it will get easier and easier.
This article was written by RiverLands Polo. Read more of their content at https://www.riverlandspolo.com
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Club News
đ&#x;‘‘ đ&#x;‘‘ đ&#x;‘‘ WINNERSđ&#x;‘‘ đ&#x;‘‘ đ&#x;‘‘ The Charlotte Trophy @dbpoloclub Thanks to @oxfordpolo @hectorworsley @hexy.r @ilianeot
Annoshka from BBC Radio Berkshire interviewing me on a polo pony this morning great fun!
Club News
Experience the horsepower on and off the field at The Porsche Centre Nottingham Polo Tournament, taking place on Saturday 4th July and Sunday 5th July, entry is free for spectators.
@porschecentreno ttingham
We are excited to be able to announce another training day @blackbearspolo •15th March 2020 •10am-3pm
•lunch provided •£30 for the whole day • 1 pony needed •to book email: ladiespf@outlook.com
What do we work on?
Sadly @chukka_wellness can’t be with us as she is in sunnier climates with clients however we have some brilliant new people onboard
@rosieross828 and @kirstieotamendi will be coaching working on stick work, tactics, positional work and anything else you want to go over. • an Army medic will be doing some first aid training to help us deal with accidents better.
• a para pti (physical training instructor) will put you through your paces and give you some exercises to work on to give you the pre-season
Club News
THE SWORDERS' TROPHY:
A huge thanks to Sworders for sponsoring the weekend's 4 goal polo. We had some very close matches between the 6 teams who took part through Storm Dennis! The final results were:
1st: Cheltenham
2nd: Dallas Burston
3rd: DWF
4th: Oxford Polo
5th: Rugby Polo Club
6th: Sworders
Best Playing Pony was won by Rabbit, owned by Ed Walker
MVP was won by Lilly and Angus, sharing a slot on the Dallas Burston side. Thank you to all who helped/ played and again a special thanks to Sworders!
Trade union meeting... and they’re clearly p****d about something. Awaiting their letter. đ&#x;˜Ź
The Winners of The Academy Cup J&R Polo @jandrpolo with exceptional play by Julian Leake. Scores on the doors 16 - 17 against HK Polo đ&#x;?† đ&#x;?Ž đ&#x;‘?đ&#x;‘?đ&#x;‘?
This Month’s Contributors: -
52
Ignacio Fernandez Llorente Connor Kay Jennifer Little Chukka Wellness Riverlands Polo Amy Sallabank Yogi Sharp (The Equine Documentalist)
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