Polo Times November 21

Volume 26 • Issue 10 • November 2021 • £6.50

www.polotimes.co.uk

TORTUGAS HAT-TRICK Ellerstina Defend Title OLLY HUGHES MANCHESTER MARATHON Fundraising Focus POLO TIMES CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Everything You Need!

PLUS: Polodoc, Equine Chiropractor, Chukka Wellness & Much More…

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“Polo Times is undoubtedly the most influential contemporary polo magazine” Horace Laffaye

Contents

What’s inside… November 2021

Publisher Nick Hine publisher@polotimes.co.uk

Editor in Chief Richenda Hine richenda@polotimes.co.uk

Editorial Rosabella Hine rosabella@polotimes.co.uk

Principal Design James Morgan

Design Alice Ruddy

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Financial Controller Angie Clark accounts@polotimes.co.uk

Accounts & Administration Assistant Rosalind Cutter ads@polotimes.co.uk Administration Assistant Lynne Berry

Contributors: Lorna Edgar, Matt Kenna, Dr.med. Andreas Krüger, Rege Ludwig, India Parker-Smith, Tony Ramirez & Jason Warren

Cover photograph: Action from The

Tortugas Open Final. By Matias Callejo

Contact details

Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton, Glos, GL2 9LN Tel: 01452 730770 email:admin@polotimes.co.uk

www.polotimes.co.uk

18 News

46 Military Polo

4

43 44

All the Latest News

Features 12 15 18 20 22

Big Picture HPA Helmet & Safety Regulations Olly Hughes’ Manchester Marathon Polo Valley – Winter Sun & Polo School Christmas Gift Guide

Reports 28 30 33

The Tortugas Open The Townsend Cup Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships

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© Polo Times Limited 2021 and Database Right 2021 Polo Times Limited holds the copyright & database right to the information it publishes

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39

Your Club News from Home and Abroad

A Round-Up of Women’s Polo

The Churchill-Roosevelt Cup A Round-Up of Military Polo

Knowledge 46 48 50 52 54 56

Chukka Wellness: Your Winter Workout Guide Nutrition Focus: Why Do They Eat That?

Equine Chiropractor: The Equine Leg Polodoc: Lifehack – Motion is Lotion Playing Tips with Rege Ludwig: What a Polo Horse Can Do Tola Performace: Ed Banner-Eve Interview

Sidelines 58 Gossip

Polo Directory 60 What’s On in November 2021 62 Classifieds

Youth Polo

Final Bell

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64

Summary of Youth Polo

Passions: Robin Ormerod

in Polo Times and on the Polo Times website. No content may be reproduced or distributed without the consent of the Publisher. ‘Polo Times’ is the trade mark of Polo Times Limited. ISSN 1461-4685

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Polo Times, November 2021

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P O LO’S O RI G INAL SUPP O RT ER S , A N D M A S T E R S I N O U R F I E L D S I N C E 174 9 .

Justerini & Brooks. Portfolio, expertise and personal service.

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News

With the autumn leaves falling whilst the country remains basking in the relative warmth of average daily temperatures of 13 degrees celsius, it is perhaps timely that this November issue of Polo Times is published just as the UN’s Climate Change Conference is being held in Glasgow.

Whilst last month’s foreword observed that governing bodies do not like change, and our polo ponies are ‘enjoying’ their time off so far, surely governments the world over must see the essential need to embrace the need to change the rate by which their countries are contributing to the disaster which looms large, if change is not effected soon.

I very much hope you will enjoy reading this issue – as the intention is to provide something for everyone. The Christmas Gift Guide will assist those looking for that special gift, whilst on the polo front, we report on action from around the globe, at all levels.

Speaking personally, I have particularly enjoyed learning how the HPA’s Ollie Hughes ran the Manchester Marathon in order that he raise money for two charities whose work aims to prevent male suicides, Papyrus (www.papyrus-uk.org) and James’ Place (www.jamesplace.org.uk). Being very close to Ollie in age myself, I am somewhat embarrassed for being nowhere near fit enough to run two miles, yet alone 26 – a feat which Ollie completed in commendably a little over four hours! Quite appropriately perhaps therefore, the fitness pages in this issue fortuitously advises about the essential need to maintain fitness and stay in shape during the winter months.

Whilst the irony was not lost when reading this as a note to self(!) on a more general level, I imagine this advice will resonate with many of us, who perhaps like me, all too easily might ordinarily fail to stray too far from their desks during the daytime, before relaxing by the fire, with a glass in hand in the evening, whilst embarking on a good read… of Polo Times.

With arena polo in the UK set for a ‘normal’ season and polo worldwide generally now being in full swing, there is renewed optimism that we may have at last turned the corner on the pandemic and the mandatory restrictions that it has created.

With this in mind, please feel free to email in your polo stories: editorial@polotimes.co.uk Until next time, enjoy the read, be kind, on and off the field, and – as always – play safe.

USPA Outdoor Handicap Changes

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Polo Times, November 2021

Juan Britos’ handicap has been raised to 9 goals in America

On Wednesday 4 October, the United States Polo Association (USPA) announced their 2021 annual outdoor handicap changes, which saw a range of increases as well as a few decreases in handicaps across the board; below are a selection of the higher level changes, for a full list please visit the USPA: 8 to 9 goals: Juan Britos, Poroto Cambiaso & Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola 6 to 7 goals: Jesse Bray, Jorge Fernandez Ocampo Jr., Mariano Gonzalez Jr. & Tomas Panelo 8 to 7 goals: Mariano Aguerre & Valerio Zubiaurre 7 to 6 goals: Lucas Criado Sr. & Felipe Marquez

The Springbok Trophy

Photograph by Matias Callejo

Nick Hine, Publisher

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

from the Publisher

Militares, winners of The Springbok Trophy

On Friday 1 October, Militares defeated Civiles and secured the annual series for The Springbok Trophy. The Springbok Trophy was donated in 1933 by the South African Polo Association delegation, with the contest organised each year by the Argentine Polo Association together with the Army Horse Racing Commission between Militares and Civiles. This year’s win sees Militares on 28 victories, while Civiles maintain the lead with 42 tournament titles.

The 2021 Springbok Trophy Teams: Militares (7): Fernando Domínguez Silva (1), Rodolfo Grazzini (2), Emilio Bertolone (2) & Edgar Echezarreta (2) Civiles (8): Pedro Cahen D´Anvers (2), Félix Lacroze (2), Ricardo Menéndez (2) & Gregorio French (2) www.polotimes.co.uk

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News AAP Live Polo Times Readers’ 10% Discount

U.S. Polo Assn. Wins Award in London

With the 2021 Argentine Triple Crown underway as we speak, for those of us not able to make the annual pilgrim to Argentina and enjoy the Opens, do not despair!

AAP Live is covering all of the action for you to watch from the comfort of your own home, plus our Polo Times readers can receive a 10% discount here using the code: POLOTIMES10 Photograph courtesy of USPA

The U.S. Polo Assn., 2021 Global Retailer of the Year

The U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the USPA and increasing its reach in the UK announcing this year their sponsorship as official apparel partner of the British Beach Polo Championships and Cowdray Park Polo Club, has been awarded the 2021 Global Retailer of the Year for growth, resilience and innovation in the retail industry at the Global Retail & Leisure International (RLI) Awards in London. The RLI Awards, honour the most visionary and innovative retail and leisure concepts from around the world.

BMW NZ Polo Open Tickets

The BMW NZ Polo Open will return on Sunday 20 February 2022 and this year sees three different ticket options, ranging from $40 to $850 – to buy tickets, visit www.iticket.co.nz

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Polo Times, November 2021

www.polotimes.co.uk

Coming Early 2022 “The Polo Style of Riding”

wig’s d u L Rege ok bo

One of the main factors in playing to the best of your ability is helping your polo-playing partner—the horse—play its best for you.

To accomplish that, I compare the human body on a horse as being a joystick. Additionally, I imagine a bolt passing through the knees. That imaginary bolt affects the horse by direction you lean your “joystick” upper body.

For instance, if you want your horse to accelerate, lean your joystick upper body forward and down, consistent with the rate you want your horse to accelerate. At the same time, your upper legs are pushing forward and down into your horse’s shoulders to effectively be pushing the horse forward by way of the bolt.

Because your lower legs are a counterbalancing mechanism to your upper body; your lower legs should move back and up to the degree that your joystick upper body leaned forward and down. Using your body in this fashion sends a clear message to your horse, “Accelerate.”

If you want your horse to decelerate, lean your “joystick” upper body up and back, which will effectively be lifting the horse’s front end up and back. At the same time, your lower legs should move down and forward from the accelerate position, but only to the point to where they are still in contact with the horse’s sides for the purpose of energizing the hind quarters to drive the hind legs forward and under the horse’s body, which is critical to the decelerating process.

If you want your horse to change direction, lean your joystick upper body in the new direction, which will have you pushing down on the bolt on the side to which you are leaning, while lifting the other side.

Because your joystick upper body has a tendency to follow your head, your head should be the first part of your joystick body to lean.

Look for more critical tips like these in “The Polo Style of Riding,” coming soon!

News 2021 High Goal Metropolitan Tournament

Photograph by AAP

Photograph by USPA

2022 Gauntlet of Polo

The Gauntlet of Polo begins on 6 February 2022

The United States Polo Association (USPA) and International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) have announced the schedule for 2021 as well as a one year extension of the original three-year tournament agreement: 6 – 27 February: The C.V. Whitney Cup 1 – 27 March: USPA Gold Cup March 29 — April 24: U.S. Open Polo Championship

Indios Chapaleufu, winners of The Gold Cup of the High Goal Metropolitan Tournament On Friday 15 October, Indios Chapaleufu secured a 12-5 win over La Varzea to lift The Gold Cup of the High Goal Metropolitan Tournament at the Argentine Association of Polo, in Pilar, while The Silver Cup saw Cuatro Vientos defeat Pilarchico 15-7 at the Hurlingham Club.

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Big

Polo Times, November 2021

picture picture

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XXXXXXXXX Saddleduck Sunset Chukkas XXXXXXXXXXXXX

w XXXXXXXXXXXX

With the nights’ drawing in and the leave turning on the trees, winter is nearly upon us and players across the UK have either headed off to sunnier climes or hung up their boots until the start of the 2021/22 arena season. Saddleduck Farm in Cambridge celebrated their end of season, with a final session of chukkas set against this stunning sunset backdrop. w Natalie Free Photography

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Polo Times, November 2021

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HPA Safety Committee

Feature

Photography by John Hankin Photography

The Committee strongly recommends face and eye protection

HPA Safety Committee Helmet & Safety Regulations Following the Hurlingham Polo Association’s Safety Committee meeting, an ongoing helmet shortage was highlighted, as well as their stance on fixed peaks and face protection. The meeting notes also listed all of the helmets which currently meet the standards required by the HPA. Polo Helmet Shortage

The HPA Safety Committee would like members to note that there is currently a shortage of polo helmets in stores. Players should allow for a lead time of 4-6 weeks as some manufacturers are making helmets only to order; other manufacturers have deprioritised the production of polo helmets in favour of general equestrian helmets. www.polotimes.co.uk

The Committee points out that in the case of lack of supply, general equestrian helmets conforming to European and American safety standards may be worn, not just ‘polo’ helmets. Polo helmets purchased after 1st April 2021 also need to have a QC mark. You may wear a previously purchased helmet without a QC mark until 1st April 2024. A full table of qualifying ‘polo’

Armis Duo

Polo Times, November 2021

15

Feature have been tested to resist polo balls up to 30 mph. While this is a much lower speed, the Committee is of the view that eye protectors are likely to significantly lessen the degree of injury by deflecting the force of impact away from the eyeball, and therefore recommends them over no protection at all.

Helmet Regulations

Helmets must always be worn during play. Helmets must be type approved to the standard PAS015:1998 or PAS015:2011 with CE mark (type approval must be performed by a Notified Body for Personal Protective Equipment), SNELL E2001, VG1 01.040 2014-12, or UTAC/CRITT 04/2015, NOCSAE and any newer version of the same standard, including EN1384:2017.

The HPA require helmets to be both “type approved” and to bear a QC mark. A QC mark is a higher and more expensive standard, which requires factory inspection

KEP Italia Cromo

Dr Victor Chua, MBBChir MRCSEd (Ophthalmology)

“There is currently a problem getting ready to wear polo helmets: many manufacturers seem to be only building them to order, so do allow 4-6 weeks.

Hopefully this will ease next season. We also issue recommendations regarding fixed peaks and face protection. There is now a dedicated section on the HPA website with safety information and lists of helmets which meet our standards.”

Fixed Peaks

The Committee recommends helmets with detachable or collapsible peaks, in line with other equestrian bodies.

The Committee strongly recommends face and eye protection (protective glasses, or face shields). We currently receive reports of ball/mallet impact leading to blindness every two or three years in our membership of about 2,500. About 20 members report jaw/face/teeth injuries to us every year in our annual injury survey.

The only face protection standard designed for polo is the NOCSAE face protection standard. The standard requires the protector to withstand polo ball impacts of 90 mph, common in full-speed polo.

As far as we are aware, only one product passes this standard. Commonly used eye protectors, such as the Oakley Jawbreaker,

Casablanca NEU

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Polo Times, November 2021

and audit by the certifying body. Helmets purchased before 1st April 2021 which are type approved but without a QC mark are permitted to be worn until 1st April 2024.

Any helmet which meets the above standards (to the satisfaction of the HPA umpire) is permitted. It is not necessary to wear a “polo” helmet, a general equestrian helmet which meets the standards will do. We provide the following list for the convenience of members and umpires.

List of helmets meeting standards 10 October 2021

helmets that we are aware of is on the website under ‘Helmet Rule’.

Face Protectors

Instinct Polo Askari

Brand

Model

Type Approval Standard

QC Mark

Armis

Armis Duo

PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

BSI Kitemark

Armis

Armis Edge

PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

BSI Kitemark

Armis

Armis Vera

NOCSAE, PAS015:2011, VG1 01.040-2014

SEI and BSI Kitemark

Casablanca

NEU

PAS015:2011, NOCSAE

SEI

Charles Owen

Palermo II Polo

PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

SEI and BSI Kitemark

Charles Owen

Polo Edition

PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

BSI Kitemark

Charles Owen

Young Rider Polo PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

BSI Kitemark

Charles Owen

Sovereign

NOCSAE, PAS015:2011, VG1 01.040-2014

SEI and BSI Kitemark

GPA

Speed Air 2X POLO 2X

UTAC/CRITT 04/2015 EN 1384:2017

SEI to ASTM F1163- 15

Instinct Polo

Instinct Mk1

PAS015:2011

BSI Kitemark

Instinct Polo

Askari

NOCSAE

SEI

KEP Italia

Cromo

PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

SEI to ASTM F116315

La Martina

Windsor

PAS015:2011, VG1 01.0402014

SEI and BSI Kitemark

GPA Polo 2X

La Martina Windsor

Charles Owen Palermo II Polo

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Feature

Charity Fundraising

On Sunday 10 October, Olly Hughes (Deputy Chief Executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association), took part in the Manchester Marathon to raise awareness for men’s mental health and fundraise for two charities which work to prevent male suicide, James’ Place and PAPYRUS. Polo Times spoke to Olly post-marathon to find out more about his reasons for running the marathon and whether he would do it again!

Olly Hughes’

Manchester Marathon

Nearly £8,000 raised for PAPYRUS & James’ Place “

I

’ve been a casual runner for quite a few years and had done a few 10kms and one (nearly) half marathon, but nothing further than that. Occasionally the thought would cross my mind to give a marathon a go, but I found I could talk myself out of that without too much effort.

However, in May this year Jason and Clare Dixon’s son, Joe, took his own life. Jason and I grew up together and learnt to play polo together; our other good friend, and Cotswold Pony Club Polo team-mate, was Paddy Cowley. Paddy had also taken his own life, in 2017. I would never have believed that suicide could touch me so closely. I wondered if there was anything I could do and then I thought that perhaps I may be able to raise a bit of money for some good causes. And all I had to do was just keep on running.

“I chose the Manchester Marathon for a few reasons: my son lives there, the Hurlingham Polo shop is there and it is quite flat! On Tuesday 1 June I took the plunge and entered the race online – no turning back. The charities I chose to raise money for were James’ Place and PAPYRUS, both charities that work to prevent male suicides. I knew of James’ Place through the polo community and I also knew that Clare Milford Haven and the charity had been a great help to Jason when Joe died. PAPYRUS is a charity that I donated to in the past after Paddy died.

This being my first marathon, I thought I’d better find out exactly what I should be doing to train for it. Turns out that it’s

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Polo Times, November 2021

nothing too technical – just keep running and each week go a little bit further. Then about two weeks before the race you do the final long run of about 22 miles. Apparently, you don’t train over the full distance as the last four and a bit miles are all in your head!

The last week of training is the fun part when you are ‘tapering’. You reduce your running distance and eat as much as you can, all the time. When you are married to a very good chef, as I am, this makes it all worthwhile! Mind you, Vicky had been preparing all sorts of delicious meals for me throughout my training; now I could have seconds, thirds etc! I even got as serious as considering laying off the wine, however I was reliably informed that in order to have any real effect I would need to stop for a year, which seemed entirely unreasonable. So, I took the sensible option and forsook a glass the night before.

After 17 weeks of training, and a week of www.polotimes.co.uk

Charity Fundraising

Feature

James’ Place

James’ Place was founded by Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley, following the tragic loss of their son, James.

Ten days after a minor operation, James took his own life. He went looking for someone to talk to about his suicidal thoughts but didn’t find the urgent help he so desperately needed.

James’ Place opened its first centre in 2018 in Liverpool and opened a second centre in London in 2021. Their mission is to stop men dying by suicide, which is the single leading cause of death in men under 50-years-old. At James’ Place, they want to make sure that help is available for every man facing a suicidal crisis and support them to find hope for the future. They work with health partners to deliver a service to men whose needs have not been met by traditional services. www.jamesplace.org.uk gorging, I lined up on the start on Sunday 10 October. Sam Browne had given me some invaluable advice on how to avoid blisters, so with Roc Tape in place and my feet liberally smeared with Body Glide (it’s a thing) I was ready to go. My family, Vicky, Isaac and Jemima all came as well, and my in-laws made the trip across the Pennines to support me. The high points of the next four and a bit hours were seeing my family on several occasions, being cheered on by complete strangers, chatting to a fireman in full firefighting gear who had just had his shoelace tied up by a policeman, listening to the Sally Army band belting out some classics as we ran through Sale, reaching 13 miles (which in hindsight is not really halfway – the last six are about as tough as the first 20!), and of course getting to the finish. The sense of achievement of just doing that was massive. When the going got tough I would

Half way round the marathon

think of Joe and Paddy and the reason I was doing it, so to have raised nearly £8,000 for the charities capped it all. Enormous thanks to everyone who donated, for those who would still like to donate there is still time: www.justgiving.com/team/joeandpaddy Would I advise others to do it? Yes, absolutely. It gives you an incredible sense of achievement. If you think you can then you can and if you think you can’t then you’re wrong. But you do need to give yourself a bit of time to prepare.

Would I do it again? My target was 4 hours and I finished in 4hrs 15 mins, so I may have to! I have put my name in the ballot for London 2022, so we’ll see.

PAPYRUS

PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.

PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a mother, Jean Kerr, from Lancashire following the loss of her son to suicide.

PAPYRUS was initially set up as the Parents’ Association for the Prevention of Young Suicide, hence the name PAPYRUS. Since 1997, PAPYRUS has continued to listen to and learn from the experiences of those personally touched by young suicide.

Today, PAPYRUS works in many ways to prevent young suicide.

Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under 35 in the UK. Every year many thousands more attempt or contemplate suicide, harm themselves or suffer alone, afraid to speak openly about how they are feeling. PAPYRUS’ vision is for a society which speaks openly about suicide and has the resources to help young people who may have suicidal thoughts. www.papyrus-uk.org Waiting for a tram post-race

www.polotimes.co.uk

Polo Times, November 2021

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Advertorial Feature

Winter Sun & Polo School

Polo Valley & Sotogrande International School (SIS) have partnered to create the first elite polo academy in the world

Winter Sun & Polo School Polo Valley & Sotogrande International School

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ithout the right coaching or opportunities it can be very difficult to reach a high level in polo, which is exactly what the Sotogrande Polo Academy is determined to change. Recognising the importance of investing in the future of polo and creating pathways for future generations, Polo Valley

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Polo Times, November 2021

and Sotogrande International School (SIS) have partnered to create the first elite polo academy in the world. This is an opportunity for promising athletes aged between 14 and 18 to combine world-class education with daily polo training in order to facilitate the dreams of passionate and ambitious students who wish to become professional polo

players. In a niche industry where there are unknowns for new families, SPA offers a roadmap and system to provide assurance and confidence that their child will benefit from the global opportunities, jobs, lifestyle and network this sport and community have to offer. All whilst gaining an outstanding and internationally recognised education, where students understand the importance and discipline of training towards elite level sport from a young age.

This kind of focused and personalised approach to education is something the academic partners of the Sotogrande Polo Academy programme – Sotogrande International School – have been doing for years with their elite tennis and golf programmes, successfully propelling student athletes into scholarships at top institutions and their sporting careers. Finally, polo players can have the same opportunity. www.polotimes.co.uk

Winter Sun & Polo School

Photography by Polo Valley

The academy has only four spaces per category, accommodating for the training of both Junior (14 to 16-years-old) and Elite (16 to 18-years-old) Champions for up to four years, with over twenty hours of physical and theoretical polo training provided per week at Polo Valley (located just 15 minutes from SIS) alongside a specially designed academic programme at Sotogrande International School.

Throughout the program, students will learn a vast range of skills depending on their level. From the students with no experience at all to those already playing confidently, they will learn a range of skills including how to ride, swing technique, tactics, strategy, strength and fitness, theoretical lessons, rules and umpiring qualifications, horse care, team management, the business side of polo, people skills and possibly most importantly – horsemanship.

As well as the technical skills and those that are taught, there are also important softer skills they will glean through being in the working environment, on the ground with the horses, the field with the players, the sidelines with the owners and in the midst of this industry that cannot be taught through text books.

This is an important initiative in an industry where qualifications are gained through experience and years of training and honing your craft. Polo and horsemanship are not learnt on paper. Now there is a rare opportunity for students to be able to develop in a real working landscape during their school time instead of fitting polo around their school.

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The climate is absolutely perfect for all year round grass polo and endless outdoor activities

The students will meet and network with people from all throughout the polo world during their time in the academy, receiving invaluable exposure to patrons and other professionals, all of which will teach them arguably more than many other sports can teach them about life and character development. Once they are ready to play professionally, Polo Valley will help to connect them with their first job and place them in tournaments to gain experience – everything is geared for their success.

Not only are the programme and facilities ideal for this type of initiative but the climate is absolutely perfect for all year round grass

polo and endless outdoor activities with over 300 days of sunshine. All within an easy travel distance of just a 25 minute drive from Gibraltar airport and one hour from Malaga airport.

For anyone interested in finding out more, contact the team or join the trial week this February at Polo Valley to get a full sense of the programme and lifestyle.

Sotogrande Polo Academy Programme Schedule: Junior Champions: 14:30 – 18:30 & Elite Champions: 09:00 – 13:00 Registration for September 2022 open Enquire now at www.polovalley.com

There is a focused and personalised approach

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Polo Times, November 2021

21

Feature

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With the temperatures dipping, the nights drawing in and the arena season upon us, Christmas is just around the corner! With everything from sunny horseback adventures in South Africa and the perfect Pampeano holdall to accompany you, to the must have tack additions this Christmas – there is something for everyone in this year’s Polo Times Gift Guide!

Ginger & Jardine Ladies Cosy Roll Neck Hunt Jump £49.95 gingerandjardine.co.uk

Victoria Lodder Classic ‘Chukka’ Bangle £185 victorialodder.com

Performance Polo Ainsley Polo Knee Pads, Two Straps £129 www.performance-polo.com

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Polo Times, November 2021

RJ Polo Skinny Belt (Pink/Navy) 25mm width £35 www.rjpolo.com

www.polotimes.co.uk

Christmas Gifts

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Pampeano Rombo Card Slip £29 £2 per letter personalisation www.pampeano.co.uk Polo Times, November 2021

23

ndkids can’t For Him put down Feature

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Polo Times, November 2021

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Polo Times, November 2021

25

Feature

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For Kids Wood Mallets Mini Polo Mallet $50 www.woodmallets.com

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RJ Polo Pro Zip Boots – Children £275 www.rjpolo.com 26

Polo Times, November 2021

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Polo Times, November 2021

27

Reports

The Tortugas Open

S

Photography by Matias Callejo

aturday 16 October saw La Dolfina and Ellerstina meet in The Tortugas Open Final for the eleventh consecutive year, with Ellerstina aiming to defend their title.

Ellerstina had to replace an injured Hilario Ulloa with Matías Torres Zavaleta and La Dolfina seemed to take advantage of this early on and by the third chukka were leading 5-3; however, Ellerstina turned the tables with a 5-0 goal run – led by top scorer of the day and the tournament, Facundo Pieres, with 29 goals in three matches. This out-performance

by Ellerstina in the fourth and fifth chukkas proved crucial and as the sixth chukka ended the scores rested on 10-7 in favour of the double title holders – could they make it a hat-trick?

Cambiaso in hot pursuit of the ball

Ellerstina Take Tortugas Hat-Trick Defending champions secure 11-9 win

Ellerstina secured their 13th Tortugas Open win

28

Polo Times, November 2021

www.polotimes.co.uk

The Tortugas Open

Reports

The Tortugas Open Final Teams:

FIN

5 16

OCT

OC

AL

T

Gastón Lucero & Gonzalo López Vargas

Where: Tortugas Country Club, Argentina Yet, La Dolfina are not a team to take a three goal deficit as the be all and end all and they fought back with alacrity in the seventh chukka, scoring back to back goals to bring the scores within just one goal, 10-9. Whispers of a tie pushing the match into over-time whipped around, but great teamwork between Zavaleta and Gonzalito Pieres saw another goal for Ellerstina and with it The Tortugas Open title for their third year in a row, as well as their thirteenth overall win in the opening tournament of The Argentine Triple Crown.

This victory also means that the Pieres brothers have secured their tenth Tortugas title, Nico Pieres his fifth and for Zavaleta his first Triple Crown title; this means that Facundo and Gonzalito are only one title behind the top winners of The Tortugas Open to date – Pablo Mac Donough and Alberto Heguy, who hold 11 apiece.

MVP Most Valuable Player: Matías Torres Zavaleta

29

Ellerstina (37) Facundo Pieres (10) Matías Torres Zavaleta (8) Gonzalito Pieres (9) Nicolás Pieres (10)

La Dolfina Saudi (38) Adolfo Cambiaso (10) Francisco Elizalde (9) David ‘Pelón’ Stirling (10) Diego Cavanagh (9)

Chukka scores: 2-1, 3-3, 3-5, 6-5, 9-6, 10-7, 11-9 to Ellerstina

BPP

Best Playing Pony: Gete Origami (Los Machitos Libano x Gete Oracion), played

by Adolfo Cambiaso and owned by Nicky Sen

goals Tournament Top Scorer: Facundo Pieres

BPP

Best Polo Argentino Bred: Irenita Harinosa (Dolfina Cuarteto x Borren Bandeja), played by Pelón Stirling and owned by Valiente Polo

Ellerstina, winners of The Tortugas Open

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Polo Times, November 2021

29

Reports

USA Retain Townsend Title

10 OCT

Ormerods on form for England

F

30

Polo Times, November 2021

Photography by USPA/Larry Johnson

ollowing on from their win earlier in the weekend in The ChurchillRoosevelt Cup at New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina (please turn to our Military pages to read more), the USA’s dominance over England continued in The Townsend Cup on Sunday 10 October, adding their country’s name to the title for the eighth year.

The pressure was on for the home team, as defending champions and with seven wins under their belt to England’s one, there was a lot resting on the outcome of the international match, something which USA’s Pelon Escapite was only too aware of, “It’s big pressure, we can’t lose in-house. It’s always more pressure to play [here] than away”. USA Team Captain Escapite opened the scoring, with England’s Ormerod brothers swiftly replying with goals of their own, they continued to work in tandem throughout the match, while Geronimo Obregon, who felt he did not have

England’s Eden Ormerod

www.polotimes.co.uk

USA’s Pelon Escapite & England’s Robin Ormerod

Townsend Cup

2021 Townsend Cup Teams

Reports

USA, 2021 Townsend Cup champions

Robin Ormerod

USA (17) Winston Painter (2) Geronimo Obregon (7) Peln Escapite (8) Where: New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina as much experience in the arena as his team mates, managed to score three goals in the first chukka. The Ormerod brothers scored a goal apiece in the second chukka too, but a united show by Escapite and Obregon meant that the home team led 10-8 going into half-time.

For the second half, USA team coach, Tiger Kneece, implemented a new strategy to alter the pace of play and to try to avoid relying on a marginal advantage, but England were unwilling to backdown and continued to

BPP Samurai, played by Eden Ormerod and owned by Liv Berube

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England (17) Robin Ormerod (5) Julian Daniels (6) Eden Ormerod (6)

battle on and by the start of the final chukka, the home team led by just one goal. Escapite, who scored a total of eight goals for his team and was later named Most Valuable Player, demonstrated his toughness and offensive abilities, pushing the limits and even falling off in the fourth chukka. In the end, time was not on the visitors’ side and USA ran out the winners, 18-15, to chants of “U-S-A”.

Geronimo Obregon commented post-match, “Man, they’re rough! England is always rough. My experience playing against them is always intense. It’s tough to go around them and you’ve got to go through them, it’s hard.

They’re competitive.”

“It was a privilege to represent England in the Townsend Cup this year. I am very proud to have been able to play with my brother Eden, and Julian Daniels. It’s a pleasure to play good quality open arena polo in the US and with the game being close throughout and going down to the wire, a thrilling experience. We’re very grateful to the USPA and Newbridge Polo Club for being so accommodating.

Congratulations to team USA for a well earned win!”

Tae Ormerod

The Visiting HPA Steward

“The England team very much enjoyed their game against USA, which was hard fought on both sides and properly competitive.

We were very pleased finally to get out to USA and to experience the great friendly atmosphere of the US polo community with which we have so much in common.”

MVP Pelon Escapite

Polo Times, November 2021

31

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Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships

Reports

2

Juan Bollini closely defends Jared Shelton

10 Year Anniversary Polo, pooches & performances

021 saw The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships celebrate their 10 year anniversary and over 12,000 spectators attended this year’s event which featured four matches played throughout the day. The day is not only about the polo, with sideline entertainments including: a complimentary zip line that greeted guests in the parking lot for an enjoyable ride to the front entrance and a morning beer festival.

The Canine Couture Dog Fashion Show presented by Lugari Pet Salon; the World’s Longest Catwalk Fashion Show on Grass and performances by the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

The feature match of the day is always The Molina Cup, which this year saw Aspen Valley Polo Club pitted against La Mariposa Argentina Polo Club, with the Aspen Valley Polo Club team featuring mother-son duo of Melissa and Grant Ganzi. At half-time, La Mariposa Argentina Polo Club were ahead by two goals, with Nic Roldan sidelined by injury in the second chukka and replaced by Juan Bollini. After the break Aspen Valley Polo Club came out fighting and rallied to take the title with a 9-6 score.

In the other matches from the day, Arizona Polo Club defeated Medellin Polo Club 11-5, Grand Champions Polo Club beat Bogota 7-3 and Santa Fe, New Mexico defeated Jet Set Polo 6-5.

Where: Westworld of Scottsdale, Arizona

23 OCT

MVP Melissa Ganzi

Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships Molina Cup Teams Aspen Valley Polo Club Grant Ganzi Melissa Ganzi Juan Bollini

Photography by Bruce Yeung

La Mariposa Argentina Polo Club Martin Morey/Keri McKeone Mariano Darritchon Jared Shelton

Aspen Valley Polo Club, winners of The Molina Cup

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Polo Times, November 2021

33

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Club Focus

Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Houston Polo Club

Photograph by Kaylee Wroe

Photograph by Tedworth Park Polo Club

Tedworth Park Polo Club

ML Bar Ranch, winners of The H. Ben Taub Memorial Final Team Legal Action, winners of The Valete Cup

The weekend 25 – 26 September saw the Club host its last grass tournament of the season, with the family team of Legal Action securing both The Valete Cup and The Scarlett Lancers Trophy for the most team points scored this season. Action returned at the Club on 30 – 31 October with their first arena chukkas.

Westcroft Park Polo Club The Club has announced its 2021/2022 Fixtures Card for the upcoming arena season which sees their arena open on 6 – 7 November with club chukkas and practices.

Highlights of the season include The Bolebrook Bowl 15 Goal Victor Ludorum (11 – 19 December), The Surrey Hills Winter Trophy 12 Goal Victor Ludorum (5 – 6 February) and the club’s Schools Tournament (12 – 13 March).

On Sunday 26 September, ML Bar Ranch secured the 2021 H. Ben Taub Memorial Final with a score of 11-8 against Horsegate/ Tonkawa. ML Bar Ranch enjoyed an undefeated road to the final, while Horsegate/Tonkawa had a tougher time and had to survive a three-way sudden death Semi Final shootout for their place in Sunday’s Final. Joe Wayne Barry was named Most Valuable Player and Summer (Cape Town x Jill Miner), a 16-year-old Thoroughbred mare, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

The H. Ben Taub Memorial Final Teams: ML Bar Ranch: Abby Benton, Cody Ellis, Drew Luplow & Joe Wayne Barry Horsegate/Tonkawa: Jeff Hildebrand, Jimmy Seward, Lance Stefanakis & Shane Rice

La Aguada Polo Club

A new tournament, the Amateur Tournament, has been added to the Club’s Spring season schedule; the 24 goal amateur handicap tournament will be played over 16 – 28 November, followed by The Julio Novillo Astrada Cup (22 goal) 16 – 30 November, La Aguada Ladies Cup (16 goal) 29 November – 4 December and Spring Cup (14 goal) 28 November – 9 December.

Boston Polo Club

Photograph by Anabella Dante

The National Sherman Memorial culminated on Saturday 9 October between Boston Polo Club (Mark Tashjian, Justin Daniels & Rehan Kumble) and AVID (Federico Wulff, Ariadne Dogani & Kathleen Reagan). AVID began the match with a one goal handicap advantage, but Boston Polo Club swiftly eroded the deficit with two consecutive goals of their own.

AVID managed to build up a substantial lead, topped with an impressive six goals in the fourth chukka, which saw them take home the title, 16-10. Ariadne Dogani was chosen as the Most Valuable Player and a 13-year-old chestnut Quarter Horse mare Corona, played and owned by Mark Tashjian, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

AVID, winners of The National Sherman Memorial 36

Polo Times, November 2021

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Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Kings Polo Club Photograph by Kings Polo Club

Photograph courtesy of Cowdray Park Polo Club

Cowdray Park Polo Club

Club Focus

Kings Polo, winners of The VAS Master Cup

Over 1,000 kids competed in the Mini Rugby Festival In early October, although the polo season was put to bed for another year, the Club hosted over 1,000 players between seven to 10-years-old at the Club for Midhurst RFC’s Mini Rugby Festival!

Twilight Polo Club

Photograph by Tony Gibson

Photograph by Candace Ferreira for ChukkerTV

Grand Champions Polo Club

Congratulations to Kings Polo who lifted The VAS Master Cup after defeating Kabnoury in the Final at Kings Polo Club, Egypt, with Mansour El Sewedy chosen as the Most Valuable Player.

Seminole Coconut Creek Casino, winners of The Fall Classic Title

On Sunday 17 October, Seminole Coconut Creek Casino opened the season at Grand Champions Polo Club with a win in The Fall Classic at Santa Rita Polo Farm with a 9-7 win against NetJets. Brandon Phillips, playing in only his fourth game since major back surgery in May, was named Most Valuable Player and commented, “I played in quite a bit of pain for the last year and when I blew it out it was time for surgery. As long as I did my rehab properly there was no reason I couldn’t play again.”

The Fall Classic Title Final Teams: Seminole Coconut Creek Casino: Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Brandon Phillips & Juan Bollini NetJets: Leo Mandelbaum, Sugar Erskine, Pablo Spinacci & Marc Ganzi

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2021 United States Arena Handicap 2021 United winners, States Hotels Arena AtHandicap Sea winners, Hotels At Sea

Following on from their recent National Arena Chairman’s Cup success, Hotels at Sea claimed their second national tournament title with The United States Arena Handicap on Saturday 2 October.

Following their 18-14 win, Hotels at Sea not only claimed the title but also the $20,000 prize money.

The United States Arena Handicap Final Teams: Hotels at Sea (12): Tareq Salahi (0), Tolito Ocampo Jnr. (7) & Marcos Bignoli (5) Core Real Estate (10): Andrew Baldwin (0), Wyatt Harlow (4) & John Gobin (6)

Polo Times, November 2021

37

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International & Home

Women’s Polo

Myriam Heguy Cups

Photograph by Matias Callejo

On Monday 11 October, the Women’s Polo tournament for The Myriam Heguy Cups, organised by the AAP, came to an end. This year’s competition saw 13 teams compete. The higher handicap section, 17-22 goal, was secured by the undefeated Polo Do (Clara Buhar (0), Clara Martínez Ferrario (4), Sol López Llames (7) & Hazel Jackson (10)), who defeated LDPR Amanará, 12-9. The 7-10 goal Gold and Silver Cups were won by Las Monjitas - Sunra P. T. (Juana Lavinia (0), Felicitas Páez Allende (1), Catalina Lavinia (4) & Bianca Pagano (3)) and Cuatro Vientos (Serena Uranga (0), Alma María Uranga (1), Esperanza Uranga (4) & Azucena Uranga (5)) respectively. Interestingly, Cuatro Vientos – winners of The Silver Cup – was made up entirely of the four daughters of the President of the AAP, Delfín Uranga!

Pol Do, winners of the 17-22 goal Myriam Heguy Cup

The Ladies Charity Cup Photograph by Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club

On Friday 29 Ocotber, Hesketh Polo secured the third edition of The Ladies Charity Cup, the team’s third consecutive win in the tournament. Held in association with Al Jalila Foundation and Brest Friends, gathers the strength of women in the sport of polo in honour of the breast cancer awareness advocacy. The day featured two matches, a pink-themed picnic area, a shopping village, free breast examinations from SEHA, prizes for the bestdressed ladies and competitions with valuable prizes.

The first match of the day saw Pink Warriors secure a 5-2 win against Pink Soldiers, while the second match of the day was the ladies match between Hesketh Polo and Lionesses Polo. Hesketh Polo dominated the first half and despite a comeback from their opposition, managed to secure a half goal win, 4½-4. Georgina Brittany was the Most Valuable Player and Madel, an Al Habtoor Polo Academy horse, was the Best Playing Pony.

Action from The Ladies Charity Cup

Southeastern Circuit Women’s Challenge The 14 goal Southeastern Circuit Women’s Challenge Final took place at New Bridge Polo & Country Club on Friday 1 October with Mid State Roofing vs Roseland Polo. Both teams had met earlier in the competition, which saw Mid State Roofing claim a narrow half goal win, 8½-8. Entering the Final undefeated, Mid State Roofing held Roseland Polo scoreless in the first three chukkas, while Hope Arellano ploughed ahead throughout the match, scoring an impressive 10 of her team’s overall 11 goals. In the end, Mid State Roofing ran out the winners, 11-3½, with Arellano named Most Valuable Player and a 10-year-old chestnut gelding played by Sophie Grant, chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

Photograph by Alex Pacheco

Southeastern Circuit Women’s Challenge Final Teams: Mid State Roofing: Robyn Leitner, Brinkley Erb, Reagan Leitner & Hope Arellano Roseland Polo: Connell Erb, Tessa Walton, Summer Kneece, Sophie Grant, substitute Maddie Grant & substitute Kaylin Bender Mid State Roofing’s Robyn Leitner

For Women’s polo dates for your diary, turn to our What’s On pages

Polo Times, November 2021

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Youth

All Aspects of Youth Polo

Intercolegial Tournament 2021

Photograph by Matias Callejo

The main Final saw Los Robles Blue defeat New Zealand White by just half a goal, 11-10½, despite having given away a 4½ goal handicap advantage at the start of the match; for Cruz Heguy this was his third win in the tournament, having previously won for the St. Catherine’s Moorlands team.

The Subsidiary Final for The Copa Zeus was won by Los Robles Yellow who beat Los Médanos 8-5 and The Bronze Cup was lifted by New Zealand Black following their 10-5½ win over St. Catherine’s Moorlands B.

Los Robles Blue, winners of The Santa Paula Cup

The AAP held The Intercolegial Tournament for The Santa Paula Cup, donated in 1951 by the Rynal brothers in homage to their mother Doña Paula Llauró de Reynal, on Monday 4 October in Pilar. This year’s competition saw 12 teams between 0 to 15 goals compete across three zones.

Intercolegial Tournament 2021 Teams: Los Robles Blue (15): Antonio Heguy (4), Juan C. Gallegos (3), Matías Mac Donough (3) & Cruz Heguy (5) New Zealand White (10): Lorenzo Chavanne (2), Felipe Bargalló (3), Santos Merlos (3) & Juan Guerrero (2) Los Robles Yellow (7): Juan Banchero (1), Gonzalo Garrahan (1), Silvestre Heguy (3) & Ginés Bargalló (2) Los Médanos (4): Fermín Prado (1), Juan C. Albino (0), Tomás Delfino (2) & Baltazar Jauretche (1) New Zealand Black (5): Blas Bensadón (1), Tomás Bayugar (2), Salvador Pagano (0) & Beltrán Laulhé (2) St. Catherine´s Moorlands B (1): Luisa del Carril (0), Juan de Narváez (0), Facundo Goti (1) & Santos García Laborde (0)

New Zealand Cup 2021

Photograph by Matias Callejo

Photograph by Matias Callejo

Thai Polo Secure Youth Handicap

Chapaleufú Thai Polo, winners of the II Youth Handicap

This year saw seven youth teams between 10 and 18 goals, with a maximum player age of 21-years-old, compete in the II Youth Handicap. The Final was played on Monday 25 October on Court 7 of the Alfredo Lalor Headquarters in Pilar. Chapaleufú Thai Polo sacrificed a four goal handicap advantage, as they outstripped La Irenita 17 goals to 13; despite La Irenita’s much lower handicap on paper they put up a strong fight and Chapaleufú Thai Polo only took the title 12-11, with Ned Hine scoring the golden goal in an extra chukka.

II Youth Handicap Final Teams: Chapaleufú Thai Polo (17): Nicolás Díaz Alberdi (4), Bautista Riglos (5), Ned Hine (3) & Javier Guerrero (5) La Irenita (13): Tomás Delfino (2), Juan Cruz Gallegos (3), Federico Panzillo (5), & Matías Mac Donough (3) 40

Polo Times, November 2021

New Zealand White, winners of The New Zealand Cup 2021

On Monday 4 October, the Argentine Polo Association (AAP) held their third New Zealand Cup, which sees six representative teams from four schools compete. This year saw New Zealand White secure The New Zealand Cup and first place with an 11-0 win against Oak Hill Pilar, New Zealand Black secured The Silver Cup and Cardinal Newman lifted The Bronze Cup.

For Youth polo dates, please turn to our What’s On pages

Youth

All Aspects of Youth Polo

Argentine Junior Championship

On Monday 18 October, the Cambiaso-Castagnola cousins secured an impressive 15-4 win against La Varzea La Suerte in The Argentine Junior Championship Final, alongside Rufino Bensadon, in Pilar. Five teams between 16 and 33 goals entered this year’s competition, with a player age limit of 21-years-old. This was La Natividad’s third tournament win, having also lifted the title in 2018 and 2019 (the tournament was cancelled due to Covid-19 in 2020), but individually it was Barto Castagnola’s fourth win, Jeta Castagnola’s third win, Bensadon’s second win and for Poroto Cambiaso it was his inaugural Argentine Junior Championship title.

The Machi Trotz Award, in tribute to Máximo ‘Machi’ Trotz who sadly passed away in a polo accident in 1983 aged 20-years-old, was presented to Lucas Criado Jr. Photograph by Matias Callejo

La Natividad, winners of The Argentine Junior Championship

Argentine Junior Championship Final Teams: La Natividad (33): Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola (9), Rufino Bensadón (7), Adolfo ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso Jr. (8) & Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. (9) La Varzea La Suerte (19): Bautista García (5), Ignacio Arbelbide (5), Lucas Criado Jr. (4) & Teodoro Lacau (5)

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Polo Times, November 2021

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A Round-Up of Military Polo Action

Military

USA vs England Across the Pond Major Peter Hunter reports

Churchill-Roosevelt Cup & The Help4Heroes Military International

Tagged onto The Townsend Cup (please turn to page 30 for a full Report), the US Military Polo Association issued a similar Military invitation to the Hurlingham Polo Association.

The England teams were still constrained by quarantine and had to spend 14 days in variously Canada, Ecuador and Jamaica, although usefully Julian Daniels is based with his ponies mostly in Florida.

Churchill-Roosevelt Cup

Photography by USPA/Shelly Marshall Schmidt

The Churchill-Roosevelt Cup honours the famed legacies of each respective military leader by assembling military affiliated polo players from across the United States and the United Kingdom and was first played for in 2019. The Churchill-Roosevelt Cup went ahead as planned on Saturday 9 October, although the pony practice had to be cancelled. This saw three seasoned players from the US Navy, Army and Coastguard play skilfully against a better looking(!), but less experienced British all-Army team.

Captain Albany Mulholland has improved leaps and bounds since I last saw him about four years ago and he scooted about, on fire, to score seven of our eight goals. I scored the eighth and Captain James CochraneDyet helped by marking really well in his first ever full match – talent on the rise. The US Team played more coherently and played consistently to build up a final lead of 11-8, closer than it seemed to the expert local arena crowd.

USPA Armed Forces’ Lieutnant JG Rob DiRado

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The British Armed Forces in action – Major Peter Hunter and Captain Albany Mulholland

The Help4Heroes Military International Major Mark Gillespie brilliantly organised The Churchill-Roosevelt Cup then played two chukkas, a week later in The Help4Heroes Military International down at Hilton Head on the sun-drenched coast on Sunday 17 October.

Only one big match a year is allowed on the Rose Hill Plantation Equestrian Centre grounds, so we kicked off with the US Army Parachute team landing four skydivers centre field ; this didn’t amuse the ponies who withdrew to a safe distance…

Not many people know that former CEO USPA Joe Meyer only took up polo aged 39-years-old and previously served as an Armour Major in Germany and at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where I also did two years as British Exchange Officer – I was sadly not helping to count the Gold as I had told the Mayor’s wife, when she questioned the British being given spare bars for free! Hilton Head however had put on a massive show with

one side full of family gazebos/tailgating and the Commentary Side with many Sponsored Tents and stands for the the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes. A sizeable crowd of about 2,000 gathered and were also treated before the match to a young persons’ horse and disabled riding show. The match played well in a fast, open manner on a great field between nine veterans including Majors Gillespie and Hunter in the two teams – 200 Club of the Coastal Empire in blue against the green shirts of the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes. The historic Lowcountry team ran out the winners by 4-2 and received local souvenir Bronze Pineapple Cocktail Shakers as prizes.

Thanks go to co-organisers Savannah Harbor Foundation, Colonel Dana Marsh retired, David Moses and Patton Legacy Sports dedicated to the memory of General George S Patton (a noted Army Polo player) and his commitment to “Athleticism, Self Discipline, Camaraderie, Strategy and Courage”.

2021 Churchill-Roosevelt Cup Champions, USPA Armed Forces

Polo Times, November 2021

43

Military

A Round-Up of Military Polo Action

On Thursday 14 October, the Finals for The Francisco Ceballos Cup, Lt. Cnl. Rubén Fernández Sarraúa Cup and Ingot Cup – organised by The San Jorge Military Equestrian Club – were played for. Puesto Viejo defeated Hurlingham, 11-9, to take home The Francisco Ceballos Cup; Pingüinos won 11-8 against Área 60 to lift The Tte. Cnl. Rubén Fdez. Sarraúa Cup and C7 secured a 12-4 win against Libres del Sur to take home The Ingot Cup.

Photograph by Paula Madina

San Jorge Military Equestrian Club Puesto Viejo, winners of The Francisco Ceballos Cup

National Arena Commander -in-Chief Cup the Navy’s attack.” Despite a re-organisation by the Navy, the Army’s momentum continued and they raised the trophy with a final score of 14-9.

The win also meant that the Army became the first double winner of the title, having also lifted it in 2018. Zak Coleman was chosen as the Most Valuable Player and Frederico, a 21-year-old gelding, owned by the University of Virginia polo team and played by Coleman, was named Best Playing Pony.

The National Arena Commander-in-Chief Cup Final Teams: Army: Zak Coleman, Amos Peterson, Mark Gillespie & Joe England Navy: Alex Jenkins, Sang Yi, Rob DiRado

Photograph by Oana Moore

This year’s edition of The National Arena Commander-in-Chief Cup Final was played between the Army and Navy at Virginia Polo, Inc. on Sunday 3 October. The Navy team received a one goal handicap advantage and their team work resulted in a goal from each player in the first chukka to take the score to 4-1 in the first chukka. The Army brought with them four players to the Final and rotated effectively to swiftly fight back and by half-time the scores were tied at 5-5. Amos Peterson commented on his team’s strategy, “We failed to convert on a number of balls in the mouth of the goal early in the match, however, with communication and working together as a team we were able to finally build some momentum and shut down

Army’s Joe-England vs Navy’s Alex Jenkins

Better polo!

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Polo Times, November 2021

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Knowledge

Chukka Wellness

India Parker-Smith is the founder and owner of Chukka Wellness which provides the leading training and movement methodology designed for the equestrian athlete to enhance suppleness, stability and strength in the saddle. India is a Personal Trainer who offers online and offline fitness training designed to elevate the well-being of the equestrian athlete. Using her knowledge of seven years she has created a series of masterclasses, a virtual membership hub and online training programmes all designed to complement the equestrian’s health and wellness both in and out of the saddle. You will find more information on India’s services on her website www.chukkawellness.co.uk and Instagram page @chukka_wellness

Your Winter Workout Guide Staying fit & healthy throughout winter We always recommend players give their bodies a well-deserved rest after the UK summer season. This is essential to avoid burn out, to rest any aches or pains and focus on resetting before the next season begins.

However, many players avoid starting back up their fitness training after this rest period until at least a few weeks before the next summer season begins. This long period of no exercise followed by an intense season playing can be hard on the body: • Muscles are now unconditioned to the movement patterns of polo leading to a potential strain or pull.

• If injuries haven’t been addressed; they may start to flare back up again causing the player to pull out of tournaments.

• Cardio fitness is low leading to a longer recovery period in-between chukkas and a reduction in mental alertness during play.

• If core strength hasn’t been maintained; players are more susceptible to back issues!

Stay Supple If you are focusing on addressing some mechanical issues; an effective mobility routine can help ease aches and pains. Try these movements to stay supple throughout winter. Keep the exercises dynamic moving in and out of the stretch.

Low Lunge with Thoracic Twist Thread the Needle Child’s Pose Hamstring Stretch 46

Polo Times, November 2021

Photography by Chukka Wellness

Stating the obvious – to avoid many of these issues we recommend staying fit and healthy throughout the winter period.

We like to break down training programmes into Pre-Season, On-Season & Off-Season and for many the winter months are the Off-Season!

Here is where you can choose to either increase the intensity of your workouts to bulletproof the body for the next season and/ or focus on body maintenance and injury rehab.

Regardless of what your main focus is on, here are a few exercises to help you with your basic polo fitness.

Thread the Needle Child’s Pose

• Single Leg Glute Bridge on your toes (Hip Stability, Core Control, Glute activation) Lying on your back lift your hips off the ground and come up onto your tip toes.

Keeping one leg bent at a 90 degree bend slowly lift the leg keeping the hips square.

Hold and gently rest it back on the ground.

Switch legs – 10-15 reps per leg.

Low Lunge with Thoracic Twist Stay Stable We don’t want to lose any stability in the joints so try these functional exercises to keep those polo muscles active.

Split Lunge (Hip, Leg & Ankle Stability) • Start in standing position and fall out to one side landing with a bent leg and your hips pushed back. Keeping the core tight, squeeze your glute and leg muscles to bring you back up to the starting position. Switch legs – 15-20 reps per leg. www.polotimes.co.uk

Chukka Wellness • Kneeling Shoulder Press (Hip Stability, Shoulder Stability, Glute Strength) Start on your knees, squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight. Bring your arm with the weight up to a 90 degree bend. Slowly extend your arm up in to the air and then back down to 90 degrees.

Leg Sweeps (Hip Stability) • Start on one leg and lifting the other foot up off the ground sweep it in a semi circle around your body. You should feel the glute muscles in your standing leg activate to hold you in this position. Hold for 45 seconds per leg.

• Single arm row (Shoulder & Back Stability) Starting in a split stance lean forward with your torso ensuring your core and back muscles are engaged. Slowly raise the arm holding the weight keeping your elbow close to your side. You should feel a squeeze in your mid back muscles.

Knowledge

Stay Fit Riders need to be able to recover quickly in-between chukkas and game days so having a good level of cardio fitness can prolong good quality play time.

Try adding in 1-2 cardio sessions a week including a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic training sessions.

Aerobic – 5K run/cycle/swim and focus on improving your time.

Anaerobic – 8-10x 100m hill sprints (running, cycling) ** We highly recommend seeing a Physio or Chiropractor before restarting any training after the season. For those based near the Cowdray area we recommend Chiropractor and fellow Polo Times contributor, Matt Kenna.

Health Check Any fitness training programme requires a strong immune system making nutrition an important element to your overall health – especially with the ‘it’s not covid cold’ going around!

Here are some basic things you can start implementing into your daily schedule: • Lots of filtered water • Take a good quality Vitamin C and D supplement and Omega 3 • Rest is Best if you are feeling unwell • Lean proteins, organic vegetables and fatty foods such as avocados and oily fish.

Struggle With Motivation?

If you require some more guidance or struggle to your training programme, Chukka Wellness offers a range of virtual services such as: • 8 Week Pre-Season Training Programme which includes daily workouts, meal suggestions, warm ups and stretches.

• Membership hub full of ‘follow-along’ workouts, mobility routines, stretches and nutritional advice.

• If you are looking to continue playing polo through the winter months and are desperate for some sun – we will be working at La Tarde Polo Club in Argentina. Along with daily Stick & Ball sessions and Chukkas, we will also be providing daily warm ups and stretching sessions with the option to try some 1-2-1 fitness training with us too!

Book Now: www.latardepoloclub.com Take Home Note By staying fit and healthy throughout the next five months will reduce the necessity for an intense pre-season fitness programme. This in turn will open up more time to focus on prepping your string and less time worrying about injuries!

www.polotimes.co.uk

Polo Times, November 2021

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Knowledge

Nutrition Focus

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

Why Do They Eat That?

Addressing annoying eating habits

I am often asked about some habits that horses may develop, why they do it and whether they can be reduced or stopped.

Habits, those annoying habits such as wood chewing, eating and licking the soil or eating the bedding or droppings – any of these sound familiar?

These, sometimes frustrating, habits we see our horses doing at times are called Pica – unusual eating behaviours. They are often triggered by boredom or curiosity but can also be triggered by a nutritional deficiency in the diet.

Of course, they may not all be nutrition related, and sometimes they can become behavioural habits that, once started, are hard to stop! In my job, I am always trying to look at the bigger picture as to why they have developed that behaviour and whether I can suggest anything on a nutritional basis to possibly stop or reduce the behaviour.

Soil Eating (Geophagia)

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Polo Times, November 2021

Wood Chewing (Lignophagia)

This can often begin when there is a lack of fibre in the diet, either when stabled to imitate trickle feeding, or in the field when the grass is wet and they can’t consume enough fibre to satisfy the needs of their hind gut.

So, whilst stabled we need to allow them more time to eat and chew by increasing their general fibre intake of hay or haylage.

If the haylage is wet and they are chewing wood in the stable then increase the amount you are feeding or offer some hay with it to increase the fibre intake by counteracting for the high-water content in the wet haylage.

Photography by Polo Times

Horses that spend a lot of their time stabled or even those turned out to pasture can be seen doing this, and they could be doing it for different reasons. For those stabled and in work it would be worth ensuring their diet is balanced – sometimes analysing the forage can help to determine any deficiencies.

Sometimes providing a mineral/salt lick to provide those extra salts that may be lacking can be helpful. If they are sweating regularly then adapting a programme to ensure they are receiving electrolytes will be necessary.

If you give them a salt/mineral lick and you notice they are drinking a lot more and their bed becomes a lot wetter, I would suggest removing the lick for a time as they are over-indulging in and drinking more as a consequence as their salt levels are out of balance – this may happen if an individual is particularly greedy! You could instead add a tablespoon of salt in the feed every day if you feel the licks are being consumed rather rapidly!

Eating soil whilst turned out can also be noticed at times which could also be a lack of sodium in their diet. As with the stabled horse,

Whilst turned out on plenty of grass, perhaps during their winter break, you may question why they would be wood chewing when there is an abundance of grass in front of them, but it is often natural for them to forage and nibble on bark in hedgerows for instance. They may also be excused if the grass is too wet and they are not receiving enough fibre in their diet as the water content of the grass is very high and not satisfying their fibre needs. To help with this during certain times of the year, offer some long forage, hay or haylage, to allow them to increase the fibre part of their diet.

Sometimes a disturbance in the beneficial bacteria in the hind gut with the hind gut becoming too acidic can be a cause of wood chewing, and in this case, I will often recommend adding a pre/probiotic supplement to their diet to help restore the balance of hind gut bacteria, which may then help to reduce/stop the habit.

providing a paddock lick can help to provide those extra minerals that may be missing.

Your horse suddenly eating soil in quite a significant way has been linked to gastric upsets – observing their droppings, forage intake, behaviour and talking to your vet would be suggested.

Wood chewing can be a result of a lack of diet fibre

Turned out with an abundance of grass, you may question why they would need to be wood chewing

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Nutrition Focus

Eating Droppings (Coprophagia)

This is often observed in foals and young horses. In foals it occurs most frequently during the first two to four months of life, and generally reduces as the foals mature. It is thought that this behaviour is playing a role in preparing the digestive tract (hind gut) for the bacterial fermentation of fibre as it matures.

In mature horses, where boredom may be likely in the stabled horse, they will engage in coprophagy when inadequate amounts of forage are being offered to satisfy their nutritional/fibre requirements. As mentioned previously, a minimum of 1.5 per cent of body weight daily in forage and concentrate should be offered, any less and the digestive tract can start to be compromised. Mimicking trickle feeding/grazing is possible in the stabled horse by offering little and often for those greedy individuals!

Sometimes the rapidly growing spring grass or the wet autumn grass has a high water content, which can encourage the eating of droppings to satisfy the need to chew and increase their fibre intake, which is also where the wood chewing can become a problem.

Ensuring a balanced diet is being fed, increasing the fibre intake and providing a

Knowledge

pre/probiotic supplement can all help with reducing the acidic (acidosis) in the hind gut and reduce the amount of droppings being eaten – and not having to put muzzles on!

Eating the Bed

I wouldn’t generally class this as a behaviour like the other three above, but it is a frustrating habit that I know I am asked about in polo yards, so felt I would add it to this article.

Generally caused by a lack of fibre being received in the diet, and to satisfy their need to chew, they will eat their bed instead to increase the fibre intake in their ration. Rather than muzzling and stopping any chewing behaviour, we need to increase the fibre intake – check you are feeding more than the minimum of 1.5 per cent of bodyweight in fibre per day, encourage trickle feeding throughout the day by little and often amounts or using small holed haylage nets.

If you are feeding ad lib forage and they are still turning to their bed, especially a straw bed to satisfy their fibre intake, this is more than likely caused by the hay/haylage not being palatable, either from poor storage, the forage being open to the elements – especially if cats or dogs are in the hay barn, or the forage being stalky and coarse and

The rapidly growing spring grass or the wet autumn grass has a high water content which can encourage the eating of droppings to satisfy the need to chew

therefore not palatable or very digestible.

Looking for an alternative hay/haylage source, mixing a new forage with the old, or providing additional fibre supplementation in a separate feed bowl, such as alfalfa, beet pulp or freeze dried grasses, will all help pick up the forage intake again and reduce the amount of bedding being eaten.

C ontact Lorna Edgar of Baileys Horse Feeds on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

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Polo Times, November 2021

49

Knowledge

Equine Chiropractor

Matt Kenna is a fully qualified veterinary and sports chiropractor working with elite athletes and their horses. He is currently working providing consultancy to premiership football teams, high goal players and treats horses across all levels of polo from low goal to high goal. Based between Guards and Cowdray, he travels all over the south of England.

The Equine Leg

Prehabilitation is the best rehabilitation

Matt performing class iv laser therapy to a 95 per cent tear of the DDF tendon – managed in conjunction with the vet a very important point

We all dread it; the tendon injury, ligament damage, a muscle tear, however, such issues are part and parcel of managing and looking after performance horses. Tendon injuries, under veterinary management include two to three months box rest and then an integrated return to activity to load the tissue properly. In the middle of the season, having your best horse go down with one is not only inconvenient but also comes with huge emotional conflict, for us and the horse.

When trying to understand the equine legs, it is important to know that the hind limb and the forelimb have very different ways of attaching themselves to the axial skeleton 50

Polo Times, November 2021

(main body) on the horse. The hind limb is attached through bones and joints, the hip joint to be precise, which is the top of the femur forming a relationship with the ilium, which is a part of the pelvis. The forelimb however isn’t attached in the same way.

The shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint), is a relationship between the top of the humerus and the scapula, the latter of which has no boney attachment to the body, it is held in place by muscles and ligaments alone.

The equine leg upon visual inspection, is strikingly thin in diameter when comparing it to the rest of the horse’s body. This allows for it to be light and aerodynamic, a key

feature in a flight animal, which equates to speed when running away. Although helpful for this purpose, it comes with its disadvantages.

As the horse goes through the different gait cycles and speed increases, so does the load through each limb.

At a walk, around half the horses total body weight goes through each limb, so roughly 250kg when thinking of a polo pony (assuming 500kg total body weight). When speeding up a little to trot, this increases to full body weight through each limb, due to the four-beat nature of the gait pattern. However, when looking at canter, this increases to 2.5 times body weight going through each limb, around 1.25 tonnes and will increase again for gallop. Throw into that the ballistic power, stopping and turning and flat out pace required in a chukka and you can really start to see what our incredible four legged athletes go through for us. This really highlights the need for correct exercise programming and diet. An additional 100kg in bodyweight can equate to 250kg of extra weight through each limb, so contacting Lorna at Baileys to get your horse nutrition right is a great idea! Striking a balance between proper musculature and healthy weight is key. By no means should this mean horses ‘should be run light’ as the saying goes, but do be conscious of keeping them cautiously on the heavy side.

My favourite definition of injury is; failure of a tissue (muscle, ligament, tendon or cartilage) to adapt to the load. Adaptation is key and doesn’t come quickly. Whilst cardiovascular fitness (heart and lung health) comes relatively quickly, soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage adapt to training at a much slower rate. It is my belief that many horses are rushed back into work and lack a variety in their work in the lead up to a season.

Things like road work and hill work; up/down, forwards/backwards, are key pieces of advice I offer to clients. Concussion (the force going through the hoof, bone and tendons) will not cause damage; if light and increased at a gentle rate, it will actually strengthen the tissues, increasing collagen lay down.

Variation, actual rest, recuperation (easier days) and well-timed programming will all help tissue to adapt and decrease the likelihood of injury, hence why it’s called ‘pre-habiliation’; www.polotimes.co.uk

Equine Chiropractor

Joss Ridley, Jayne Darling-Parks & Claire Allen

Knowledge

it’s the notion of helping to stop things going wrong in the first place.

When a bone or muscle gets injured and consequently repairs, it can Susie Godwin & Barrie Uptondo so fully. The same can’t be said for tendons, ligaments and cartilage, our aim for healing these tissues is to get them as close to ‘normal’ as possible or the likelihood of re-injury is higher. Therefore, A delicious lunch when these type of injuries do occur, it is extremely important to address them as quickly as possible with the best approach.

CPPC Christmas Party; Cowley Manor, Cheltenham; Laser therapy, non-heating class iii and Friday 13 December iv veterinary lasers to be specific, are a key weapon in the arsenal of addressing these injuries and speeding up healing time whilst reducing pain.

They &do this through Christine Williams Duncan Branch clever With Christmas on the horizon, Cirencester Park Polo Club inhibitory interactions with pain producing members and friends gathered to celebrate the festive season cells and encourage healing cells to infiltrate at the iconic Cowley Manor near Cheltenham. Alongside a into injured tissues. Alongside a good delicious lunch, served to perfection by the lovely Cowley veterinary management and progressive staff, there was laughter and festive cheer aplenty, as guests rehab programme, we can, as a team, aim exchanged Christmas tidings of great joy! With all eyes turned to get the horses back with the maximum to the 2020 season, gossip flew around the room – who will potential healing possible. the next big Ciren star be? Which pros will play for which The best option, and more importantly, teams next year? Who will take the most falls? Suffice to say, cheaper, less painful and emotionally draining a wonderful lunch was had by all; the perfect way to begin a option, is to include variety in training and thrilling festive season. early preparation!

Ciren Does Christmas

Peter O’Rorke, Matt Evetts & Tony Haynes

Photography by Matt Kenna

Photography by John Hankin Yanna Mudie,The Ginny Williams Natalie equine hind &limb: the Meredith red shows bone and green showing the bones meeting and forming the joints of the hip and SI joint

The equine fore limb: the red shows bones of the humerus and scapula and yellow showing the muscular attachment on the scapula to the axial skeleton

Web: Maureen www.mkchiro.co.uk Moseley, Georgie Seddon-Brown @theequinechiro & Isabel Branch @theequinechiro

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+44 (0) 7834 551 357 Polo Times, November 2021

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Medical Insight: Polodoc

Dr.med. Andreas Krüger is a Swiss board orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in Zurich, who specialises in knee and shoulder surgery. Andi is a second generation of tournament doctors for equine sports, known as Polodoc since 2013

Lifehack – Motion is Lotion

Diagnostics

Clinical examination with focus on the posture and muscle status is a good starting point. Controlling the lumbar muscles for insufficiency or imbalance is key. Even small

From the office to the pitch

Every polo player knows that feeling when the lower back is sore and asks for some attention. Three million years ago, mankind started to stand up and walk in an upright position. Since the desktop computer moved in, many people changed this main standing position back to a sitting work posture. The majority of us nowadays do mental work but also physical labour is executed in the sitting position. Many people with a mandatory sedentary work style seek for compensation in their leisure time. With polo, these ‘normal’ sitting habits may generate some extra load to the lower back due to ‘special’ sitting habits while riding and playing in a bend forward position. In general, the lower back is the hot spot and crossing site where the forces from the upper and lower extremity meet. With little adjustments – lifehacks – you can perform better and stay out of the back trap.

Problem Inside

Desktop work, sitting in the office for long hours in a poor posture, can increase the pressure on the spine and adjunct joints.

Laptop and phone use involve us hunching in a turtle-like posture with our neck and head rounding forward. This can contribute

MRI: Red Circle shoes a Lumbar spine disk disease

3D body contour analysis can detect structural alignment problems Hunching can create low back pain due to disk strain

Poor sitting posture in the office can lead to back pain

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Polo Times, November 2021

to lower back pain because the discs that cushion our spinal vertebrae are strained.

Additional load and strain are also affecting the lumbar spine while riding, with peak forces while galloping as well as bending the upper trunk in combination with rotation while swinging the polo stick.

A combination of flexibility and muscle strength is a crucial prerequisite for doing these biomechanically demanding moves accurately – motion is lotion.

3D evaluation and clinical examination with focus on the posture and muscle status is a good starting point

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Medical Insight: Polodoc

muscle injuries can be a major problem for pain free movement. Additional analysis of your work ergonomics and sport habits should be included. Basic radiological work up with a standing X-ray can detect structural alignment problems or higher grades of degenerative joint disease. For diagnosis of overloaded facet joint or disc problems, a high-resolution MRI of the lumbar spine is recommended to exclude compression of nerve roots from spinal cord.

Focused sonographic assessment of the back muscles or facet joints can be helpful.

A LimbicChair® can encourage active sitting.

LimbicChair® can also be used like a mouse or track pad for computer stearing functions

most problems can be avoided before they start. When lower back pain is present a full medical analysis with clinical examination and MRI should be executed. Motion is lotion.

Recommendations

Mostly, the combination of bad working habits, poorly fitted equipment and overloading in the gym or on the horse can be the source of on-going lower back problems. With in-depth analysis and little lifehacks, a correction of these mostly work-

Photography by Polodoc

LimbicChair® with free movement of the lower body can train autochtone back muscles

Knowledge

Stretching during the day can resolve work-related back issues

related issues can be resolved. With active sitting such as with a LimbicChair, stretching during the day and adjusted work-out,

For more information on Polodoc contact Andreas Krüger at drmedkrueger@gmail.com or www.polodoc.ch

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53

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Playing Tips

Playing tips with Rege Ludwig

What a Polo Horse Can Do Renowned polo coach, Rege Ludwig gives his expert advice on how to get more out of your game

With your upper legs gripping strongly into your horse’s shoulders, whenever you lean your upper body forward and down, your upper legs move forward and down causing your weight 54

Polo Times, November 2021

and balance to move forward and down into your horse’s shoulders. The effect of that movement causes your horse to shift its balance forward and down to the same degree causing it to want to accelerate to the degree that you leaned forward and down.

Conversely, if you were to lean your upper body back and up, your strong upper leg grip is affectively lifting your horse’s front end; facilitating your horse’s ability to lower its hindquarters to decelerate.

If you were to lean your upper body left or right, you will be pushing down on the bolt on the side to which you are leaning, while lifting it on the other side. The change of your body leaning, changes your balance, which is influencing your horse’s balance, and causes it to begin moving in the direction you are leaning.

Another analogy I use is that of carrying a child on your shoulders (approximately twenty to twenty-five kilos (forty to fifty pounds). The effect that child produces on your ability to carry it is essentially the

Illustrations by Jean Abernathy

I am in no way suggesting that you have to know how to train a polo horse to play one in a game. However, if you have ever had the opportunity to train a polo horse, it would quickly become apparent that horses are not born knowing how to play polo. Just like the human polo player, the equine polo player must be trained and provided sufficient opportunities to implement that training.

Because the way you use yourself on the horse’s back affects the horse’s ability to play the game, you should be aware of how you are using your body, and how that use affects the horse’s ability to work with you and play the game for you.

Within the process of teaching the polo style of riding, I use the term horsemanship to stress the importance of communicating accurately to the horse. Along with the word horsemanship, I use the word ridermanship, which is a word I created while conducting a course in 1983 at the University of Virginia polo center. By the word ridermanship, I am referring to the way you use your body on your horse’s back to communicate what you want from the horse at any given moment.

Ridermanship is critical from the perspective that the most significant aspect of the polo style of riding is that of gripping into the horse’s shoulders with your upper legs.

Gripping with your upper legs is significant because your upper legs are the only direct contact you have to your horse, and every move you make with your upper body goes directly into your upper legs and into your horse’s shoulders.

Because of the affect your upper body balance produces on your horse’s balance, your horse has no choice but to respond to whatever move your upper body makes on its back.

Within the process of teaching the polo style of riding, I use an analogy that I refer to as, Bolt Through Knees. By the term, Bolt Through Knees, I am suggesting that the grip of your upper legs into your horse’s shoulders should be strong and constant.

same effect you produce on your polo horse’s ability to carry you.

If the child were too lean right, you are going right to the degree that the child leaned. Similarly, if you lean right on your horse’s back, the horse will move right to the degree that you leaned. That would be especially true if you had a bolt passing through your knees.

Your head is typically the first part of your body to move when initiating a lean.

Because of that, it would be beneficial to your horse if you were aware of the degree to which your head leaning affects your horse’s movement.

Most polo horses, in a game, have impulsion, and will respond to the slightest movement of your upper body going down into your upper legs, and into their shoulders. Upon your upper body moving, your horse is pretty much obligated to shift its balance to compensate for that change in your balance. A change in your horse’s balance results in its wanting to start to move in the direction you are leaning.

The reality of the situation is, if your www.polotimes.co.uk

Knowledge

Playing Tips upper legs are gripping strongly enough, something so seemingly insignificant as your head moving is enough of a signal to cause your horse to begin moving in the direction your head is moving. If the rest of your body were to follow in order, that message is delivered more completely, and will cause any horse with impulsion to respond correspondingly.

From my perspective, it is almost amazing to realize that I all I have to do is think right, look right without consciously trying to turn the horse, and the horse begins moving right.

That happened to me in the finals of a twelve-goal tournament I was playing in Houston, Texas. I was running fast next to the boards on my nearside with an

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opponent in hot pursuit next to me on my offside. I hit a nearside neck shot close to seventy-five yards straight toward goal. I was amazed at having hit such a shot at that speed, and quickly turned my head right to witness the effect of the shot.

As I turned my head to see the ball, my horse started moving right just as the opposing horse was passing us.

Fortunately, my horse had the intelligence to jump over the opposing horse’s back legs as they were stretched out behind the horse as it was passing in front of us.

Remembering the potential danger of that play still sends chills up my spine.

However, it also reminds me of how attuned a good polo horse can be to the moves a player makes on its back.

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• £6.50 9 • October 2021 Volume 26 • Issue

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We all like to watch our budget over the winter but sometimes you need to invest to reap the rewards. By supplementing the grass and hay/haylage over the winter with Paddock Power you can really boost your horse’s resilience to our unpredictable English winters. Right now, our horses are changing their coats from summer to winter, and this requires a lot of energy, vitamins, and minerals. These vitamins and minerals are not abundant in the traditional English pasture, and most of us have stopped hard feeding our horses.

Paddock Power Original will supplement what we are no longer getting from hard feed.

Most horses are running on reserves by the end of a full season, whatever the level, and need a pre-winter boost! Paddock Power provides what they need to help them have a fruitful winter and return in the spring recharged and eager to play.

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Polo Times, November 2021

55

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Tola Performance

Performance Coaching Case Study

Photograph by Emily Gordon

Jason coaches professionals to help and support them throughout their season, working with clients to help them maintain a good headspace and work on their personal development on and off the field.

Ed Banner-Eve

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Ed Banner-Eve has been working with Jason for over six months

Jason works with professionals to help and support them throughout the season and year, helping them to maintain a good headspace and work on their personal development on and off the field: “This season I have worked with Matt Perry and Jack Richardson in their high goal campaigns along with other pros in the lower levels.

Performance coaching is helping players by giving them a space to talk about their life and performance on and off the field and be open to questioning that can help them to gain more clarity over time about how they can develop. It’s not advice or polo specific advice, the players I coach are better than me so that wouldn’t necessarily work! But being able to understand life as a professional polo player does help a lot”.

Case Study: Ed Banner-Eve

I’ve worked with Ed for around six months now, we started working together when he was playing in Dubai in February, we speak on zoom most weeks keeping him on track with the things he is trying to achieve.

Without beating around the bush, Ed was struggling with a bad reputation on and possibly off the field, which he wanted to resolve. He also was keen to work on 56

Polo Times, November 2021

his personal growth and become a more rounded person looking openly at everything.

Being curious about all aspects of your performance and self is a good place to begin coaching from. Ed took to the ideas we created in sessions well and started to act on the areas he was trying to improve such as his fitness, organisation, reputation, personal habits and many more. www.polotimes.co.uk

Tola Performance

Knowledge

the unique, odd ways of the ‘polo life’. I had spoken to another player that had used Jason and they highly recommended him.

Q: How has it helped you with your performance or life?

A: I have always lived my life with the motto “the proof is in the pudding”. From my first session with Jason, I have improved and developed, for me there’s not much else that I can say. I have always been a hot-headed, outspoken person; especially on the field which has hindered my performance and reputation. Jason has helped me focus on the bigger picture and taught me how to break down that hot-headed temperament and take the stepping stones to improve, it’s worked.

Off the field Jason and I have worked together to see where I have been lacking and what tells/characteristics indicate this.

Once this had been done a solution can be applied. It’s a strategy I’ve not used before or previously thought of.

Q: How can it help others?

A: It can help people to understand themselves, find what they really want to improve on, set goals and help provide a suitable plan to reach those goals.

Photography courtesy of www.tolaperformance.com

Coaching is very much about the person, what they want to develop and the pathways they want to take. It enables them to set and explore goals, assess where they are currently, look at the options going forward and have a coach to keep them accountable. In polo there are a lot of decisions and changes that happen, whether you’re deciding what to do in the winter, where to base, what horse to sell or how many 0s to put on the end of your contract price. Decisions seem to be part of the process all the way through in polo. With Ed we’ve worked on things from his fitness, organisation, to his reputation on and off the

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field alongside a lot of other areas.

For me this quote sums up the power having a coach or external voice that can help you to work through various areas of your life: “We cannot solve our problems by thinking on the same level that we have used to create them” Einstein Q: When did you start coaching with Jason and why?

A: I started in February 2021. After seeking help with my playing as well as off-field vices and flaws. Previously I hadn’t found a person that I had connected with or understood

Q: Does ‘Performance Coaching’ have a place in polo and why?

A: Yes, I believe more so than other sports. Polo is highly stressful. It involves a lot of organising and has many variables for example, horses, grooms, transport, handicap, team changes and many more.

There is a lot of responsibility and change.

Unlike other sports polo doesn’t have many, if any, sports psychologists, or coaches/ mentors and so it’s an obvious gap in the industry and much needed. At the end of the day, it’s a professional sport so it needs the accompanying aspects to grow and help the players in the game be the best they can on and off the field.

Q: Do you think it’s important for people to have Personal Coach?

A: Some people don’t need one and don’t like to have one. That’s up to them.

Many others don’t realise how helpful and important one is until they take that first session or hear someone else in their industry using a coach. It’s very much social conformity that hinders many aspects of polo and the lifestyle it brings. I would say organise a call and see whether you think it could help you. Polo is a small world but everything is confidential and professional so you can be open and honest during sessions.

Contact Jason on tolaperfomance@gmail.com www.tolaperformance.com

Polo Times, November 2021

57

Sidelines

Gossip

CONGRATULATIONS CHARLTONS! Sophie and Max Charlton welcomed Romeo Maxwell Charlton into the world, three weeks early, on Thursday 30 September, weighing in at 6lb. He is a healthy happy baby and no doubt soon to be on a polo pony!

MINI MAWBY

Congratulations to Amy and Will Mawby on the bIrth of their son, Henry, born on Friday 22 October, much to the delight of his big sister Evie.

Tell us yours at gossip@polotimes.co.uk Anonymity guaranteed if you want it...

DOUBLE TROUBLE PETITE PEREZ

Congratulations to Katie and Martin Perez who welcomed baby Molly Rose Tania Perez into the world on Saturday 16 October!

Clare Papworth and Paul McClenaghan welcomed twins, Athea Beth (4lb 6oz) and Amara Clare (6lb 4oz), on Sunday 10 October.

ALL-YEAR EVENTS AT EMPIRE

Goldenvoice, the LA based promoter behind Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, has signed an agreement with Empire Polo Club until 2050, for full operational control which will open the door for allyear-round music festivals.

WTR Horse Transport Specialising in the safe transport of Polo Ponies from short UK journeys to European long journeys.

Based in Berkshire.

18 tonne auto, 11 stall Tristar • Front and rear cctv of horses • Roof fans • On-board pumped water tanks • 3.5 tonne stallion box • Operators’ licence • DEFRA approved for international transport • Drivers CPC • Type 2 long journey animal welfare transport certified • Level 2 City & Guilds long distance transport (driver) • Fully insured

Please call Dave 07958479896 WTRhorsetransport@gmail.com 58

Polo Times, November 2021

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Polo directory

What’s On – Polo Fixtures Winter Victor & Victrix Ludorum Dates 2021/22 15 Goal Westcroft Park Winter VL Tournament Emsworth HPA National Club Championships Black Bears Winter VL Tournament 10-12 Goal RCBPC HPA National Club Championships Emsworth Winter VL Tournament Black Bears Winter VL Tournament Westcroft Park Winter VL Tournament 4-6 Goal Black Bears Winter VL Tournament RCBPC HPA National Club Championships Emsworth Winter VL Tournament Westcroft Park Winter VL Tournament Druids Lodge Bodensee Trophy Winter Victrix 6 Goal Hickstead Winter Victrix Tournament Ash Farm Winter Victrix Tournament Black Bears Winter Victrix Tournament RCBPC Ladies British Open Victrix Ludorum

10/12/21 19/12/21 04/01/22 16/01/22 21/01/22 30/01/22 16/11/21 30/11/21 27/02/21 31/01/22

28/11/21 11/12/21 02/01/22 06/02/22

10/12/21 04/01/22 21/01/22 11/02/22 22/02/22

19/12/21 15/01/22 30/01/22 20/02/22 27/02/22

04/12/21 11/12/21 18/12/21 19/01/22

05/12/21 12/12/21 19/12/21 23/01/22

UK The below dates have been confirmed by clubs Druids Lodge Druids Autumn League Barfoot Bottle RCBPC The Richmond Trophy RCBPC Arena Challenge Trophy Westcroft Park The Opening Cup Westcroft Park The Windlesham Bowl RCBPC The Paul Castle Challenge RCBPC The Chairman’s Trophy Druids Lodge Fireside Polo Evening El Rosario Trophy RCBPC Winter Solistic Tournament RCBPC Challenge Matches Druids Winter League for Druids Lodge Chatanooga Salver Druids Lodge Druids Autumn League Finals Pig Trophy Druids Lodge Fireside Polo Evening Watersfield Trophy RCBPC The Jim McEnteggart Trophy Druids Lodge Data-IS Lismore Trophy Druids Lodge Valentine Trophy Druids Winter League Finals Druids Lodge Renshaw Trophy RCBPC The Olin Trophy RCBPC Gold Cup RCBPC The Katie Tunn TBC International Test Match TBC International Test Match

2 to 4 7 to 10 0 to 4 5 to 8 13 to 15 4 to 6 8 2 to 4 Open

31/10/12 06/11/21 13/11/21 20/11/21 27/11/21 01/12/21 11/12/21 12/12/21 18/12/21 22/12/21

09/01/22 07/11/21 14/11/21 21/11/21 28/11/21 05/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 19/12/21 03/01/22

St. Moritz

8 4 to 8

08/01/22 16/01/22 25/01/22 30/01/22 13/02/22

09/01/22 16/01/22 30/01/22 30/01/22 13/02/22

12/03/22 13/03/22 7 to 10 15 Goal 2 to 4 Open Open

01/02/22 08/02/22 12/02/22 05/03/22 05/03/22

10/02/22 27/02/22 13/02/22 05/03/22 05/03/22

20th Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz

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Texas Women’s Open U.S. Open Women’s Handicap Northeastern Circuit Arena Women’s

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University League Exter Cup Halloween Juniors Tournament Druids Lodge Super League University Challenge Christmas Pudding Tournament Schools End of Term Tournament Pancake Tournament

Open

22/10/21 31/10/21 06/11/21 12/11/21 08/12/21 22/03/21 30/03/21

11/03/22 31/10/21 20/03/22 14/11/21 08/12/21 22/03/21 30/03/21

4 to 8 0 to 3 16 to 20 16 to 20 -1 to 0

26/10/21 07/11/21 10/11/21 17/11/21 04/11/21

08/11/21 10/11/21 14/11/21 21/11/21 12/11/21

0 to 3

04/11/21 07/11/21

0 to 3

05/11/21 06/11/21

3 to 5

06/11/21 07/11/21

0 to 4

07/11/21 07/11/21

0 to 3

11/11/21 14/11/21

0 to 6

12/11/21 15/11/21

2 to 8

12/11/21 14/11/21

0 to 4 0 to 4 -1 to 4 0 to 4 0 to 4 0 to 6

13/11/21 13/11/21 13/11/21 14/11/21 20/11/21 27/11/21

USA New Bridge Legends Grand Champions Grand Champions Liberty Hall Legends Westchester Lakeside Maui Texas Tech Texas Tech Yale New Orleans River Bend ATX Maui Texas Military Gardnertown

Association Cup National Arena Amateur Cup North American Cup National Twenty Goal Eastern Circuit Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Southwestern Circuit Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Northeastern Circuit Arena Sportsmanship Cup Pacific Coast Circuit Arena Sportsmanship Cup Hawaiian Islands Circuit Arena Sportsmanship Cup Southwestern Circuit Arena Constitution Cup Southwestern Circuit Arena Challenge Cup Northeastern Circuit Arena Constitution Cup Southeastern Circuit Players Cup Southwestern Circuit Congressional Cup Southwestern Circuit Sportsmanship Cup Hawaiian Islands Circuit Players Cup Teddy Roosevelt Northeastern Circuit Arena Masters Cup

14/11/21 14/11/21 14/11/21 17/11/21 21/11/21 29/11/21

SOUTH AFRICA Inanda Plettenberg Plettenberg

Summer Cup Christmas Season: Warm Up Tournament Christmas Season: Warm Up Tournament

12/11/21 14/11/21 19/11/21 21/11/21 26/11/21 28/11/21

AUSTRALIA Sydney Melbourne City Windsor Yarra Valley Arunga Eynesbury Killarney

13/01/22 16/01/22

09/11/21 14/11/21 10/11/21 14/11/21 13/11/21 14/11/21

14, 8, 4 & 0 30/10/21 06/11/21 0&4 06/11/21 13/11/21 0&4 20/11/21 20/11/21 0&4 27/11/21

07/11/21 28/11/21 14/11/21 14/11/21 21/11/21 21/11/21 28/11/21

128th RUS Hurlingham Open 128th HSBC Argentine Open

Open Open

19/10/21 06/11/21 10/11/21 11/12/21

6

30/10/21 12/11/21 13/11/21 24/11/21

DUBAI

28/01/22 30/01/22

16 to 20 12 to 16 3 to 6

Sydney Gold Cup Melbourne Cup Polo 2021 Winten Cup Flowerfield Cup 2021 Arunga Spring Eynesbury Melbourne Cup Killarney Spring

ARGENTINA Hurlingham Club Palermo

WOMEN’S Houston, USA Houston, USA Westchester, USA

Druids Lodge Druids Lodge Druids Lodge Rugby Druids Lodge Druids Lodge Druids Lodge

16/01/22 13/03/22

SNOW POLO Kitzbühel

Youth Polo

Al Habtoor Al Habtoor Al Habtoor Al Habtoor

Halloween Cup EXPO 2020 Challenge Cup AHPRC League UAE National Day Cup

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Apsley End Polo Club*

01462 712444

tobiana.scott@gmail.com

Ash Farm Polo Club*

07799 812739

ashfarmpolo@hotmail.com

Barfold Polo Club

07778 808853

mborwick@gmail.com

Bawtry Polo Club

01302 773282

Special occasion polo cards for 01666 880510 birthdays, anniversaries, get well soon, Beverley Polo Club* 01964 544877 weddings, & baby congratulations; Binfield Heath 01491 411969 Blueys Polo Club* from £2.99 plus p&p 07930 323263

info@bawtrypoloclub.co.uk

Bramham Polo Academy

07811 993316

emmadvh@btinternet.com

Bunclody Polo Club

00353 87 6605917

Visit www.Katesart.com01483 200722 or txt/tel 07887 678421 07711 217004 Cambridge Polo Club* or email: enquiries@Katesart.com Cambridge County Polo Club* 01223 812922

info@poloclubbunclody.com

Carlton House 07901 561113 image copyright protected by Katesart.com 2007 Chester Racecourse Polo Club 01244 304602

harrietservaes@hotmail.com

Cheshire Polo Club

01948 861020

info@cheshirepoloclub.co.uk

Chiltern Polo Club

07973 174542

info@chilternpoloclub.com

Cirencester Park Polo Club

01285 653225

info@cirencesterpolo.co.uk

Cowdray Polo Club

01730 813257

enquiries@cowdraypolo.co.uk

Curraghmore Polo Club

00353 51 387102

mkennedy@cssgroup.ie

Dallas Burston Polo Club*

01926 811 111

enquiries@ixlevents.com

Dorset Polo Club

01202 623985

office@dorsetpolo.co.uk

Druids Lodge Polo Club*

01722 782597

abi@druidspolo.co.uk

Dundee and Perth Polo Club*

07831 365 194

jamesscrawford@aol.com

Eastwood Polo Club

07875 743475

frankums@googlemail.com

07961 232106

epsompoloclub@hotmail.com

Beaufort Polo Club

Burningfold Polo Club

enquiries@beaufortpoloclub.co.uk info@beverleypoloclub.co.uk bhpcmanager@gmail.com polomanager@blueyspolo.co.uk

derrek@burningfold.com cambridgepoloclub@icloud.com info@cambridgecountypoloclub.co.uk amorris@chester-races.com

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Emsworth Polo Grounds* 883112 info@fourquarterspolo.co.uk Edgeworth Polo Club

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Edinburgh Polo Club*Fly Epsom Polo Club*

Heli Air Head Office • Warwick • CV35 9EU FHM Polo Club* 07778 436468 frances@fhmpolo.co.uk Also at: Wycombe, Silverstone, London/Denham, London/Fairoaks, Fifield Polo Club* 01628 620061 fifieldpoloclub@live.co.uk Thruxton and Gloucestershire Airport Great Trippetts Polo Club

01428 741916

charles@trippetts.com

Ham Polo Club

020 8334 0000

office@hampoloclub.com

Hertfordshire Polo Club*

01707 256023

polo@hertspolo.co.uk

Home Farm Polo Grounds

07807672120

rachaelkearnet@hotmail.co.uk

Hurtwood Polo Club

01483 272828

polo@hurtwoodparkpolo.co.uk

Kirtlington Park Polo Club

01869 350138

info@kirtlingtonparkpolo.co.uk

Knepp Castle Polo Club

07920 023639

info@aspectpolo.co.uk

Leadenham Polo Club

07429 299026

office@leadenhampoloclub.com

Longdole Polo Club*

01452 864544

info@longdolepolo.com

Moor Farm Polo Club

07494 114190

shop@moorfarmshop.co.uk

Moor Hall Farm Polo Club*

01279 450637

alecbeve@btinternet.com

New Forest Polo Club

07977 224404

annabelparryjoyner@yahoo.co.uk

Norfolk Polo Club

01508 480400

office@norfolkpolo.co.uk

Northern Ireland Polo Club

07803 020577

info@northernirelandpoloclub.co.uk

Offchurch Bury Polo Club*

07816 830887

info@offchurchburypoloclub.co.uk

Pangbourne Polo Club

07708 906810

aprice@polofix.com

Peover Polo Club

07766 016 833

polomanager@peoverpoloclub.co.uk

Polo Wicklow*

00353 404 67164

siobhan@polowicklow.com

RAF Cranwell

07739 569491

rafcranwellpoloclub@yahoo.co.uk

Ranelagh Polo Club*

01344 885697

ranelagh@labravapolo.com

RCBPC*

01344 890060

polo@rcbpc.com

RMAS Polo Club

07973 174542

Rugby Polo Club*

01788 817724

Rutland Polo Club

07772 040668

Silver Leys Polo Club

07730 060200

St. Albans Polo Club

07956 017090

Stewarton Polo Club

07974 706045

Suffolk Polo Club

07990 576974

Sussex Polo Club*

01342 714920

info@stewartonpolo.co.uk 'ƌĞĂƚ ƐŚŝƉƉŝŶŐ aes3@cam.ac.uk info@sussexpolo.co.uk ƌĂƚĞƐ ĚŽŽƌ ƚŽ ĚŽŽƌ

Taunton Vale Polo Club

01823 480460

nhs.wheelers@gmail.com

Tidworth Polo Club*

01980 846705

info@tidworthpolo.com

Toulston Polo Club

07776 234638

info@toulstonpoloclub.com

Triskelion Polo Club*

07624 272547

polo@triskelionpolo.club

Vale of York Polo Club*

07788 426968

info@valeofyorkpoloclub.co.uk

Vaux Park Park Polo Club*

07703 524613

vppc@btconnect.com

West Wycombe Park Polo Club*

07787 560729

secretary@westwycombepolo.co.uk

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Westcroft Park Polo Club* White Rose Polo Club*

ATS

rmas-nc-aci-projinters@mod.uk

info@rugbypoloclub.com ĂŶĞ ŵĂůůĞƚƐ secretary@rutlandpoloclub.co.uk ĂůƐŽ ŵĂĚĞ ƚŽ ŽƌĚĞƌ silverleyspoloclub@gmail.com info@stalbanspoloclub.co.uk

We’ve got everything for polo

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White Waltham Polo Club

Polo directory

Polo Times, June 2013 77

Polo Times, November 2021

61

Polo directory

Marketplace In association with Chukkout Polo Transport

Miguel Acuna Polo Saddle Excellent condition! Owner given up polo, 17.5 inch, good condition.

Tel: 07952 933480 Handsticks 6 polo handsticks. Assorted sizes. £15 each. Tel: 07710 262435

2010 Man Horsebox Man 7.5t Horsebox for sale. Hunter/ Polo/Dealer. Registered December 2010. Carries 4 LARGE horse.

Excellent condition, will have full plate. Lorry situated near Stoke on Trent. £16,000 ono.

Tel: 07900 670314

MOBILE TACK ROOM Protect your saddles and tack with this convenient, mobile tack room “Cancheros by Polo”, available in the U.K. through Performance Polo. It will accommodate up to four saddles, eight bridles, bandages, tendon boots, etc. £960.

Tel: 07487 548242

Misc

Haylage Big Organic Meadow Haylage. 160 available. Includes local delivery from Highclere £35 delivered. Tel: 07834 551357

Equipment

Arandu Carpincho Alpargatas Lovely Arandu carpincho alpargatas bought in Argentina for $100.

Gorgeous carpincho leather very unusual. Two pairs for sale. Size 6 and 8 (approx). £25 each.

Tel: 07866 475977

8x Rope Halters with Lead Ropes 8x navy rope halters with grey nose bands, used once at polo but otherwise brand new. Also have enough rope/ lead ropes to make 4 more halters to take set to 12 but that would change price. Collection Berkshire. £120.Tel: 07955 608018

Polo Saddle Lovely suede seat suit teenage or lady player, Logi polo saddle, price includes postage UK only. £300.

Tel: 07836 611857

Premier Equine Close Contact Airtechnology Shockproof Wool Saddle Pad Black and grey Merino wool lined shockproof saddle pad combine highly breathable and advanced synthetic materials with sumptuous Merino wool. Very luxurious feel and lovely sheepskin. Used once, not quite right for my horse so selling.

RRP £80 selling for £60.

Tel: 07768 145925

62

Polo Times, November 2021

Turnout Rugs 5”9 Amigo heavyweight turnout 5”9 350g (brown) with combi neck. Used for one winter. £50 Wetherbeater medium weight turnout 5”9 200g (navy) with combi neck.

Used for one winter. £40 Mark Todd lightweight turnout 5”9 no fill (checked). No neck but d rings to attach one to if required. Used for 3 seasons. Minor damage where reflective piping has come away. Does not affect the usage. £15 All rugs unwashed as currently very waterproof. All usable with buckles, surcingles, leg straps all intact.

Tel: 07956 956286

Haygain Steamer In excellent condition but has not been used for a year thus no longer needed. Comes with descaler X 3, original instructions and hay bag. Plug has been replaced and descaler serviced. Collection or courier collection only Northants/ Leicestershire border I have a video of it working, happy to forward. £800. Tel: 07977 538386 HAND SANITISER Hand sanitiser supplied at 80% ABV to WHO Formula 1. Available in 100ml (from £2), 200ml (from £4) or 5 litre (from £45) sizes.

Personalised labels available at extra cost. Discounts & free delivery for bulk purchases.

Tel: 07969 456214

SCOREBOARDS AND CLOCKS DESIGNED FOR POLO Outdoor and arena sizes. Fully electronic, displaying the time counting down, both scores and chukka number. Automatic bell/ horn. Controlled wirelessly by a remote control you can even wear on your arm.

Visit www.SportingDesigns.co.uk or call +44 (0)7860 303217

SUBSCRIPTION PRICES

Print and digital subscription (inc App & Website access) UK (direct debit only) One year £55 UK One year £65 EU One year £80 WW One year £90 SUPA/SAPA One year £55

Two years £110 Two years £140 Two years £160 Two years £99

Digital Only subscription (App & website access) 6 months £30

One year £55

SUPA/SAPA rate

One year £45

Two years £99

Call on +44 (0)1452 730 770 Subscribe online: www.polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

Horse Riding Holidays Worldwide info@farandride.com

01462 701110

Final bell

In association with Aprés Polo

Robin Ormerod has just returned from across the pond where he represented England in he Townsend Cup alongside his brother Eden; although the visiting team didn’t manage the win, they put up a strong fight with USA’s Geronimo Obregon commenting, “It’s tough to go around them and you’ve got to go through them, it’s hard. They’re competitive.” Based out of his family’s Club, Druids Lodge, we spoke to Robin about his passion for young horses and training

What is your all-time best polo memory?

It would have to be winning the Arena Gold Cup with Harold Hodges and Seb Hancock.

Hardest opponent?

Max Charlton, not an easy guy to mark in the arena!

Favourite film and why?

Interstellar, I love scifi and it’s got amazing visual effects, a good story, and great acting.

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

What is your biggest passion and why?

My biggest passion is horse training, there’s something magical about spending time alone working with a horse, each relationship is unique and it’s fascinating how we can form a common language with horses that allows us to do awesome things like polo together.

Favourite celebrity and why?

David Attenborough, probably the most influential person in terms of conservation and tackling climate change in history, and who doesn’t love him?!

Best holiday destination & activity?

Going on horseback safari in Kenya was an unforgettable experience.

Favourite song/album?

Heavy is the Head, Stormzy.

Favourite food/dish?

Anything with pasta, particularly a good pasta bake.

Favourite hobby outside of polo?

Astronomy. There’s nothing appealing about staying up late at night outside in freezing temperatures in the middle of the winter, but add many layers, a flask of hot chocolate and a telescope, I’m in.

Who were/are your favourite teammates?

It’s got to be the New Forest team from Pony Club. Tilly Fitzwilliams, Jon Perry and Tati Penfold. So many good memories.

64

Polo Times, November 2021

Most prized possession?

Our young horses.

Best pony and why?

A homebred mare called Rhythm. This season was her first season and she already lets me make plays outdoors that I could only make in the arena before.

Are you passionately superstitious?

No but I think it might be bad luck for me to say that…

Describe yourself in three words…

Nerdy, curious, weird.

One thing which would surprise us about you?

I have a Masters degree in physics.

www.polotimes.co.uk

BE

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A

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E

STR

W

RRY &

HAND CRAFTED DISTILLED AND BOTTLED IN THE COTSWOLDS, UK BATCH No.

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500

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37.5% alc./vol.

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Dreaming of Argentina?

Come to Sotogrande, it’s closer.

365 days of polo a year.

Live the endless summer at Polo Valley and play on our new full-size field.

CONTACT US info@polovalley.com

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