Young polo players

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‘Polo is brutal,’ says 14-year-old Charlie Hitchman. ‘I love it.’ This doesn’t sound quite right. I associate polo with the wealthy, with champagne, posh frocks and designer shoes, plummy accents and princes. That couldn’t be further away from what Charlie is telling me, or where he’s saying it. I’m standing in the middle of a ground at Longdole Polo Club in Gloucestershire, with three other keen teenage Pony Club Polo players, about to stick and ball. There’s nothing exclusive about this – in fact, it feels as down to earth as a five-a-side football match on a Sunday morning. ‘Despite what a lot of people think, polo is an accessible sport,’ says Suzannah Turk, branch manager at the Berkeley Hunt Branch of The Pony Club. All three of her children play. ‘The Pony Club is keen for more young people to try the sport. The previous branch manager was looking for new children to play so she ran a “come and have a go” session. My eldest son was 11 at the time. He really enjoyed it and hasn’t stopped playing. He’s 17 now.’ The Pony Club is an international voluntary organisation for youngsters up to the age of 21. It aims to introduce people to riding and its associated sports, of which polo is one, and teach them how to care for horses. It isn’t necessary to own your own pony – children can learn to ride on horses at the Pony Club Centres, and try out equestrian disciplines such as polo. Audi has supported the charity since 2010, helping nurture grass-roots polo by sponsoring the annual Audi Pony Club Polo Championships. It’s a logical fit, since most of the 50 top players in the UK got into the sport through The Pony Club. As sponsor of the England team, Audi is keen to ensure future players enjoy similar levels of opportunity and success. Thirteen-year-olds Tom Coid, Rosanna Turk and Katherine Witchell, along with Charlie, have been playing polo since they were aged 10 or 11. ‘It’s fast,’ says Rosanna, ‘You can’t be a poncy girl if you want to play, and you have to be a good rider because there’s lots of stopping and making sharp turns.’ ‘It’s really exciting,’ says Tom, adding: ‘My mum is petrified whenever I play.’ ‘You can't be a poncy girl. You have to be a good rider because of the stops and turns' Where most equestrian sports at junior level are dominated by girls, this is one of the few disciplines that has an equal mix of girls and boys taking part. ‘You have to be fairly brave,’ says Katherine. ‘You can’t be afraid of bumping into someone, and the more you play, the more competitive you become.’ Some of these teenagers may go on to become professionals, but in the meantime they’re learning to play a fun and fast-paced sport. ‘My favourite things about polo? Scoring a goal, winning, the speed of the game, the competition and the contact,’ lists Charlie. He could be talking about football or rugby, it’s just that this sport involves horses. Meanwhile, Rosanna reels off a list of the bones she’s broken – and how many times. Although there’s a part of the polo universe where canapes and social chit-chat on the lawn does exist, this isn’t it. This is lots more fun. _Many thanks to Longdole Polo Club Words_Johanna Derry Photography_Nick Ballon FIELD OF DREAMS From the top of the game right down to grass-roots, Audi is supporting excellence in UK polo. Four young Pony Club polo players explain why they love the sport Charlie Hitchman, Katherine Witchell, Rosanna Turk and Tom Coid, all Pony Club polo players, in the grounds of Longdole Polo Club in Gloucestershire 040_ _041 Audi Magazine_Vorsprung_

Transcript of Young polo players

Page 1: Young polo players

‘Polo is brutal,’ says 14-year-old Charlie Hitchman. ‘I love it.’ This doesn’t sound quite right. I

associate polo with the wealthy, with champagne, posh frocks and designer shoes, plummy accents

and princes. That couldn’t be further away from what Charlie is telling me, or where he’s saying it.

I’m standing in the middle of a ground at Longdole Polo Club in Gloucestershire, with three

other keen teenage Pony Club Polo players, about to stick and ball. There’s nothing exclusive about

this – in fact, it feels as down to earth as a five-a-side football match on a Sunday morning.

‘Despite what a lot of people think, polo is an accessible sport,’ says Suzannah Turk, branch

manager at the Berkeley Hunt Branch of The Pony Club. All three of her children play. ‘The Pony

Club is keen for more young people to try the sport. The previous branch manager was looking for

new children to play so she ran a “come and have a go” session. My eldest son was 11 at the time.

He really enjoyed it and hasn’t stopped playing. He’s 17 now.’

The Pony Club is an international voluntary

organisation for youngsters up to the age of

21. It aims to introduce people to riding and its

associated sports, of which polo is one, and

teach them how to care for horses. It isn’t

necessary to own your own pony – children can

learn to ride on horses at the Pony Club Centres,

and try out equestrian disciplines such as polo.

Audi has supported the charity since 2010,

helping nurture grass-roots polo by sponsoring

the annual Audi Pony Club Polo Championships.

It’s a logical fit, since most of the 50 top

players in the UK got into the sport through The

Pony Club. As sponsor of the England team,

Audi is keen to ensure future players enjoy

similar levels of opportunity and success.

Thirteen-year-olds Tom Coid, Rosanna Turk

and Katherine Witchell, along with Charlie,

have been playing polo since they were aged 10

or 11. ‘It’s fast,’ says Rosanna, ‘You can’t be a

poncy girl if you want to play, and you have

to be a good rider because there’s lots of

stopping and making sharp turns.’

‘It’s really exciting,’ says Tom, adding: ‘My

mum is petrified whenever I play.’

‘You can't be a poncy girl. You have to be a good rider because of the stops and turns'

Where most equestrian sports at junior level

are dominated by girls, this is one of the few

disciplines that has an equal mix of girls and

boys taking part. ‘You have to be fairly brave,’

says Katherine. ‘You can’t be afraid of bumping

into someone, and the more you play, the more

competitive you become.’

Some of these teenagers may go on to

become professionals, but in the meantime

they’re learning to play a fun and fast-paced

sport. ‘My favourite things about polo? Scoring

a goal, winning, the speed of the game, the

competition and the contact,’ lists Charlie. He

could be talking about football or rugby, it’s

just that this sport involves horses.

Meanwhile, Rosanna reels off a list of the

bones she’s broken – and how many times.

Although there’s a part of the polo universe

where canapes and social chit-chat on the lawn

does exist, this isn’t it. This is lots more fun.

_Many thanks to Longdole Polo Club

Words_Johanna Derry Photography_Nick Ballon

f ield of dre a ms

From the top of the game right down to grass-roots, Audi is supporting excellence in UK polo. Four young Pony Club polo

players explain why they love the sport

Charlie Hitchman, Katherine Witchell, Rosanna Turk and Tom Coid, all Pony Club polo players, in the grounds of Longdole Polo Club in Gloucestershire

040_ _041Audi Magazine_Vorsprung_