Inter-Regimental Arena Polo Competition



Inter-Regimental Arena Polo Competition HQLF entered a team into the Inter-Regimental Arena Polo competition on Saturday March 7th. The team consisted of Maj Denis James and Lt Jeremy Hann, both RDG, and Sqn Ldr Polyester Piers, who is in the RAF. Here is Major James' report: Arena polo is a relatively recent development, which keeps the ponies and players fit during what has traditionally been the off season. It’s hurly burly, fast, and physically exhausting. It is played on fibre sand, and within an arena (so there are walls) which may or may not have a roof. There are only three players, and the ball used is softer and larger than for field polo. The finals were contested by three teams: HQLF, AGC and Combined Services. Our first opponents were the AGC, who fielded an all female team. After their traditional team haka / challenge to the opposition (hubble bubble, toil and trouble etc), we cracked on with it. The first chukka was theirs, although with a great start from Jeremy Hann and an excellent goal from Polyester we managed to finish it at 2-2. We weren’t really at the races. The second chukka was a different matter, though. Polyester won us a penalty goal (like in rugby), and Denis James scored an additional two goals. Versus the two late goals they put past us, that left us 5-4 up. It could have been more, but three penalties were missed by us – 2 of them rolling centimetres short as if there was some sort of hex on the ball hitting the goal boards. Indeed, in the very last second we had a goal disallowed as it was deemed to have not hit the boards before the hooter went for time. As we dismounted, though, the 5-4 result seemed a fair reflection. Then the umpire declared the score 4-4. We objected, so he changed it to 5-5! The AGC were unable to remember if they’d scored 5 or 4, so the score was given as 5-5. The AGC then whopped the Combined Services team 6-4 in a match that was very good to watch, including a stupendous static-spark display as six people clad in man-made fibres passed by each other at high speed for 30 minutes. This left us requiring a three goal victory to top the league table. In our second match we played very well against a group of talented individuals from the Combined Services (they hadn’t really played as a team before, and it showed), and despite being 3-1 down quite early on, we clawed back to win 5-4, with four goals coming from Denis James. Fortunately, the Combined Services could remember how many they had scored, so there was no disputing the score this time. So the history books will record us as second in the Inter-Regimental Competition, which is a good achievement for our first season of arena polo. We were delighted to have participated in what was a well contested series of matches, and to have beaten the Combined Services team. We heartily celebrated into the night with the both teams, celebrating particularly the magnificent ponies which had, of course, done all the hard work. Man of the match: Denis James, despite the missed penalties.

Inter-Regimental Arena Polo Competition

HQLF entered a team into the Inter-Regimental Arena Polo competition on Saturday March 7th. The team consisted of Maj Denis James and Lt Jeremy Hann, both RDG, and Sqn Ldr Polyester Piers, who is in the RAF. Here is Major James' report:

Arena polo is a relatively recent development, which keeps the ponies and players fit during what has traditionally been the off season. It’s hurly burly, fast, and physically exhausting. It is played on fibre sand, and within an arena (so there are walls) which may or may not have a roof. There are only three players, and the ball used is softer and larger than for field polo.

The finals were contested by three teams: HQLF, AGC and Combined Services. Our first opponents were the AGC, who fielded an all female team. After their traditional team haka / challenge to the opposition (hubble bubble, toil and trouble etc), we cracked on with it.

The first chukka was theirs, although with a great start from Jeremy Hann and an excellent goal from Polyester we managed to finish it at 2-2. We weren’t really at the races. The second chukka was a different matter, though. Polyester won us a penalty goal (like in rugby), and Denis James scored an additional two goals. Versus the two late goals they put past us, that left us 5-4 up.

It could have been more, but three penalties were missed by us – 2 of them rolling centimetres short as if there was some sort of hex on the ball hitting the goal boards. Indeed, in the very last second we had a goal disallowed as it was deemed to have not hit the boards before the hooter went for time.

As we dismounted, though, the 5-4 result seemed a fair reflection. Then the umpire declared the score 4-4. We objected, so he changed it to 5-5! The AGC were unable to remember if they’d scored 5 or 4, so the score was given as 5-5.

The AGC then whopped the Combined Services team 6-4 in a match that was very good to watch, including a stupendous static-spark display as six people clad in man-made fibres passed by each other at high speed for 30 minutes. This left us requiring a three goal victory to top the league table.

In our second match we played very well against a group of talented individuals from the Combined Services (they hadn’t really played as a team before, and it showed), and despite being 3-1 down quite early on, we clawed back to win 5-4, with four goals coming from Denis James. Fortunately, the Combined Services could remember how many they had scored, so there was no disputing the score this time.

So the history books will record us as second in the Inter-Regimental Competition, which is a good achievement for our first season of arena polo. We were delighted to have participated in what was a well contested series of matches, and to have beaten the Combined Services team.

We heartily celebrated into the night with the both teams, celebrating particularly the magnificent ponies which had, of course, done all the hard work.

Man of the match: Denis James, despite the missed penalties.