There was a moment when, aged 15, Milly Hine got a call from a patron asking her to play on their team. Their next question was to ask how much she charged.

“I remember saying, ‘Um, let me get back to you on that one...’,” she laughs now, re-enacting the thrill her teenage self felt at the prospect of playing polo for money as she came off the call.

Things have moved fast since then. Now 24 years old, Milly has five Argentine Women’s Open titles to her name and a hat-trick of US Women’s Open Polo Championship wins.

In May, she was crowned the women’s world number one player and last month she lined up alongside Adolfo Cambiaso’s daughter Mia to win the British Ladies’ Open, where for the first time the ladies’ final was played on the same day as the men’s on those carpet-like green lawns at Cowdray.

If players are judged on their lineage, then Milly’s is enviable: her father is the former England captain (and later team manager) Andrew Hine, former winner of the Gold Cup (1983) and two-time winner of the Queen’s Cup (1989 and 1990).

“Mum tells me stories of coming out of the hospital after having me and heading straight to games to watch Dad playing. I was always there,” she says.

“I think ever since my parents deemed it was safe for me to be on a horse with one of them, I probably was.”

But any lucky hand she’s been dealt is only half the story. Standing at an Amazonian 5ft 11in with the reach to match, she’s fiercely driven, still on the practice field long after others have left drilling penalties.

“I’ve always been quite reliable with my penalties, but it’s something that I’ve struggled with a bit recently and I know it’s 100% mental,” she explains.

And then there’s the relentless travel schedule: Uruguay in January, on to Florida, Argentina, St Tropez, England for the summer, Sotogrande in August and back to Argentina. On paper it’s Rutshire-worthy glamour, but the reality’s far more like hard work.

“The day-to-day life of a professional is about being in the stables and with your horses. That’s the priority,” she says.

Milly’s childhood was split between her parents’ Berkshire farm and Australia, where her mother Robyn comes from a family steeped in racing.

There was Pony Club with the South Berkshire – “my patience for dressage wasn’t the best, I just wanted to get out cross-country” – hunting with the Berks and Bucks Draghounds and at one point her younger brothers Ned and Louis and younger sister Indi made up the Pony Club branch’s entire polo team.

“We were always lucky that Mum and Dad did everything they could to have us as well mounted as possible,” she says, her father still the first person she goes to for advice.

“I can ask him just about anything because he would have lived a lot of those situations himself as a professional.”

“When I started playing, it wasn’t so common for girls to play – it wasn’t that they weren’t allowed, just that it didn’t happen so much. But Mum and Dad were always supportive of me playing. And I feel really grateful for people like Claire Tomlinson and Sunny Hale, who made huge paths for women in the sport.

“Nina Clarkin [who retired as the England women’s captain in 2025] is someone I look up to especially, having played with her and against her: she’s incredible as a player and a captain, always looking to get the best out of her entire team. It’s something I’ve realised you have to do to be able to win.”

A “pinch-me moment” came for Milly when, aged 16, she was asked to play for Her Highness Sheikha Maitha’s UAE ladies’ team; a fast track onto the world stage playing alongside the UAE’s 10-goaler and fellow Brit Hazel Jackson.

“I was only four-goals at the time and so it wasn’t something I’d ever considered. But playing for them in Argentina really kicked off my whole career,” she reflects now.

Those first few seasons in the world’s polo capital had hurdles – “I haven’t always been able to speak Spanish, which was a challenge...” – but the awe of first playing in Palermo in the middle of Buenos Aires has stuck with her.

“Sophisticated isn’t exactly the right word, but it has these huge stadiums on either side of the field, there are bands, people shouting and screaming, horns, smoke, flare guns. It’s a lot more of a football stadium vibe, with fans coming from all walks of life.”

Last year, Milly left the UAE team to take up the offer of playing for Cambiaso’s glittering – and demanding – La Dolfina operation, alongside his daughter Mia.

“I don’t mind adapting myself or trying to fit into a team depending on what the other styles of players are to make it gel. Mia is quite an attacking, super-fast player, and I like to play more at the back. This is a team sport and it’s really important to find the right chemistry and the right styles of play to make that team work.”

There’s something admirably composed about Milly; the air of a tennis player on a considered post-match debrief. Even for the build-up to the highest-pressure games – take those Argentine Open finals – she talks about going through the motions of team practices, making sure that the horses are going well, checking that everything has been set up properly.

“Because then you know you have done everything you can to be as prepared as possible on the day,” she reasons. But she can still be prone to the odd superstition.

“I try not to, but if we get the same pony line side we had the year before when we’ve done well, then you can’t help feeling like things are slotting into place...” she smiles.

At the family’s Berkshire farm, Milly has a 15-strong string of ponies, and another in Argentina. “I’m buying from all over the place, and always trying new horses – you never know where the next really good one is going to come from,” she says, playing down the breeding she began five or six years ago.

“I get a little embarrassed saying that I breed, because it’s very small-scale compared to everybody else. So, I don’t know if I would call myself a breeder, but I do dabble.”

If cloning in the sport remains contentious (it’s banned in the UK, but cloned ponies can play here), Cambiaso is its poster boy on the world stage. A decade ago, he made headlines when he played six different horses in a high-profile match in Buenos Aires, each a clone of his favourite mare Cuartetera – now dubbed the most influential mare in modern polo. So far Milly has only played on two cloned ponies, one of Cuartetera’s clones, and another of Cambiaso’s stallion Dolfina Popular. Was that a surreal feeling?

“I wasn’t really thinking about the scientific side of it, more that it was just another horse that obviously looks exactly the same [as the donor]. But it was cool to have that opportunity,” she says, the topic, you imagine, likely to feature in the Hines’s “24/7 conversation about polo around the dinner table, in the car, in the house. There are always new combinations of teams, new horses, results of games and different tournaments to discuss.”

A few days before we speak, Milly has made her debut in the English open high goal in the Warwickshire Cup at Cirencester Park with Thai Polo.

“That’s something I’ve always dreamt of doing and so it was really cool,” she says. “It’s hugely different to the women’s game. On Monday, I was playing number one at the front attacking, marking a lot more, not having so many opportunities necessarily on the ball, but working hard, pushing and putting pressure on.

“Whereas usually with the ladies’ game, I’m more at the back controlling the game and feeding the balls. But I think if you want to be able to compete at the top level in the ladies’ game, playing with the men and becoming faster is the only way to improve.”

By the end of the week, Milly was lining up alongside her brother Louis for the Warwickshire Cup finals, beating Lovelocks Polo Stud by a goal: a polo dynasty that shows no signs of waning.

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The highest-rated female polo player in the world, Claire Tomlinson, died peacefully at home on 12 January, aged 77, from a long illness with dementia.

Born in 1944, Mrs Tomlinson was the daughter of Ethel and Arthur Lucas, who founded Woolmers Park Polo Club in Hertfordshire following World War II.

In 1963 she went to Oxford University where she studied agricultural economics at Somerville College. She earned a squash blue and was shortlisted for the 1964 Olympic fencing team. That year she joined the Oxford University Polo Club (OUPC), and in a time where women had not been allowed to compete previously, Mrs Tomlinson became the first ever female to play in a varsity match. She went on to become the first female captain of the OUPC in 1966, and when the team beat Cambridge 7-0 Mrs Tomlinson earned a half-blue. On leaving university she had a zero handicap.

She met Simon Tomlinson, a polo player in the Army, and they formed a team called Los Locos, which translates as “the Mad Ones”. In 1968 the couple married. They went on to have three children, Emma, Luke and Mark, all of whom went on to play polo at the highest level, and Emma became an equine vet.

In 1972 Mrs Tomlinson became the first woman to win the County Cup, but at the time women were still barred from competing in high-goal tournaments and despite her achievements she was still denied entry to these games.

She went on to petition the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) to change the rules to allow women to play, and the rules changed in 1979 – the same year she won The Queen’s Cup. In 1986 Mrs Tomlinson became the first female polo player to reach a five-goal handicap, a record she still holds.

Mr and Mrs Tomlinson revived the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire in 1989 with the aim of providing top-class facilities and encouraging young players to learn the game. The family also started breeding polo ponies in the 1970s and became the biggest breeding operation of polo ponies, launching the Beaufort Embryo Transfer (now Tomlinson Equine), managed by Emma. Luke and Mark represented England on home-bred ponies out of Mrs Tomlinson’s best mares.

Coaching was a passion of Mrs Tomlinson’s. In 1993 she set up a coaching system for the HPA with Major Hugh Dawnay and David Morley. She went on to coach the England team and the HPA junior development squad and was admired for her ability to work with a range of players, from professionals to novices. She was one of six official HPA team coaches.

Mrs Tomlinson has been described as an “innovative and inspiring coach”, a “trailblazer for women around the world” and a “polo legend”.

Mark Tomlinson said his mother’s qualities were “endless”.

“The respect Mum commanded across so many walks of life has to have been one of her most remarkable qualities. Whether you saw her playing polo or schooling a horse in her prime, was helped or entertained by her, it’s clear she touched so many lives,” he said.

“She was a fierce advocate for equal opportunity without being a feminist. She firmly believed that if you worked hard enough at what you put your mind to you could make significant progress. One of the most treasured gifts Mum has left her children and grandchildren is that in life you have to be determined, while at the same time keeping your head and showing humility throughout.

“Mrs T, Claire Lucas, Claire Tomlinson, Clarita, Vieja, Loca, Mum… whatever name you knew her by, she was simply unforgettable.”

Mrs Tomlinson is survived by Simon, their three children and eight grandchildren.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Introduction by: Nacho Figueras

Photographs by: Aline Coquelle

View at eu.assouline.com or tobiasoliverinteriors.com

About the book

Polo Heritage, which is a coffee table book, guides the reader on a journey across the world and inside the most prestigious tournaments. It is a window into the high society of British polo and Argentinian polo culture that has produced some of the best polo families in the world. 

Review

“I see polo as a sport that connects a groom from Argentina to the Queen of England – and the total opposite of elitist,” writes Nacho Figueras in this truly glorious polo tome.

Polo may indeed have participants in every stratum of society, but the book itself shouts out luxurious quality. Weighing in at nearly 3kg, this faux leather-bound collection of large full-page photos embodies the colour, glamour and fun of this “sport of kings”. This is an asset to any horse lover’s coffee table – the horse is the undoubted star.

At the heart of this book is the series of stunning professional photos by Aline Coquelle, which illustrate the history and heritage of the sport. The reader travels through Mongolia to Mexico, from Barbados to Pakistan, and inside some of the most prestigious tournaments on grass, sand or snow.

There are also scrapbook-style pages featuring the likes of Cambiaso, or diverse polo communities, as though the reader is taking a private peek inside a top player’s family album.

But it’s not all about the photos. Potted histories of top players, tournaments and polo cultures are brought to life with short chunks of prose, and quotes from stars of the game, royal fans and even Winston Churchill.

Legendary player Nacho Figueras writes a long introduction, with a fascinating insight into his love of the horses that power the sport.

“Horses are the most amazing thing about polo,” he says. “They are why we stay awake for hours when one is not feeling well or a mare is about to give birth. We know how they move, what they eat, how much they need to be ridden the day before a game to be at their best. We know their mother, their father, sister, uncle. We care about them greatly, and they are the only reason we can all enjoy this sport as much as we do. They become the centre of attention and conversation at every asado (barbecue), where we’ll talk for hours about that horse that runs or turns, or a play of a foul. Horses are simply a huge part of our lives.”

Verdict

This beautiful book encapsulates the modern and authentic spirit of polo, while also highlighting the horsemanship that underpins the giants of the game.

Heading to a polo match is a wonderful way to spend a sunny summer’s afternoon, especially when a glass of chilled Champagne or Pimms is involved, but few equestrian disciplines can cause as much confusion as polo.

For everyone who may be heading to a game for the first time this season, or even thinking about giving it a try themselves, we bring you a bluffer’s guide to polo basics…

1. How many riders make up a polo team?

In normal grass polo, played in the summer, a team consists of four players (in the winter version, played in an arena, there are three). There will however, be 10 riders and horses on the field during a game – the two wearing black and white are the umpires.

The pro-am format, where a lower-ranked team ‘patron’ employs three professionals to play alongside, is common for the major tournaments of the British season, with the Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup the most prestigious two. For international games, such as the Coronation Cup, held on the HPA’s International Day in July, national teams comprise four professionals.

2. What on earth do handicaps mean?

Every player is ranked from -2 (the lowest) to 10 (the highest), and handicaps are referred to in ‘goals’, even though they bear no relevance to the number of actual goals a player might score. The vast majority of players in the UK are ranked zero goals or below, with the top British pros holding handicaps up to seven. Very few players reach the lofty echelons of a 10 — there are currently just eight 10-goalers worldwide, and all of them are South American.

In 2017 the Hurlingham Polo Association introduced a parallel handicapping system, allowing top players to hold a normal handicap, and a handicap specifically for the highest level tournaments, which may be different.

The team handicap is the aggregate of the four players’ handicaps, which determines the level of the match, eg 22-goal.

3. So, how does a polo match work, exactly?

A match is split into seven-minute playing intervals, called chukkas. The number of chukkas that make up a match vary depending on the level of the game — at the very top level a match can comprise eight chukkas, but in UK polo six are more common at the higher levels. Breaks between chukkas are just three minutes long, with five minutes at half-time.

The aim of the game is to put the ball between — or above — the opposing team’s goal posts. There is no restriction on which players are allowed to score goals. If you’re not sure whether a ball went in or not — it can be hard to tell — look out for the goal judge standing behind each set of posts, who will wave a flag if a goal has been scored.

4. Hang on, but which direction are each team aiming to score in?

Teams change ends after every goal that is scored, to account for advantages due to wind or terrain. If no goals are scored by half-time, teams will change ends then. Make sure you pay attention!

5. Wait, why have the horses changed?

Firstly, in polo all horses are known as ponies despite their size (there is no height restriction; most will be around 15.2hh). Players will ride several ponies during the course of a match, with each pony allowed to play a maximum of two chukkas in total, with a chukka break in between. At the higher levels, players will change ponies midway through chukkas too, such is the intensity of the action. Look out for players swapping swiftly from one to the other without dismounting!

6. Are the players really allowed to ride into each other?

The ride-off is a classic, recognizable polo move where a player will attempt to push an opponent and his pony off the line of the ball — which gives them right of way. A ride-off may only take place when the ponies are travelling at the same speed, and are shoulder to shoulder with each other. Pulling in front of another player or riding across the line on which the ball in travelling is not allowed, and nor is “sandwiching” an opponent between two players.

7. I never realised how big a polo field is!

Most people don’t! A full size polo field measures 275 x 146m — for comparison, a football pitch has a maximum size of 120 x 90m. You might want to bring binoculars…

8. So, what time is Ricky France-Lynch going be arriving?

Sadly, we can’t guarantee the presence of Jilly Cooper’s dashing polo hero, but we’re sure you’ll enjoy the day nonetheless.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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Fancy giving polo a go this summer? Find out what happened when H&H’s dressage editor Polly Bryan took a refresher polo lesson at the Beaufort Polo Club

1. Polo is harder than it looks

Of course, the pros make it look easy but polo is quite the opposite — even the very basics. Disclaimer: I played a bit of polo at university, so this wasn’t my first time, but in the seven years since I last picked up a polo stick I had forgotten just how much hand-eye coordination you need to have even to hit the ball from a standstill, let alone a gallop. Add to that the various different shots involved, such as the backhand, and under-the-neck shots — plus actually hitting the ball in a specified direction, and you begin to realise just how skilled the professional players really are.

2. Polo ponies are like well-oiled machines

Trained polo ponies — which are usually around 15.2hh — are not like ordinary horses. For a start they don’t blink an eyelid about the 53-inch mallet waving around their face, and think nothing of coming into forceful contact with other horses in a ride-off — at top speed. They tend to have lightning quick reactions, and can stop and turn on a sixpence, which, when you’re not expecting it, can mean you end up shooting of the side door if you’re not careful!

3. It’s worth getting grips with the stick on the ground first

Before we were acquainted with our ponies, the Beaufort’s polo manager Caspar West took us through a refresher on the ground, using shorter ‘hand sticks’ (below). Even though it’s tempting to leap straight on board, spending a few minutes learning how to hold the stick correctly, and how to swing accurately and efficiently will mean you’ll get to grips with the real deal much faster.

4. Polo requires more strength and fitness than you might think

All horse sport requires a decent amount of fitness, but polo is extremely physical, and demands high levels of strength, flexibility and general fitness when played at the higher levels. Even just learning the sport is tiring, but a good coach — such as Caspar West and Olivia Lamphee, who runs the Beaufort Polo School — will explain how to hit the ball using minimal energy. It’s all about utilising gravity and letting the stick do the work. Easier said than done!

5. It makes you open your mind to different riding styles

There’s no getting away from it — polo requires a different style of riding to other horse sport, and you should be prepared to leave most of your ideas about dressage at the side of the pitch. As H&H dressage editor, I found this a challenge at first: polo is played with both sets of double reins in one hand placed over the top, and used for neck-reining. Players ask ponies to go by pushing their hands and weight forward, and shift their weight back to slow down — or stop dead in my case when I forgot how responsive polo ponies are to weight aids. Warming-up in this way felt very strange, but once I had the stick in my hand — and was distracted by the actual business of hitting the ball — I was amazed how quickly I got used to it.

6. It may be challenging, but it’s fantastic fun

Polo is not one of those sports you need to be good at before you really enjoy it. The exhilaration of nailing the perfect swing and sending that little white ball flying down the pitch while you urge your pony forward after it can be experienced within your very first lesson — and once you’ve felt that, you’ll be hooked.

7. You’ll immediately want to watch the world’s best in action

The UK polo season runs from May to September and it’s possible to enjoy the thrills of top-level polo cheaply all over the country. Once you’ve given it a go you’ll have a whole new appreciation for the speed and skill involved in the game, adding to the enjoyment. Catch world-class international polo at the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo, Beaufort Polo Club, 9-10 June, and at the Hurlingham Polo Association International Day, Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, 28 July.

Fancy giving a polo a go yourself? Click here to find out more about lessons at the Beaufort Polo School. Pictures by JRidley Art & Photography

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you’re after glamour on the snow, mixed with fun-filled equestrian sport, there is no place better than the Snow Polo World Cup in St Moritz, Switzerland.

With a record 18,500 spectators over three days watching a total of six matches, plus a whopping 1,400 bottles of Perrier-Jouët champagne, the world’s only high-goal polo tournament on snow lived up to its reputation as the social and sporting highlight of the polo winter season.

Horse & Hound takes a sneak peek behind the scenes during the winter spectacle.

Ponies are walked back after the match

Some musical entertainment for the spectators

One pair of visitors pose for a picture

Spectators at St Moritz also know how to party

One furry friend wraps up to watch the polo action

The match umpire keeps an eye on proceedings

Spectators keep it chic while wrapped up for the cold

One player scores for his side

Ponies are tacked up ahead of their match, with straw placed on top of the snowy surface

Visitors to St Moritz are treated to a stunning array of food

A tad chilly? Champagne is served in style

Visitors get a polo taster and try out their swing during a special training day

Players fight it out during one of the exciting matches

One dedicated player takes time to warm up ahead of his game

One flexible player swaps ponies during his match

The St Moritz glitz and glamour continues outside

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Polo could be played at the Olympics in future, as the Federation of International Polo (FIP) has submitted an application for its inclusion as an additional sport at Tokyo 2020.

Polo is already a recognised Olympic sport, having been played at five Games to date, the final occasion being the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Its return has been a longstanding goal of the FIP and the result of the application is expected early next year.

“It is wonderful that this image of polo has generated so much interest in the sport in new parts of the world,” said Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, president of the FIP. “Even if this Olympic application is unsuccessful, it will raise the profile of the sport across the world, and hopefully assist us in future applications of a similar nature.”

One criteria considered in the approval of applications is the sport’s popularity in the host country, but polo is not well known in Japan, and the country does not boast the infrastructure for polo in the same way as a country such as Britain, or Argentina.

“For me, this could be the first step to other advancements in the sport — we are aiming to have polo included in the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru,” added Mr Colquhoun-Denvers.

“It would be fantastic to get polo to the Olympics,” England captain James Beim told H&H. “The logistics would take working out, what with horses and format — and the level of play, but we’ve got to start somewhere.”

Great Britain has won Olympic gold in polo on three occasions — 1900, 1908 and 1920. Argentina took the title in 1924 and 1936, before the suspension of the Games due to World War Two. Britain’s silver medal-winning polo team in 1936 comprised David Dawnay, Bryan Fowler, Humphrey Patrick Guinness and William Hinde.

There has been skepticism about polo’s suitability as a modern Olympic sport, due in part to the low number of countries that would be able to field a national team at the highest level.

Ref: H&H 18 June 2015

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Argentine polo trainer Carlos “Polito” Ulloa is the star of a new advert for the Belgian beer Stella Artois.

Stella Artois is set to sponsor the Argentine Open tournament in Palermo, Buenos Aires, this year, and the commercial features “behind-the-scenes” clips of Polito working with a horse.

Polito is one of the country’s best-known trainers of polo ponies and the father of top high-goal player Hilario Ulloa, who won the Gold Cup at Cowdray Park with patron Lyndon Lea’s Zacara team.

The English sub-titles declare Ulloa to be “the man with vision to see champions where no-one else can” — and indeed, the polo pony whom viewers see him breaking-in is initially invisible.

Polito mounts the “invisible” horse — the tack is visible — and sits some hefty bucks. As the horse becomes rideable it also becomes visible — and the final shot is of a polo pony competing in a high-goal match.

It has been popular on social media with horse fans, who have reposted it on Facebook declaring “Love this” and “Fabulous ad”.

However, Stella isn’t the only beer brand to feature horses.

Budweiser has had some hit adverts in the past few years starring equines.

This year for the brand’s Superbowl advert — which was released on 28 January — the famous puppy and the Clydesdale made a comeback, but unfortunately the horse doesn’t manage to keep a close enough eye on his new friend and he goes missing.

The video had nearly 5.8m views on YouTube in the first two days.

Brian Perkins, a Budweiser vice president said: “The Budweiser Clydesdales have appeared in our Super Bowl ads for nearly three decades.

“They continue to serve as time-honoured symbols of how we brew our beer: remarkable care and attention, sparing no expense, the highest quality and consistency.”

The Argentine Open at Palermo runs from 14 November-5 December 2015.

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A buyer has been forced to settle for libel after she posted videos online of a pony bucking and called the seller’s practices a “scandal”.

The case involved a polo pony named Lady Gaga, who Kate Gibbons bought for her son in September 2012 from Oxfordshire dealer Louisa Donovan.

Judge Richard Parkes heard in High Court in London last week (21 October) that less than six months after buying the pony, Mrs Gibbons was unhappy and claimed that it was “unsuitable” for her children to ride.

The situation reached a stalemate — with Mrs Donovan refusing to take the pony back — and in February 2013 Mrs Gibbons arranged for her husband to upload two videos that showed a polo pony bucking while being lunged.

The caption named Mrs Donovan’s company and read: “Louisa Donovan sold this polo pony as being suitable for children. Downright dangerous and a scandal they get away with this.”

Four months later, a third video was uploaded with the same footage and caption. All remained on the YouTube site until February this year.

Mrs Donovan only found out about the videos when a friend discovered them online, and she told H&H it was “shocking”.

She began libel proceedings as she felt the videos were “slurring” her business. Mrs Gibbons denied the claim arguing the videos were just “honest opinion”.

Last Tuesday the judge found in favour of Mrs Donovan on the preliminary issue of whether the words were defamatory under common law.

“The ordinary, reasonable person watching the video will have concluded that the claimant had sold the defendant a dangerous pony as being suitable for children, even though she must have known that it was in fact wholly unsuitable for them,” Judge Parkes said.

As a result of the preliminary decision the rest of the case was settled out of court for an unrevealed sum.

Mrs Donovan told H&H that she was “relieved” that the situation had been resolved.

“For people nowadays selling horses it is a minefield,” she said. “We were in a fortunate position that we could pursue the defamatory claim, but many people would find it financially restrictive.”

Mrs Donovan bought the now 11-year-old pony back, in December last year, and has not had any problems with her.

“She has been fine and has never done anything wrong,” she said. “I have been playing 2-goal to 12-goal with her all summer.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (30 October 2014).

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Last Sunday’s Gold Cup final together with the Audi International mark the culmination of the high goal season in the UK. They are also showcases for the highest level of polo in Europe.

The Gold Cup draw was difficult with 15 teams and admittedly, when it was published, there were many who had doubts (myself included) but it turned out to be a great draw produced by Chris Bethell, the Cowdray polo manager.

On the last day of play of the group stages, only two of the 15 teams were definitely knocked out of the competition and everyone else stood a chance.

On the following morning no less than five teams battled it out on a penalty shoot-out to go down to one team slot for the quarter finals. UAE came through this and faced Dubai in the quarters.

The draw meant that the competition was always open, so all the teams fought it out to the end and there was very little difference between some of the teams that went out early and the teams that eventually made it to the semi-finals.

I think the surprise team and eventually the team that got the closest to the winners was the all-English side of Halcyon Gallery, who narrowly missed out in the semi-finals to Dubai.

King Power was another revelation as a team that did not make it past the group stages of the Queen’s Cup, then came good in the Gold Cup.

For a first-season team they have shown that investing in pony power and having the patience to get things right in the first month of the season pays off.

The final itself was, as always, incredibly well-attended and blessed with the weather. The game was hard-fought and Dubai depended more on blocking for Adolfo Cambiaso and him making a difference against the lowest player on the other team.

King Power tried to play the more passing game using all four players as players, not blockers. Had they played as well in one other chukka as they did in the fifth — where Gonzalito Pieres was outstanding — the result could have gone the other way.

The handicappers will have a tough time this year — not only because many of the players from other countries are on a lower handicap here, but also because there were several outstanding performances from players in teams that finished low in the placings.

The big issue with the handicapping is that it affects the team possibilities and players’ prospects for the following season. Last year the list was published a little later than normal, slowing up the process of team “transfers” and formations.

This week the England team is in full preparation for the big challenge against Argentina on Saturday in the Coronation Cup. The selection is not an easy process and produced a little bit of query about why England did not go with a six-goal player instead of with a four.

The main issues with selection are ability, positions on the field, team cohesion, level (and type) of polo being played by a particular player, ability to be well-mounted — and those horses being up to speed — and value off handicap (where the match is played off handicap).

Then it is simple: the team with the most chance of winning has to be selected.

This year, as in previous years, the selection committee are very lucky to have the expert advice of Eduardo Heguy to help guide them in their choice. The England squad is very lucky in that there are a lot of extremely talented up-and-coming players.

This year’s Audi International is the second time that the two best players in the world have played on the same team. Facundo Pieres won the Queen’s Cup and Cambiaso the Gold Cup — so it will be like England playing against Djokovic and Federer.

As our coach said: “If we play as well — we will win.”

Luke’s column was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (25 July, 2014)

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Last weekend saw another plethora of polo, with big days all over the country.

At Guards, Four Quarters won the Royal Windsor Cup — the biggest 15-goal championship on the globe — a great achievement for Simon Arber and his team [full report next week, 3 July].

At Cirencester Park, not only did they have their celebratory centenary ball, but also the final of the glamorous Warwickshire Cup. This being a work of art in itself, it was fittingly won by Halcyon Gallery in their second match together, beating Black Bears in a tight game.

Also in Gloucestershire was the first Audi International at the Beaufort Polo Club. Congratulations to the organisers for managing to ensure the weather was good and there were record crowds, with up to six rows of people on some parts of the ground trying to get a glimpse of their country take on Hong Kong.

Having been knocked out of the football World Cup, English sports enthusiasts got a great show of British sporting prowess as the Young England side, captained by James Harper, played excellent team polo and managed to beat the Hong Kong side by 10½ goals to 8.

I was luckily enough to be coaching the side and was amazed by the maturity and classic style of polo with which the team played.

One of the main tactics was to play with the “(micro-) chip change”.

By that I mean playing the style of four-man higher handicapped polo, which is a different style to the pro-am, which can be slower.

It is very hard to change the chip for a one-off match — it often takes the Argentine top players until the end of the Tortugas Open until they have successfully managed to change the chip.

This is when they start playing to the style that is most effective in that level of polo — not running with the ball and putting the pressure on the other team by hitting the ball early, trying to capitalize on the other team’s mistakes.

At the Beaufort it resulted well. We conceded fewer fouls as a result and the guys gelled well, performing as a cohesive unit. The Hong Kong team had a very strong middle — four goals stronger than ours — so the other tactic was discipline in that area.

Max Charlton and George Meyrick not only showed the discipline, but in many cases outplayed their eight-goal opponents. This was all done by playing simple team polo and was a pleasure to watch.

Now the selectors have to decide on the team for the big game at Guards. It will not be an easy decision but in a good way, because there are many players playing to a great level of polo. It is a good job the committee has the expert advice of Ruso Heguy to call on.

The future of the English team is looking strong with the amount of young talent coming through. They will only be limited by the opportunity to play in the best polo and the ability to mount themselves to an exceptional standard.

Both things are possible but need focus, skill, money and luck — in that order.

Together with Wimbledon and the sunshine, the Gold Cup has arrived at last to the hallowed turf in sunny Sussex. Cowdray Park boasts six top-class high-goal grounds, with two more local fields they can call on, which are also within the best grounds in the country.

The region’s sandy soil and the added space, as well as the care to laser-level the ancillary fields and move the grounds up to the next level over the past 10 years, means that the location provides some of the best games in Europe.

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Mid-June is always action packed.

There’s the Royal Windsor, the Archie David, Queen’s Cup final weekend, Polo in the Park, Prince of Wales 22-goal tournament at the Berkshire, the 12-goal tournament at the Beaufort, the Warwickshire Cup at Cirencester — the list goes on.

The Queen’s Cup was the highlight of last weekend, with a great final. Talandracas put up a good fight, but went a few goals down and struggled to get back into the game until the last chukka.

The pony power of the Zacara squad, Facundo Pieres’ amazing individual talent and the ability to get the best out of his teammates were the deciding factors.

Talandracas have been a great team to watch as well and the combination of Polito Pieres and Juan Martin Nero has been pretty incredible.

Polito has had some amazing games, pulling his team out of tricky situations with impressive interceptions and counter-attacks. His short riding style is particularly interesting and seems to work for him to get the extra speed out of his horses.

Watching the horses and getting to know the strings of some of the top players are the most interesting parts of the sport.

It would be fair to say that many of the world’s top players are better mounted in the UK than they are anywhere else in the world. Some may reserve better horses for Argentina, but the quality of the horses in the UK at 22-goal has reached a higher level than ever before.

It is interesting to look briefly at the making of the polo pony. Normally after being broken in or bought off the track, they are schooled and ridden out for a year, stick and balled and introduced to slow chukkas.

They then have another year playing practice chukkas, building up the speed.

In their third year playing, they are usually ready to play matches at a higher level and be put under pressure — this tends to be at the age of seven, although it can be a year earlier or later.

Ideally, the younger horses being “made” are in for two-month periods and then have two months off, thereby never putting too much stress on them either physically or mentally.

The polo pony has to be schooled to sprint, move laterally, stop fast, ride-off, accept the stick and the ball and accept other horses charging towards it — and have a good temperament and be steady to hit off.

Balancing the fine line between keeping the horses’ psyche right and improving the schooling and speed of movement are the most fascinating and rewarding aspects of making the polo pony.

The high-goal season is now halfway through and the Gold Cup is due to start on 24 June. It promises some of the highest quality polo and the best atmosphere for games in the northern hemisphere.

There are three additions to this tournament that did not take part in the Queen’s Cup.

They are Halcyon Gallery, with James Beim, Mark Tomlinson, James Harper and George Hanbury; El Rosario based around Salvador Ulloa, Rob Archibald and Fran Elizalde; as well as Harold Link’s Thai Polo, which is almost the same team as Sifani in the Queen’s Cup.

It is interesting to see some of the teams being shared by sponsors for the season, with one doing the Queen’s Cup and the other doing the Gold Cup.

It’s a good way to share the budget, and the players and sponsors can still produce a competitive team for the season.

The Queen’s Cup Leagues are in the final stages and there have been a few surprises and lots of close games in pretty wet conditions.

The playing surfaces have been amazing for the horses despite the deluges over the past 10 days, but they are inevitably getting a hammering and now they are not so easy to control the ball on.This gives more balanced teams an easier task and also has an effect on the tactics employed.

Talking of tactics, most of the high goal sides have professional coaches nowadays and as part of the technological evolution, there is now an app that can be downloaded and used in conjunction with Dartfish .

It can break down play into various sections, such as goals scored, fouls committed, hit-ins, throw-ins and other vital statistics. This programme is only just being born, but it can include slow motions of penalties and help the technique with all the shots.

Fox and Hounds — the all pro British team — has been a turn up for the books. They have played outstandingly as a team and there is all to play for in this last week as the final games are played out.

The sides that are looking strong, as always, are Zacara, El Remanso and Dubai. In our league it is difficult to say what the outcome will be, but Talandracas’s amazing win over UAE has brought them back into the fold and UAE have also proved to be very strong.

Other teams that are very good on paper have had a tough start either due to competitive leagues and or injuries to players throwing the team cohesion out of sync. Aravali and Twelve Oaks have yet to find form.

It would take a brave man to bet on a winner at this stage with so many teams playing to such a high standard, so the last stages will be as exciting as ever.

Last weekend saw the finals of the Duke of Sutherland and the Arthur Lucas Cups at the 18- and 15-goal level.

Congratulations to Dell Park who won the Arthur Lucas on the Saturday at Beaufort and the Duke of Sutherland 18-goal at Cowdray on the Sunday. That is a pretty impressive double for Nicolai Bahlsen, Richie Le Poer and Max Charlton.

The Royal Windsor is already under way and this will produce some excellent games at the medium-goal level.

Audi also had their big days at Coworth Park, with the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry making their debut this season. It always amazes me how naturally well they play after months without stick and balling or riding.

Looking forward to the next test match at the Beaufort Polo Club near Tetbury, on 21 June, England take on the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club team of John Paul Clarkin, Guillermo Terrera John Fisher and Luis Lalor (Snr).

The English team has been selected as James Harper, Max Charlton, George Meyrick and Max Routledge.

The event will be well attended and is combined with a charity weekend with tradestands and lots of entertainment for the whole family.

Do you want to play polo but can’t afford a string of ponies?

Then Segway polo, a more affordable version, might be the perfect solution.

The game, played on the two-wheeled vehicles with traditional polo mallets, was invented a decade ago in California.

Technology consultant Nick Magliocchetti is now looking to bring this “game for gentlemen of tech” to London and create Britain’s first Segway polo team.

“I am a bit of a geek and I was looking for a pastime,” Nick told H&H.

“I found out there wasn’t a team in England so I decided to make my own.”

Nick is now trying to recruit 20 fellow “geeks” to play, with the aim of competing at the 2014 World Championships.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (15 August 2013)

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A Leicestershire rider hopes to raise £10,000 for the East Midlands air ambulance services following a week of unusual alternatives to his 17-mile drive to work (28 September-2 October).

On the fourth day of his challenge (1 October) Harry Whinney, 38, rode polo pony Sherman, from home at Barkestone-le-Vale in Leicestershire to Langar Hall hotel.

From there he cycled to hitch a ride with Friesians Jack and Danny (pictured right) pulling a fully liveried wedding carriage for the last six mile section into the centre of Nottingham.

The carriage was donated by Sue at the Nottingham Horse & Carriage Company and Sherman was loaned by Kim Lampard (former Zimbabwean international polocrosse player) who coaches the England polocrosse team.

On the other days he canoed 23 miles along the Grantham Canal, cycled, ran and swam 17 miles in a pool mounted on the back of a lorry.

“I wanted to highlight the work of the air ambulances and how they support riders and other countryside pursuits — plus to raise the much-needed funds,” said Harry who is operations manager and graphic designer for the BBC at Nottingham.

“Having friends and acquaintances who’ve been injured whilst riding, cycling or playing rugby, I wanted to raise £10,000 because that is roughly the cost of one mission.”

The money raised will go to the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance and Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

To sponsor Harry and read more about his adventure, go to www.harrys10grandchallenge.co.uk

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Seven polo ponies had to be rescued by firemen this weekend after the lorry in which they were travelling overturned in Gloucestershire.

The lorry was travelling along the A417 on Crickley Hill, at approximately 9.50am on Sunday, 29 June, when it overturned at the junction and ended up on its side at the Air Balloon pub roundabout.

Gloucestershire fire and rescue crews arrived at the scene and cut the ponies free from the vehicle.

Dave Pike from Gloucestershire fire and rescue told H&H: “We had to cut the roof off and drag the ponies out through the roof. Two were trapped so we had to roll them out but fortunately they were all uninjured.

“It took about half an hour to release the ponies. We are often called to release trapped animals, but not usually from vehicles and never seven in one go.”

A vet treated minor injuries at the scene and all ponies are reported to be recovering from the incident.

A spokesman from Gloucestershire police said: “We had to close the roundabout for several hours but I believe the ponies were all ok.”

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