Mounted games and polocrosse have been given the nod to resume in England, as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) approved plans submitted by British Equestrian (BEF).

The BEF, working with the Mounted Games Association of Great Britain, the United Kingdom Polocrosse Association and the Pony Club used the DCMS’s sport resumption framework, released on 10 July, to produce action plans and risk assessments for both disciplines.

The framework included guidance aimed at minimising risks related to coronavirus transmission, and each risk assessment identifies how this can be achieved, and covers reducing the numbers of people in the field of play. This allows organisers to modify activity and rules as needed.

“It’s great news these sports have been given the go-ahead to resume,” said BEF head of participation David Butler.

“We are very grateful for DCMS’s decision, and I’d like to thank our member bodies for the hard work they put into preparing these action plans and risk assessments. Participants, officials, volunteers and other stakeholders can now return to the sports they love, happy in the knowledge that everything possible has been done to keep them safe.”

The BEF and its member bodies have produced an action plan for returning to equestrian team sports, which sets out a standard approach to managing events, including training and competition. Organisers must also adhere to the DCMS framework, and government guidelines on social distancing.

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The BEF is working on an application for horseball to resume.

The news came just before it was announced that a trial of allowing spectators to return to sport, at the Qatar Goodwood Festival this Saturday (1 Auguat) would not go ahead; the government had withdrawn permission for plans to allow up to 5,000 people in to watch the action on the final day of the meeting.

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It has been a little while since my last blog when I arrived back from Australia at the end of April. I have been flat out catching up with work and the bank balance! I have been enjoying working with lots of fabulous horses from a national dressage champion to the wonderfully long-maned cob, Angel — I really enjoy the variety of horses and aspirations of their owners.

Our haylage has just been cut, so the big bales are fantastic for cantering spooky horses round! I have had a little run of horses in for problems in the warm-up arena, so it was interesting to really fine-tune my programme for educating horses with this kind of issue.

As with all training, you start small and increase your questions as your horse learns. The pressure in this situation is having another horse near them, so the first thing I check is whether I have absolute control over my left, right and forward, so I can show them the best place to be when they are worried. When I first introduce another horse, I get an idea of my horse’s comfort line; this is how close another horse can get to them before it affects their concentration, or way of going, and gives me a starting point to work from. In simple terms, my retraining programme then follows these steps:

1. Follow another horse, reducing the gap as your horse become comfortable

2. Contact; make sure the other rider can give your horse a rub while standing still, then on the move

3. Ride in a pair next to each other, reducing the gap as your horse becomes comfortable

4. Passing each other left and right. This is where you are likely to get most resistance and anxiety, so start at your horse’s comfort line and reduce the gap as they settle. Make sure you do this exercise on both reins and both sides (i.e. passing right to right, and left to left)

5. Open plan; this is what you are working towards, when you can do steps 1-4 in random orders, with small gaps between the horses, and with an increased number of horses in the arena

Although my real passion will always be starting young horses, it is incredibly satisfying to turn problems horses around for their owners. I was reminded of this when Bear came to stay while his owner, Vikki, was on holiday.

Over the years, I have worked with some very difficult horses that I have thought would never ‘come right’ for their owners and Bear was one of them. He was one of the most nervous ponies I have ever worked with and came with an ingrained bolting habit. For anyone who has sat on a bolter, it is the most dangerous situation you can get into, as they run ‘blind’. I was very honest with Vikki, and didn’t think he would ever be right for her, but a few years on, he is an absolute delight, with kids and novice adults alike jumping on him! I take my hat off to Vikki and the owners of other difficult horses I have worked with, for their perseverance and faith they showed in their horses once they had got them home. It can be very daunting to re-establish a partnership with a horse that you may have been scared of or hurt by, but as they say, the best things in life don’t come easy, and it makes it all the more satisfying when all the work pays off!

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I have had my own ‘case of perseverance’ with my polocrosse mare, Sea Breeze. She won best playing pony last weekend, where she was brilliant throughout (pictured top). Penny bought her unseen as a just-broken three-year-old from a polo stud, where she was obviously going to be too ‘hot’ for polo — and I tried to sell her two weeks later as I couldn’t be bothered with her shenanigans! Five years on, I’m so glad she didn’t leave then. She is still a little on the crazy side, but she is everything I want in a competition horse; perfect conformation, speed, agility and a massive heart, there’s no way she’d ever give up on me! The best thing is that I have a recipient mare arriving carrying her embryo that is by our young Australian Stock Horse stallion, Haydon Oracle. Hopefully it will have all the talent of its parents, but a little more chilled out than Breeze!

Jason

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So much has happened since my last blog, it all seems like a bit of a blur!

In April, I travelled out to Australia to play for the UK at the Adina Polocrosse World Cup, and what an event it turned out to be. Each team drew a pool of horses to play, and we happened to draw the pool that had my dad’s two horses in it! We had three days to get accustomed to our horses, and see which horse suited each rider. As I was to play the defensive number three position, I chose to ride my dad’s Silver Hills Pearler, a seven-year-old Australian Stock Horse gelding, as my main horse. He felt powerful and athletic, if a little inexperienced, and I was hopeful that he would improve as the competition went on. And boy, did he exceed my expectations!

Our team didn’t quite fire in our first game against New Zealand, which effectively put us out of a top four placing, but from then on, our players and horses rose brilliantly to the challenge. In our five games, Pearler received three best horse awards and a champion Australian Stock Horse award, and helped me to win three best player awards. What a great horse he turned out to be, and it was so special that he was bred and owned by my father.

The UK team finished in a highly creditable fifth place, after performing brilliantly in three night games under lights in front of thousands! Polocrosse is a minority sport in the UK, so it was a great experience to play in front of so many people, as well as being livestreamed round the world. Maybe it was the show off in me that allowed me to play some of the best polocrosse of my life, but I would like to think that some other factors were involved! In what is likely to be my last international competition, I threw everything I had at it.

Preparation — in the lead up to this competition, I put aside all the “extras” in my life and was pretty selfish (with my family’s blessing, of course!). Fitness and training sessions were non-negotiable, I spent a lot of time on ensuring my equipment was perfect and I went the extra mile in my preparation, which included a weekend trip all the way to Zambia to get some match play in.

Nutrition — I am a skinny bloke, and have to eat constantly to keep any weight on, so I have always steered clear of any “diets”. But Gus Olds, our fitness guru, encouraged the team to try a keto diet to make us as “sharp” and alert as possible. It was an interesting exercise and I have to say I felt great (even though I cheated every now and again!).

No distractions — in every other big competition I have played in, I have either been captain, acted as player-coach or have been in a decision-making role as a senior player within the team. At this World Cup, I didn’t have any of these additional pressures. For once, I could just play and it was a revelation! I slept well, I switched off, and I just had to focus on each game.

In the zone — sometimes, it all just flows. Everything you do works and you feel in control of the situation. A lot of this is down to experience; I know what it feels like to “be in the zone” and what I have to do to get there. But that’s no guarantee that it will happen when it matters most!

There was no rest for the wicked on my return home, as we held a Retraining of Racehorses camp the day after. Luckily, the jetlag didn’t kick in too hard, and I had a blast with eight riders and their lovely ex-racers. They proved that these horses can make excellent all-rounders by taking part in a range of activities from groundwork to gridwork, mounted games, polocrosse and hacking, to having a good old “open up” across the open fields! I also put on a demonstration with local ROR-endorsed retrainer, Kylie Manser-Baines. It was very interesting to pick her, and ROR South East coordinator, Pippa Boyle’s, brains about what to look for in an ex-racer, and what to expect when you first get them home.

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May is proving to be a very busy month, as we also have our three-day spring Your Horsemanship camp, lots of clinics, and a full yard of some lovely horses in for training. If I’m allowed to have a favourite, it would have to be “Bo”, a stunning coloured dressage stallion, who has become unsettled in certain environments. He is beautifully trained and so balanced, I am optimistic that it’s a case of ironing out a few kinks before he is back among the ribbons.

Now I’ve penned this blog, I better find a moment to unpack properly… I just wish I could have fit Pearler in my suitcase!

Jason

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A combination of polo and lacrosse, polocrosse is an exciting, fast-paced game where riders try to throw a ball through goal posts to score. The special polocrosse racquet has a loose net on the end designed for picking up, catching and carrying the ball.

A version of the game was first played at a riding school in London in the 1930s, and it was developed into the present day game in Australia. It’s still most widely played in Australia, but is a growing sport in the UK, with 16 clubs nationwide.

Anna Kimber Tarbuck of Celyn Polocrosse Club in North Wales competed in more traditional disciplines, mainly dressage, before trying polocrosse as part of a Pony Club ‘have a go’ session about 10 years ago.

“I’ve been hooked ever since!” she says. “I’m now a UKCC level 2 polocrosse coach, a manager on our player development pathway, and the UK Polocrosse Association (UKPA) administrator. It really is a sport that changes your life! Any horse can give it a go, but they must be comfortable in close contact with other horses. Most are surprisingly accepting of the racquet and ball, and it’s a great sport for retrained racehorses to have a go at as they tend to love it.

“Polocrosse is probably one of the most family-friendly and cost effective sports you can play. A typical tournament weekend costs around £65 for a senior player entry (lower for juniors) and normally includes both your Saturday evening meal and entertainment. There’s always a really fun and relaxed atmosphere — it’s like a weekend away with your mates, but with a competition thrown in. It’s one of the few sports where you will see UK World Cup players right alongside novice players. We even have a lead rein division at most events so that all the family can get involved.”

Rachael Duhig of the Cotswold Polocrosse Club was born and raised in Texas, and came from an equestrian background. Her father started playing when she was five and she followed him onto the pitch two years later. She’s represented the USA at international level, coming fourth in the 2011 World Cup before moving to the UK, where she also came fourth on behalf of her new adopted country in the 2015 World Cup.

According to Rachael, if polocrosse seems like too much of a challenge for you, it could be more accessible than you think.

“I do lots of coaching in the UK Player Development Pathway and also at local riding schools and Pony Clubs,” she says. “When I begin a lesson with a complete novice, they are wondering how on earth they will be able to do any of the things I’m explaining to them. To everyone’s amazement, they pick up each skill quite fast, and the smile on their face is priceless when they achieve their first pick up or bounce! We have different levels, from little ones on the lead-rein, to adult beginners all the way up to the fast and furious top division, the A grade.”

Anna adds: “A lot of players will have come to the sport already being accomplished in another discipline, and that definitely helps — it’s amazing how many transferable skills most riders already have,” adds Anna. “If you’ve come from dressage or jumping, your horse will already be responsive which helps in ride offs and tactical play. We also have a lot of parents who decide that if they are bringing the kids they might as well have a go themselves, and they learn to ride so that they can play — it’s not unusual to see teenagers cheering on their mums and dads in the morning, and then vice versa in the afternoon!”

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If you’d like to have a go, you can find your regional rep on the UK Polocrosse Association (UKPA) website (https://ukpolocrosse.co.uk/). They’ll put you in touch with your nearest club or coach, and also be able to give you details of training sessions, any upcoming tournaments, and how to have a first go. If you don’t have your own horse they will also be able to help with options. Racquets and balls are provided by the clubs.

“I love that it’s a real team sport, which is something you don’t get with most equestrian disciplines,” says Anna. “Do get in touch with your nearest club and just go along to a club practice to get a feel for the game — I can guarantee that after your first go you will want more!”

The Polocrosse World Cup is currently underway in Australia from 22 to 28 April — find out more here.

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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Last weekend, my UK polocrosse team mates and I paid a flying, two-day visit to Zambia to play the number-two world-ranked team, as a warm up to the Adina Polocrosse World Cup, which is being held in Australia in a month’s time. Having only been able to play “arena” polocrosse during the winter, we were desperate to get some competitive chukkas on grass, but getting off the plane, straight onto an unknown horse, and lining up against world-class opposition was a bit of a shock to the system! We got sharper and more competitive over the three games, and were able to put some tactics and ideas to the test. The Zambians were fantastic hosts, and I definitely want to return for a more leisurely visit to this stunning country and take up the offer of a fishing trip on the Zambezi River.

The countdown to the Adina Polocrosse World Cup has now well and truly started, and these matches have got me really excited for the event, where we play current World Champions South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland, in the group stages. In 2015, I acted as player-coach and we finished a highly creditable fourth, so it would be fantastic to finish in the top three in the twilight of my international playing career.

These last preparations are all coming at a time when we are most busy on the yard with call-outs, as spring brings riders out of the woodwork and can also ignite a personality transplant to some horses!

My March webinar for Your Horsemanship members, was based on how to get your horse back “up and running” after the winter, particularly when taking them to their first event for the year.

I always recommend that when you’re bringing your horse in to work, it should be progressive; start with what they are comfortable at, before moving on. For example, two of my horses are more trustworthy, and less likely to have a little “explosion”, if they are taken straight out hacking round the roads after a break. But for many riders, they would feel more safe if they had the first few rides in a fenced arena. Horses love routine, so repeating exercises in the arena, or a certain hacking circuit, for the first few rides can work wonders for settling them down.

As for taking them out for their first outing of the year, the easiest bit of advice I can give is “LEAVE MORE TIME THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED!” Taking time pressures away gives you one less thing to get stressed about, and it is something you can control. If your horse does come off the box excited and on his toes, then you have time to diffuse the situation and get him in a better frame of mind before you compete.

Following on from the same theme, we have just finished our first hacking camp of the year, where 10 participants worked through issues with their horses’ behaviour, and their own confidence when out hacking. The preparation work led to a hack down the local lanes to have a picnic lunch at a neighbouring farm. Although some approached the outing with trepidation, the sun on our backs, the beautiful countryside and the spring lambs gambolling in the fields couldn’t fail to relax the riders and they all returned with a real sense of achievement. Practice makes perfect, so hopefully, this is the start of these riders being able to enjoy exploring their local environments on horseback.

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I mentioned in my last blog that I was starting three home-breds from the Bechtolsheimer’s breeding programme (pictured with all three of them, top). I delivered them home last week and I can’t wait to seeing how they progress. When I dropped them off, we went for a hack round the farm to get them used to their new riders and environment. The “handover” is a crucial part of the training process, as the horse gets used to the feel of their new rider, and I give the rider the tools to cope with any hiccups along the way. My dad always used to say that a horse isn’t truly broken in until they’ve done a year’s worth of mustering cattle round the steep hills of ‘Silver Hills’, the 4,000 acre property I grew up on. I’m not sure how many rides that would equate to for most riders in the UK, but you get the idea! So, with that in mind, I’m off to go for long hack with my family on a new youngster that I have high hopes for.

Jason

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I have been having such a great time visiting my family, and spending time on the farm in Australia (pictured top). I love being among the cattle again, and seeing all the foals and youngstock produced from the line of horses that I grew up riding, and that have given my family so much success over the years; I just wish I could fit them in my suitcase home!

Before I got back to New South Wales, I stopped in Perth to catch the Australian Polocrosse Nationals, where members of my family were representing New South Wales. The level of play, horsemanship and quality of horses was outstanding, and made for a great spectacle, especially during the evening games under lights with a couple of beers.

I was very proud of my sister, Sandra, who unfortunately could not quite get the win against Queensland in the ladies’ final, and my nephew, Dan, who came away with a win in the under-16 boys’ division. Dan, who is 15, also won a best player award, and best Australian Stock Horse with the family’s home-bred Silver Hills Pearler. Pearler’s dam was Sandra’s outstanding mare, Doondi Sapphire, who won champion horse at the 2006 nationals. As for Will Weston, my brother-in-law, he won the men’s division and best male player of the whole competition. He has been deservedly selected for the Australian team at the 2019 Polocrosse World Cup, to be held in Queensland in April, and I am looking forward to meeting him on the pitch once again, as I represent the UK! As you can see, polocrosse really is a family affair for us.

After all that excitement, it has been nice just to relax and catch up the rest of the family. It is also giving me a chance to reflect on the past year and make some plans for the future. It is so difficult to get this “thinking time” at home, as there is always another horse to ride, another job to get done, or another school run to do!

I have been busy thinking about the demonstrations I am scheduled to do at Your Horse Live, which will be based on dealing with spooking. I was thinking about doing a loading demo, as it is one of the most frequent handling issues I get asked about, but watching the loading process can get a little boring. I thought it may be interesting to include this video of me loading a beautiful unweaned foal for the first time as part of this blog (see below). The aim was to make the process stress-free and safe for the foal, while enabling his owner to be able to travel him to a grading show. It is quite different working with a horse that has no preconceptions about the horsebox, and it demonstrates how loading is just an extension of teaching the horse to lead correctly.

Being away usually makes me a little nervous about what is going on at the yard at home, but I have full confidence in Hamish, who has been my assistant trainer for the past year. He really is becoming an excellent trainer in his own right, and it is great that I can get off-site without having to stop work at the yard. It has also been fantastic having Camilla Kruger, an Olympic eventer, on-site, and we’ve been having fun jumping the fences that she leaves up for us after her schooling sessions; Hamish is definitely a lot braver over a fence than I am!

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Although we’re both busy with our own work, Millie and I have spent the odd morning helping each other out with certain horses, and we all keep our ears and eyes open to pick up extra tips when she is having lessons from her trainers, Hannah Biggs and Darrell Scaife; quite a perk for Hamish and I. Millie kindly gave my 10-year-old daughter a jumping lesson the other week on her very sprightly 25-year-old pony, Gilly. Rosie now won’t stop talking about how Millie has changed her and Gilly’s jumping in just one lesson and how amazing she is! Poor old Gilly won’t know what has hit him, and Millie definitely has a new fan, although I’m not sure Penny and I could watch Rosie flying over those huge cross-country fences any time soon!

Jason

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I’ve been lucky enough to be doing a bit of jet-setting since my last blog. Although most of it has been work-related, I managed to sneak in a quick trip to South Africa to play in the Land Rover Durban high goal polocrosse tournament. With four men’s and four ladies’ teams in action, each team’s sponsor flies in players from around the world to play with the top South Africans, making it one of the most prestigious and high quality competitions to play in.

My team was sponsored by Rokwil and, dare I say it, were slightly un-fancied with regards to winning. However, sometimes a team just works, and we won all three matches to take the overall title. I have been playing polocrosse all my life, and have competed in international test matches and World Cups, but this has to rank as the biggest win of my career. It was made even more special as I played with an old friend in James Hackland, who I first played against in 1999, and got to ride some very nice horses of Travis Timm’s, who I rate as the best player in the world at the moment. My sister and brother-in-law were also playing, and Sandra was in the winning ladies’ team, so I think mum and dad were quite proud back in Australia. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and mine finished with a lost passport, making the trip home a little more stressful than envisaged!

The lovely weather has made it perfect for the Your Horsemanship camps that I have been running at home over the summer. They are a great way for people to really connect with their horses and sort through any problems they may be having, while experiencing lots of new challenges. Some come to have fun, while others use them as an opportunity to overcome some deep-rooted fears. My hacking camp in particular was viewed with trepidation from some of the participants, with some being extremely nervous about the prospect of hacking on lanes and fields. I now get regular updates and tags in social media posts of photos of those same people who are now happy to be out and about with their horses. I am full of admiration for people who overcome their fears like this, and of course, it also gives me a lot of job satisfaction.

Most people’s fears come from a moment where they have felt out of control while riding or handling their horse. It doesn’t matter what that moment was, it is all about the perception of it. For example, a horse may have a little spook one day, but that may be enough for a nervous rider to lose confidence in that horse. This can lead to a breakdown in the partnership, and the spook may develop into more serious and engrained behaviours, such as spinning and rearing.

I recently did an evening talk with a vet, Reuben Whittaker, about how we can tell whether behavioural problems in horses are caused by physical pain, attitude or poor handling and management. Whenever I get a horse sent to me, I make sure that they have been checked by a vet, to rule out physical problems. Once they have the all clear, sometimes I can tell what is causing the behaviour as soon as I start work with a horse, whereas with others, I need to collaborate with the owner in order to get to the bottom of the problem. I worked out that I have started or retrained about 2,500 horses in my career, so I guess it is something that has become quite intuitive!

On the yard, I have been working with some very exciting horses, including Hazelhope Jackpot, a four-year-old by De Niro, who we have just started. He is pictured being ridden for the first time by Joe Bright, who will take on the ride for his owner, Mandy Southern. He really is a full of quality and I hope Mandy and Joe will go on to have a lot of success with him. Mandy is one of the very few people who has ever managed to get me in a pair of jodphurs. A few years ago, she asked me to take Fly, a lovely mare of hers, to a local dressage show to give her some experience. I felt very strange in her husband, Jimmy’s, riding gear, but we must have got away with it as Fly came away with some rosettes, even if I did go the wrong way a couple of times! Ever since, I have been meaning to start dressage career, but somehow work and life always gets in the way.

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I’ll leave you with the adorable picture of “Lily Limpopo” (top), bred by Zimbabwean international event rider, Millie Kruger. At my latest coffee morning, I worked with two foals and had them popping on and off the trailer and getting them used to being led. I am looking forward to breeding one or two of my own foals by our new Australian Stock Horse stallion, Haydon Oracle. Having recovered from his journey over from Australia in May, I have been riding him round the farm and he feels fantastic.

Jason

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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I can’t quite believe what I have packed into the last two weeks. A fortnight ago, Penny and I took a trip to Buckingham Palace for the Prince Of Wales’ 70th Birthday patronage celebration. Prince Charles is a patron of the Australian Stock Horse Society, so we were invited to attend along with the society’s chairman, Craig Young, and his wife, Jenelle, who had flown over from Australia for the event.

It was a wonderful day. The sun shone while we listened to various bands, ate an amazing tea and strolled through the grounds of the beautiful gardens, which were made all the more stunning because they exist in the middle of London. Prince Harry, with his new bride by his side, made a funny and moving speech about his father, detailing how much work he does for charities, and how he champions small societies involved with the environment, farming and nature.

Two days later, we headed back to London, although this time it was to the far less attractive surroundings of the cargo area of Heathrow Terminal 4, for the much-awaited arrival of Haydon Oracle. Oracle is a two-year-old Australian Stock Horse (ASH) colt, who we believe will be the first registered ASH colt to stand in the UK. Along with the Bristow family, who are our partners in the venture, and Craig and Jenelle, we waited with great excitement as the horses were unloaded. We couldn’t believe how calmly he stepped off the crate, and our first thoughts were, “What a stunner!” We couldn’t be more pleased with his type and temperament and the IRT grooms described him as “the perfect gentleman”. He comes from generations of top performing horses, so I can’t wait to get a feel of him, but for now he is having a well earned few weeks rest in the field with his new buddy, Hype.

The fun didn’t stop there, either! Last weekend, I played in polocrosse test matches against Ireland as part of the UK men’s team.

In a previous blog, I wrote about my top horse, Breeze, being injured. With these tests forming a large part of selection for the 2019 Polocrosse World Cup to be held in Australia, I turned to my faithful old gelding, Banjo. He didn’t let me down, and not only did the team win both our games, but Banjo also received champion horse of the series. He is a 12-year-old Australian Stock Horse x Thoroughbred, that my dad bought as a yearling and we imported as a three-year-old.

Since he was four he has played in nearly every national club championships A-grade final and international held in the UK. Standing at 16hh, he is big for a polocrosse horse, but he has all the athleticism and trainability of the Australian Stock Horse, and is an absolute pleasure to play. In fact, he could probably play the game without a rider on top!

His sire, Stonebrook Finno, is a very successful sire in Australia, and his frozen semen is available in the UK, through my UK teammate, Jono Keen, who deservedly won best male player. The UK ladies were also playing, and although they went down by a few goals in their first game, they fought back for a two-goal win on Sunday in a cracker of a game.

In between all of this, the yard has been in full swing, with some interesting horses to work with. We had an arrival last week for starting, which has been bought for an Irish international showjumper. She is a stunning mare, and after viewing a video of her loose jumping, I can see why she has been earmarked for jumping stardom!

Continued below…

A young dressage stallion has also just arrived. He had starting competing successfully before developing a bit of an attitude, which included a decent buck. It is early days, but it feels like he hasn’t learnt to accept differences in his environment or any changes in the way that he is ridden. This means that when things do alter, he becomes tense and anxious, which is when the problems arise. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring you more updates on how these two are getting along in my next blog.

Jason

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We’ve just about recovered from yet another 40th celebration when Penny and I threw a joint party for over a hundred friends on the farm. It was a great way to finish the summer and lovely to see so many mates from all our different walks of life.

September also marked the end of the polocrosse season. The National Polocrosse Club Championships were held at Rugby Polo grounds, and although my team put up a good fight, we couldn’t come away with the trophy this time, which went to a strong Highlanders side. I did, however, receive best veteran male player, which I can’t decide whether I’m pleased about or not!

In a shameless plug for what is a less well-known equestrian sport, polocrosse really is such a fun thing to do as a family; there is a level for everyone to play at and the social side isn’t half bad either!

The future for our club, Kent Target, looks bright, as we had two teenagers in our top side and others knocking at the door, not to mention a group of fantastic juniors coming up through the ranks. Our horses were on top form at the championships too. I was also delighted how my young mare, Sea Breeze, went. She is definitely the most athletic horse I have sat on; her pace and power is unmatched and now I just have to work on slowing her brain down so she thinks a little more about what is going on!

My other top horse, Banjo, played his heart out for our visiting Aussie coach, Zac O’Leary, and my son Jack won best junior horse on Wayward, who at the age of 20 is now retiring from the game. My nine year old daughter Rosie had a ball playing in primary juniors on another veteran pony, Gilly, and Penny came out of her “retirement” to win the C grade and pick up the best number one prize!

Back to the business side of things, I have the usual range of horses to work with, from youngsters in for starting to trickier older customers. These include a dressage stallion from the continent that has developed a rearing problem, to a couple of over-sensitive and, dare I say it, explosive horses! We have developed a routine with these two, that once they have been worked, they stay on the yard for a while and between myself, Annie and our new addition to the team, Hamish, we handle and get on and off them every time we walk past. These horses are sensitive on the ground so the transition to the rider being on the ground to being ridden is a real “flash point”. They are also sensitive to change and different people, so they are benefitting greatly from all three of us working with them. We also have the lovely Bambi in for starting, who has the most incredible mane we have ever seen; Billy and Bradley have taken great pride in keeping it in tip top condition!

Just like having new horses to the yard can make us think outside the box and come up with new perspectives, having a new rider to the team has brought in lots of fresh ideas too.

Hamish is Scottish but spent a year in Australia with some excellent horse people, and has been very proactive around the farm and coming up with new challenges for Annie and I! We want our horses to leave the yard able to cope with whatever comes their way, whether they are destined for the Olympics or for a hacking home. The photo at the top of my blog shows Helen and Milarky going over one of Hamish’s creations. This tests the rider’s ability to keep the horse to go straight, which is one of the most fundamental skills in training a horse. It also a great teaching aid for us, to show riders how to introduce a horse to a new obstacle so they both have a positive experience. And when Milarky gets near a podium, he’s going to be straight up there whether Helen wants him to or not!

Continued below…

Jason Webb’s blog: young horses, overproduction and gadgets

Jason has been on an exciting and particularly

I have just finished our Autumn Your Horsemanship camp, which was three days of horsemanship, training, fun and games, with lots of amazing home-made food from my sister-in-law thrown in. We had a great group to work with and although there were a couple of tricky four-legged customers, all the horses and riders improved dramatically over the camp. My next big event is an evening demonstration at Pepperwood Park in Surrey on 6 October, where I will be working with some young dressage horses, so if you are in the area, it would be great to see you! The week after I am working with JLT Insurance’s young managers in an equine leadership programme at Oldencraig Equestrian Centre and I will be back in Essex at walk to canter for clinics and lessons… looks like a busy start to Autumn!

Jason

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I have just returned from South Africa where the UK team finished a credible fourth in the Polocrosse World Cup, bringing our world standing up by two places.

I took on the role of player-coach, which certainly had its challenges! However, now the dust has settled, I can look back with great sense of achievement.

All the players on the team stood up to the pressures of international polocrosse, which is all any coach and teammate can ask for. On a personal note, I have learnt so much from coaching at this level and the fact that I played my best polocrosse in years is testament to the faith I had in my teammates and our preparation. South Africa retained their title through playing the best polocrosse I have ever seen; they have certainly taken the game to a new level.

A tricky loader

Now it is back to business and the yard is filling up with horses again. I have also been teaching and going out to clients this week, including loading a horse for eventer Bryony Whittington.

The horse had previously loaded without any issues, but suddenly found a few tricks to avoid going on. I worked with the horse for about an hour, and I hope it will time well spent for both Bryony and her new event prospect.

It is always interesting in cases like these to work out why horses develop problems seemingly out of the blue. In this case, some alterations to the truck were all it took for the horse to take exception to loading. The fact that Bryony called me out to nip the problem in the bud made life a lot easier for me, and her horse!

In this job, you never know what is around the corner and after twenty years of starting horses I have my first twins to work with! Not only that, but they are out of Lucinda Fredericks’ fantastic mare Headley Britannia by Mr Big Cat and conceived through embryo transfer. They are very similar to look at but one is a gelding and one is a filly.

Although were bought up the same, the filly nearly died from a virus but has made an excellent recovery. It will be interesting to see how they both progress and feel their similarities or otherwise. Twins might come from the same genetics but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to be the same!

Get online

On another very exciting note, I am delighted to say that my new online training resource, Your Horsemanship, is up and running with over two hundred videos and is being used by our first subscribers!

About three years ago, someone told me that if you’re not moving forward, you are going backwards. I am in the business of helping people and horses so I thought providing online education would be an amazing resource to add to what I offer. In filming for the videos, I also had to take a good look at what I do and what people want and as a result I have got better at teaching and talking to camera. Your Horsemanship also makes business sense as I am not getting any younger and there are only so many horses and people I can physically help in a day! This resource is allowing me to help so many more people and their horses, which is really exciting.

Jason

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Great Britain’s polocrosse team has made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The team will now face Zambia on Friday (10 July) at the tournament in South Africa.

The GB team’s tournament started with a defeat to double world champions Australia 22-11.

They then went on to beat Zimbabwe 17-11 and on Sunday (5 July), Great Britain beat Ireland 20-11 to secure their place in the semi-finals, finishing second in their group.

H&H blogger Jason Webb, a player and coach on the GB team, said they were “delighted” to be through to the semi-finals.

He said:“The first day was tough against Australia but since then we have improved our game and also learnt more about our pool of horses.

“We have worked out which ones are best played in which positions and how many chukkas each one is best doing.

“Now we need to get ready to face Zambia, who will be a tougher challenge but one we believe we can win.”

South Africa will face Australia in the other semi-final match.

Since a shock defeat by Zambia on day one, the hosts went on to beat New Zealand 22-6 and the USA 25-10.

The final will be held on 12 July.

Each team is given a pool of 16 randomly allocated horses – eight for their men’s section and eight for the ladies – which are provided by the host country.

The teams then have five days to work with the horses ahead of their first match.

Unlike polocrosse played at a national level, the international game does allow more than one horse per player.

The men and ladies play alternate chukkas and the scores of both sections are added together to give an overall result.

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Last week was pretty tough as we had to say goodbye to Dodge, our wonderful Collie dog.

Penny and I bought him when we first moved in together back in 2002 and he has been by my side ever since. Dodge’s favourite thing in the world was to run up and down the side of the arena “rounding up” the horses. Not only did all the horses that came on training become very desensitised to dogs, but Dodge kept himself fit, happy and healthy in the process! At the age of thirteen and with a number of ailments, he had a brilliant innings and will be very hard to replace.

A lot is said about animal intuition and over the years Dodge’s instincts about horses became so honed that he was almost like an extra pair of hands on the yard.

As soon as a horse arrived or it got led out of its stable in the morning, Dodge would react in one of two ways. He would either stay lying down or he would get excited and run to his position at the side of the arena. If the latter happened, the horse without fail would either be fresh or tricky, even if to the human eye it looked perfectly calm and relaxed. Dodge’s instincts were so reliable, that if a client came to ride their horse, I would get on first if Dodge showed me the signs!

When working with horses, we have to remember that they also have strong instincts, although they have the instinct of a prey animal, rather than those of dogs, which are predatory.

Horses will see changes in their environment that are overlooked by the human eye, hence they will seemingly spook at nothing. Although most established horses will put up with changes in your actions and mood, sensitive, young or unhandled horses will instantly pick up on your body language, which is why it is so important to leave your worries at the gate and remain calm, consistent and decisive in all your interaction with them.

I used to believe that I could train a horse for anyone to go on with, but I have had horses come to me as remedial cases that have done well but reverted to their difficult behavior as soon as their owners have arrived on the yard, demonstrating that horses do make associations with individuals. In these cases it’s down to me to try and change the owner’s habits and body language in order to develop a better relationship with their horse.

On the yard at the moment, I have the usual mix of young horses in for starting and some remedial cases, including a very spooky mare. Her behavior caused her rider to lose confidence in her, which has led to a downward spiral in their partnership.

I am tackling the problem by going through a programme that I use on similar horses, which teaches the horse to face its fears, think and be rational about situations.

Once I feel that there is a significant improvement, it will then be a case of teaching the owner how to handle the mare and hopefully their partnership will go from strength to strength.

On the polocrosse front, the UK team had their last tournament together before we head out to South Africa on Thursday.

I was thrilled with how my new young horse, Sea Breeze, went; she has the potential to be the best horse I have ever had. She was bred by Alan Kent, a former England polo player, and he realised early on that she was a little too “busy” for polo, so she came to me.

This type of horse does not suit everyone but the balance, athleticism and power that she possesses is very exciting, even though it requires some careful handling while she learns the game.

The team is very positive and we can’t wait to get out there and draw our pool of horses. Our first game is on 3 July against Australia, when I will play against my brother-in-law, Will Weston. Hopefully we’ll still be on good terms afterwards!

Jason

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Celebrities will be putting their pedal power into practice in a polo match with a difference.

The Watershed Riding for the Disabled (RDA) group based in Coates, Gloucestershire, will be hosting a celebrity electric bicycle polo match on Friday (5 June).

A star-studded lineup will be taking to the polo field at Longdole Polo Club, near Birdlip, including international polo player Mark Tomlinson and his Olympic gold medal-winning wife Laura.

All funds raised from the event will go towards installing facilities at the RDA group’s centre.

“The money is being specifically raised to provide a warm, dry and fully-plumbed area for the RDA riders and volunteers,” said Diane Green of the Watershed RDA group.

“We are aiming to raise more than £100,000 to build a warm and dry room with toilet facilities, to replace the portaloo we have been using.”

International rugby players Phil Vickery, Rob Fidler, Tom Beim and James Simpson-Daniel — who part owns Welsh Grand National winner Monbeg Dude — will be taking part. Jamie Bond, principle dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, is also due to play.

The current England ladies polo captain Nina Clarkin adds to the impressive lineup, alongside Debbie Harris, the most capped player in UK polocrosse history.

“Our brave celebrities will pedal their way to victory or defeat on electric bicycles provided by eCycles of Stroud,” added Ms Green.

Cheltenham-based A2B bicycles manufacture these bikes and will be providing shirts for the players and RJ Polo, Cirencester, will be supplying the sticks.

Prizes will be presented by the Countess Bathurst.

Alongside the bicycle polo match the 2015 UK world cup polocrosse team will showcase their sport and children from the Pony Club will be showing off their arena polo skills.

Tickets for the charity event cost £10 on the gate with under 14s entering for free.

For more information contact kate.beim@customade.co.uk

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Eight UK polocrosse players will be heading to South Africa this summer for the 2015 world cup.

The UK team will be captained by Debbie Harris, the most-capped player in UK polocrosse history.

The players will be coached by former captain, and H&H blogger, Jason Webb and includes Max Pedley and Joel Sics who are both making their world cup debuts. Max, at 16, is the youngest player the UK has ever called up to its open team.

The other male player is Danny Duhig who played in the 2011 World Cup.

Danny’s wife Rachel Duhig (nee Gayler) played for the USA in 2011 but now represents the UK, alongside Charlotte Pykett and Kerry Bean.

“We have an exciting mix of experience and youth who can’t wait to get out and make their mark on the tournament,” said Jason.

The team will travel to South Africa at the end of June to spend a week working with their allocated horses.

Each team has five days to work with their horses for one hour a day before playing their opening match.

“Obviously the pool of horses we are allocated will have an effect but I have every confidence in the team’s horsemanship and riding abilities to form great partnerships with them in a short space of time,” added Jason.

The UK team faces competition from seven other counties including the hotly-tipped South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Hosts South Africa are the reigning champions, while Zimbabwe finished second at the last World Cup.

The other countries taking part are the double world champions Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the USA.

For more information visit www.ukpolocrosse.co.uk

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Fast-paced, exhilarating and hugely sociable, polocrosse is essentially a mash-up of lacrosse and polo. It may not have the high profile of its two namesakes, but if you’re looking for a sport with horses, racquet skills and teamwork — plus lashings of excitement — this could be the game for you.

The ground rules

“Polocrosse is a fantastic game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages,” explains A-grade player and Pony Club polocrosse coach Emily Gilfillan.

“Originally dating back to the 1930s, it is now becoming a popular sport for those looking to try something a bit different.”

As in polo, polocrosse is played on a grass pitch and each game is divided into several chukkas.

But unlike polo, players can ride only one horse each at a tournament.

“There are three players from each team on the pitch at once, and the pitch is split into three areas,” explains Jake Hall, secretary of the UK Polocrosse Association (UKPA).

“Two goal-scoring areas, which only the attacking number one and defending number three can go into, and a midfield, which every player can go into.

The ball is picked up with a polocrosse racquet, carried and passed to the number one, who then has to find a way past the number three to score. The aim of the game is to score as many goals as possible by throwing the ball between the posts.”

Getting involved

The easiest way to have a crack at polocrosse is through your local Pony Club branch. England team manager and Pony Club ambassador Chris Milburn says that this is how most young players begin their careers.

“Many people start by taking part in training events and regional competitions, with the ultimate aim of competing at the Pony Club Championships,” he says. “The Pony Club works with its member branches and centres to provide taster sessions and training days, and will arrange for UKCC coaches with equipment to visit those who wish to try the sport.”

If you left the Pony Club behind years ago, then don’t panic — you can still get involved.

“Just check the UKPA website for your nearest club, get in touch, and you’ll be welcomed along to a training session where you can have a go,” says Kerry Bean, a member of the UK Polocrosse World Cup Squad for 2015.

Who can play?

The polocrosse community is renowned for welcoming players of all ages and abilities, and player Jemma Alderson — who has quickly risen through the grades despite being profoundly deaf — says that anybody can take part.

“The most important quality is that you are a team player,” she says. “The skills of polocrosse can be developed through training and with the support of the rest of your team. You do need to have good balance, though, as there is a lot of twisting and turning to get to the ball!”

Most newcomers to the game begin by playing on their current pony. It helps to have an athletic type with good lateral movement as you move up the grades — but at the lowest levels, anything goes.

Racquets, balls and other specialist equipment will usually be provided initially by your local club or the Pony Club, making polocrosse an easy and inexpensive sport to try.

Find out more:

➤ UK Polocrosse Association: www.ukpolocrosse.co.uk; email: secretary@ukpolocrosse.co.uk

➤ The Pony Club polocrosse: www.pcuk.org;

tel: 02476 698315 or email Hannah@pcuk.org

Ref: Horse & Hound; 25 December 2014

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It has been another couple of busy weeks here with the team putting the final touches to the new stable block. We now have the first occupants settled in who are watching the world go by. The stables are a fantastic addition to the yard and my thanks go to everyone who turned their hand to the DIY and painting!

Last Tuesday I ran a Retraining of Racehorse (RoR) clinic where I gave one-to-one lessons to seven people with their lovely horses. I really enjoy being involved with the racing industry in this way as I grew up starting and then retraining our own homebred racehorses in Australia, with many going on to compete in a range of disciplines.

Most ex-racers take to life outside racing very well given time and correct retraining. It is fantastic that organisations such as RoR are working to dispel the notion that thoroughbreds are too highly strung and excitable to be consistent riding horses.

All the owners that came to see me had developed successful partnerships with their horses but were having small issues that were preventing them fulfilling their full potential.

One of which was ‘Jet’ (pictured left), a former Flat racer owned by Lindsay Sparrow who has built a strong partnership with him over the past three years. She now participates successfully in endurance riding events, and came third in the RoR national endurance meet last year. However, Jet’s adrenalin often kicks in during the pre-vet checks at these events and Lindsay felt that she needed help to re-establish the basics when she is handling him on the ground. Hopefully the tools I gave her will stand Jet, herself and the vets in good stead.

Saying goodbye and gearing up for Christmas

We have also said farewell to Clayden (pictured top), the rescue pony that has been with us now for three months. The Happy Endings Rescue Team brought Clayden to us as an untouched pony that had been running wild with a group of horses in North Kent.

With a lot of patience and hard work we have seen him transformed from being totally

unapproachable to a pony that is gaining in confidence and trust on a daily basis. He has been given an all-round education and is now hacking out confidently, popping small jumps and even turning his hoof to a bit of polocrosse.

He can still be a little unsure with new people and I think as he sets off to start his new life with Lynn (pictured with Clayden right), he will be a ‘one-person horse’ for a while until he gains more trust in humans. Both the girls on the yard and I have grown really fond of him and we shall certainly miss him being around.

Looking forward, we are gearing up for our Christmas coffee morning this coming Saturday, 6 December, when the mulled wine and mince pies will be out! I am going to do a demo with Diesel who is back on form after Your Horse Live, and one or two of the horses currently in on training.

Then we’ll be counting down the days until we fly out to the sunshine in Australia, where we will be for Christmas and New Year.

Jason

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I keep thinking that life will start to calm down a bit but it doesn’t seem to work out that way!

I am writing this after two big weekends in a row, one working at Your Horse Live and one playing, perhaps a little too hard, at the annual UK Polocrosse Association awards dinner and ball.

Your Horse Live is one of the major events on our calendar as it gives the team and I a chance to showcase our work – something I don’t really get to do through competitions like most other trainers.

I had planned to take Clayden, the rescue horse that I have spoken about in previous blogs, but we just couldn’t get his paperwork all sorted in time.

I was lucky to have a lovely stand-in in Cali, a young Spanish horse that had been with me for three weeks after Nicky. His owner, realised he wasn’t quite as ‘broken in’ as she was led to believe after she bought him from the continent.

Let go of your horse!

My first demo on Saturday morning went as planned and followed the theme of ‘let go of your horse!’ Cali showed some nerves but settled quickly as I explained how to introduce a young horse to a new environment.

Diesel was on top form showing off for the crowd with some liberty work and finishing with me playing some bridleless polocrosse.

Unfortunately I had to adapt my two Sunday demonstrations after the whole event went into an incredibly moving two-minute silence to mark Armistice Day at 11am.

Diesel, who was waiting to go into the arena, thought the bugle playing The Last Post was a hunting horn. Having been hunting once as a four-year-old and finding the experience incredibly overexciting – it was clear that my demonstration was rapidly changing into ‘What to do if your horse becomes over-excited!’

It was a shame after so much work with him at home that he wasn’t able to perform all the fun tricks, but the crowd’s feedback was that these demos were more educational because everyone who rides horses has those moments when things don’t go according to plan.

Q&A with Carl Hester and Paul Tapner

I also enjoyed my time on the Q&A panel with the likes of Carl Hester and Paul Tapner (pictured below). It was very refreshing to hear top competitors such as this having such common sense attitudes towards how they keep and train their young horses and I hope I’ll have more opportunities to quiz them in the future.

I’m not sure why anyone would want my autograph but sitting on the ‘signings’ stand was quite an experience too – perhaps they mistook me for Paul Tapner on account of my Australian accent!

As ever my team was fantastic and worked so hard with the demonstrations and on our stand, which was busy all weekend.

It was lovely to have my wife Penny there too for moral support, but I’m worried that my wallet might have taken a bit of a beating over the weekend as she came home with a lot of shopping bags!

New ventures

On the home front, things are going well with all the horses and their training is going well. We are enjoying the new block of Cheval Liberte stables and already planning for the next phase of development of the yard.

I’m looking forward a Retraining of Racehorses clinic next week and our Christmas Coffee (or mulled wine!) Morning Demonstration at the beginning of December, before the family and I go to Australia for Christmas.

I’m also incredibly excited that an online project that I first started over two years ago is in its final stages of completion. I won’t tempt fate by talking about it until its up and running as it has been such a labour of love, but hopefully we’ll be able to get on that plane and have a celebratory drink to toast the beginning of a new venture in our lives!

Jason

Read more of Jason’s blogs

Jason Webb’s blog: Progressing with Clayden and teaching new skills

Our blogger has had a busy fortnight of training and is excited by his youngster’s development

Jason Webb’s blog: Riders, don’t hang on to your horses!

Jason has been teaching riders to resist the urge to hang on to their horses and shares a video of

Jason Webb’s blog: Camp success, steady progress and who needs a bridle?

H&H’s blogger had a busy weekend hosting a horsemanship camp and made exciting progress with a unhandled youngster

Jason Webb’s blog: New faces and an exciting announcement

H&H's blogger introduces some fresh projects and plans a special trip abroad next June

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

Well, it has been quite a weekend! As I write this, we have just finished our inaugural Your Horsemanship Camp here at Risebridge Farm and are now sitting, exhausted, reflecting back on what has been a very successful three days.

Twelve riders took part and our aim over the weekend was to teach horses patience and to teach riders to relax. When asked to relax and ride without a contact many riders find this a real challenge as it goes against their natural instinct to hold on, especially when in a pressure situation. However, relaxation and rhythm in a horse is almost impossible without the rider being able to do the same.

The participants started with a Ridden Confidence session where they were given different options to use when their horse reacted to different situations. Further sessions in groundwork, gridwork, showjumping, hacking out and mounted games all contributed to encouraging both horse and rider to relax and experience different situations and above all to enjoy themselves and each other.

There was even a polocrosse session where every horse, without exception, accepted the stick and saw the riders happily scoring goals!

The weekend culminated in a challenge incorporating all the elements learnt over the previous days.

For us as coaches, the smiles as everyone successfully completed the course were the icing on the cake. Plans are now afoot for future camps in 2015 – watch this space!

Claydon makes progress

I thought I would give an update on Claydon, the rescue pony that came in a few weeks ago from the Happy Endings Rescue team. He has settled well in his specially erected pen and enjoys watching the comings and goings of the yard.

After the initial groundwork and capitalising on his natural curiosity I started making contact with him through the use of a long, soft pole that acts as an extension of my arm. The next step was to get a halter on him but as I hadn’t even managed to get near his head yet I lassoed him first – easier than it sounds as he was used to turning and facing me.

At first, he was defensive but he soon quietened down and accepted the situation. Over the next few days he became used to the lasso and I was able to use the soft pole to rub his face and muzzle, shortening it each time until at last I was able to touch him with my hands. It was then a matter of carefully slipping the headcollar on.

Since this process I have been increasing my contact with him. When I first took him out of his pen my work to date was tested as he was startled by someone stepping out in front of him. He turned to run and took some rope with him but he took the option of turning and facing me rather than fleeing; a sign that he is starting to look to me for answers.

We have now got to the stage where he is lunging at walk, trot and canter with a roller. Today (Wednesday) he wore a bridle for the first time. It’s small, slow steps, but I hope to be riding him by my next blog!

Aside from working on the horses in for training, I have also been having fun working with my own horse, Diesel, for our demonstrations at Your Horse Live in a month’s time. I have been working on some dressage movements that have been helped by a couple of sessions with Damian Hallam, and his bridleless work has developed too (pictured right).

Riding without a bridle or rope is really liberating, not to mention a good test of your training and your balance and I’m even enjoying throwing a polocrosse ball around!

Jason

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I didn’t get to watch much of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), but it was very exciting keeping up with it via social media and of course, H&H’s coverage of the event!

Horses and sport can give us such incredible highs, but along with those come the lows and so it was with Team GBR. It is such a long journey to get to the top of any sport, but when it relies on two athletes, one being half a tonne of horse, it makes it all the more amazing when it all comes together on the day as it did for Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro.

My work tends to come at the beginning of the journey, either starting the horses as youngsters or ironing out problems along the way. But who knows, I may just see one of these horses at WEG or the Olympics one day.

Future stars?

One little chap who has an exciting future is Hazelhope Jack. A couple of weeks ago I went to Hazelhope Stud to teach him to load as they wanted to take him to the KWPN UK Grading. A horse’s first impressions of a new experience are key to their future behavior and this is absolutely the case with handling a foal.

At this age a foal that has been lightly handled is usually very curious, and Jack was no exception. However, when they feel pressure on the halter, their instinct is to rear, so my first job was to make

sure I could move his back legs to take away this option for him before teaching him a forward cue. Then I let curiosity on Jack’s part and a lot of patience on mine to do the rest! In the end, Jack travelled very well to the event and is currently leading the KWPN UK dressage foal gradings (pictured right at the grading) with a score of 77 with only two more foals to be assessed.

In the last blog I talked about a three-year-old 17.2hh ‘giant’ who was very insecure when he was away from his friend. Over the following weeks he did settle and was much better when his mind was occupied and he was working. He is now turned out for his break and will come back in for another couple of weeks soon.

The current star on the yard is called Claydon (pictured top) who was, until recently, running wild with a small mob of horses in northern Kent. I was contacted by the Happy Endings Rescue team to help catch him and bring him home to get him handled and started under saddle. You never know quite what to expect when presented with a ‘rescue case’, but although he was extremely wary of humans, he was in good condition and a nice Welsh cob-type.

He has been at the yard now for a week, living in a large pen we have erected. He has been getting used to the hustle and bustle of the yard. We have started him very slowly by just being around him when going about our daily routines.

Annie and Holly have been mucking him out and changing his water and he has begun to stop snorting at them now! His confidence has been developing and I have just started making contact with him too, with a view to beginning his handling towards the end of this week. I hope he will make a great horse for someone in the future.

Team call-up

Away from work, it was job well done for the UK Polocrosse Team who won their two test matches against the USA. I had a great time coaching the players, but the selectors and I were then faced with the difficult task of selecting the team to travel to the Polocrosse World Cup in South Africa next June.

The season has certainly thrown up a few surprises along the way, but the team selected has a great mix of youth and experience and I am delighted to be acting as player-coach.

It will be a winter of hard work in the gym and practicing on the young horses, but I can’t wait for the challenge ahead.

Jason

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In my last blog I was packing up to go and play polocrosse against Ireland. Today sees me kitting out the truck again as we set off to play in the Polocrosse National Club Championships at Onley Equestrian Centre in Rugby.

I’m pleased to report that the UK had two good wins over Ireland and we are all waiting with baited breath for the announcement of the UK team that will meet the USA in September.

All of these internationals are key to shaping the team that will represent the UK at the World Championships that are being held in South Africa next summer.

My nine-year-old Australian Stock Horse gelding, Banjo, (pictured top) is in the form of his life. These top polocrosse horses are incredibly athletic and capable of performing “dressage” moves like turns on the haunches at top speed. Most are ridden in snaffle bits and as we are only allowed to play on one horse, they are treated like gold dust!

New starter

The horses in for training are all going well and we have some lovely competition prospects in for starting, including a very elegant three-year-old that stands a good 17.2hh. He is a little insecure about life, particularly when his friend leaves him, so there have been a few interesting moments when he has grown another hand and practiced his piaffe on the yard!

With horses like these it is tempting to back off and avoid upsetting them, as it can be quite disconcerting for the handler. However, if you have a plan it gives you confidence and keeps your focus no matter what the horse is doing.

The most important thing is to gain their attention on the ground before you start training or riding them, as horses like this tend to want to go past, away from, or if you’re unlucky, over the top of you!

I have been using his excess energy to move his hind end over so he is facing me, and once does I leave him alone. Each time he goes to leave, I have repeated the exercise until his focus is solely on me and ready to start the lesson.

Alumni

It is always lovely to hear how our “ex-pupils” are doing and two in particular have been catching the eye in disciplines outside of dressage, eventing and show jumping.

Sheer Bliss (pictured right) has a large place in our hearts as she is by my demonstration horse, Diesel. In my first appearance at Your Horse Live in 2011, she was the horse I used to start under saddle. Out of an Arab mare, her owner Sallie Dudley bred her specifically for endurance, and now as a six year old, she has just completed her first FEI 1* (international 80k) endurance race finishing 5th and 2nd British horse. The future certainly looks very bright for her.

The other horse is a little four-year-old Appaloosa mare, Cleese National Gem (pictured below left), who I started at the beginning of the year and was just awarded Reserve Champion at the ApHC UK National Show. This is a wonderful result for owner Diane Bundy who I first met when she owned a very tricky gelding that had shattered her confidence. I did question whether taking on a young horse was the right move for her but she has put so much time and dedication into Gem and her training; she comes to

regular lessons and clinics with us and I couldn’t be more pleased for the partnership.

Although working with horses has its challenges at times, helping people like Sallie and Diane achieve their aspirations makes it all worthwhile!

Jason

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The UK Polocrosse Association has hailed the first Polocrosse World Cup in Britain a success, despite a disappointing performance on the pitch by the host nation.

South Africa won the tournament, defeating Zimbabwe 29-18 on 17 July at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre, Warwicks. It is the first time the world cup has been won by a nation other than Australia.

The UK finished in sixth place after losing against New Zealand on 16 July. Around 10,000 spectators attended the event.

Iain Heaton from the UK Polocrosse Association said: “It was a brilliant boost for polocrosse in the UK. There were some excellent matches and we had a lot of people who had never even heard of the sport before coming to watch.”

All the horses used were on loan from UK and Irish players, and each team had just four days to train with the horses.

The best horse went to Melody, owned by UK team player Jason Webb and ridden by South Africa’s Jan Albert Steenkamp.

Jason said: “Unfortunately results just didn’t go our way, but the event was fantastic and I hope it has inspired lots of people to try out the sport.”

For more information visit: www.polocrosse2011.com

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (28 July, 2011)

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Clothing company OJPolo are to sponsor the UK polocrosse team for the forthcoming World Cup (8-17 July).

OJPolo will provide kit for the team, as they bid to win the event for the first time — after finishing second in 2007.

UK team manager Steve Whitehouse said: “It’s great to have OJPolo on board. The only thing we might have to do is to add ‘crosse’ to their name at some point.”

Kieran Markham, managing director of OJPolo added: “It’s great to be title sponsor for this brilliant team. We see polocrosse as a sport with serious growth potential in the UK and, as they share the same kit requirements as polo, we are very keen to get involved.”

The company will also put some sponsorship towards the World Cup itself, and have a stand selling replica team shirts and their own clothing.

The top eight polocrosse nations will compete for the World Cup: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, US, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the UK and Ireland. The event will take place at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre, Rugby.

For more information visit: www.polocrosse2011.com

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The minister for sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson, was on hand to present the prizes at a polocrosse tournament in Kent last weekend.

The UK polocrosse team was warming up for this summer’s Polocrosse World Cup at the tournament in Goudhurst on 28-29 May.

Mr Robertson, who lives in Kent, visited the tournament after the Kent Target Polocrosse Club invited him following an interview in H&H where he spoke of the need of equestrian sports to involve fathers and husbands more (H&H 7 April).

Penny Webb of Kent Target Polocrosse Club said: “We invited Hugh because polocrosse is such a wonderful family sport, with parents and children often playing on the same team. It was great that he could come along and it really added something to the event to have such an important guest.”

Mr Robertson said he had “a great time” watching the UK team in action.

“Polocrosse is such an exciting sport to watch, and I wish the team all the best in their World Cup campaign in July,” he added.

The World Cup will take place at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre in Warwickshire on 8-17 July — the first time the competition has been held outside of Australia.

And on 4-5 June the UK team will face Ireland at the Northern Racing College in Bawtry as both countries finalise their preparations for the World Cup.

For more information visit: www.polocrosse2011.com

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The final stages of the 2011 Polocrosse World Cup will be broadcast on Sky Sports and H&C TV after the organisers announced a deal to film and broadcast matches from the competition series.

The Polocrosse World Cup takes place at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre in Warwickshire (8-17 July).

Sky aims to premiere matches in early September and Horse & Country TV, will broadcast extra coverage from the World Cup on Sky 280.

The competition series will be filmed by the production company Playback Sports, the company that will bring British Eventing competitions to Sky this year.

Joe Metcalfe, Playback Sports said, “We are really excited to be covering the World Polocrosse Championships this year. It’s a great opportunity to highlight what an exhilarating sport Polocrosse is”.

The UK PoloCrosse Association’s Iain Heaton said: “The World Cup is the biggest and best competition of them all, so the polocrosse will be absolutely top class and having TV cameras there will just add to the occasion.

“Obviously it will be best to come and watch the competition live in July but if people can’t make it then it is great that they will have a chance to see the highlights on TV at a later date.”

The competition will also be put onto DVD so that fans can also buy all the action to watch over and over again.

These will be available to buy from www.polocrosse2011.com and at the event itself.

Tickets for the World Cup start at just £4 and there are special deals for the Pony Club, riding clubs and riding centres.

For more information visit: www.polocrosse2011.com

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British polocrosse fans are in for a treat as the sport’s World Cup is to be held in the UK for the first time this summer.

The competition will take place at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre, near Rugby, Warwicks, from 8-17 July.

This will be the third World Cup and Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the USA, Zimbabwe and Zambia will take part.

Polocrosse combines polo and lacrosse. Riders use a stick with a net attached, in which the ball is carried. They score by throwing the ball between the opponent’s goalposts.

There will also be a Polocrosse International Challenge for teams that didn’t make the World Cup — France, Germany, Holland and Norway — and an international Pony Club polocrosse competition.

The British teams are expected to do well. Sarah Simkin, captain of the British women’s team, said the members are “very excited”.

“Training has been going very well. We went to Rugby last weekend and, having seen the work that is being put into the grounds, it is going to be a fabulous location,” she said.

A British Equestrian Federation spokesman added: “This is a fantastic showcase to raise the profile of this exciting discipline. It’s great that the UK has been selected to stage such a prestigious event.”

Tickets start at just £4 and there are special deals for the Pony Club, riding clubs and riding centres.

For more information visit: www.polocrosse2011.com

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The UK polocrosse teams took on Ireland in a series of four test matches last weekend (24-25 July) at Celyn Polocrosse Club, near Chester.

The UK ladies had a very successful weekend, beating the Irish women twice, to win their test match series 2:0.

They won the first test match 28 goals to 11 and the second, 28 to 16.

Unfortunately the UK men could not repeat this feat and lost their series 2:0 to a very strong Irish side.

They went down in the first test by 19 goals to 28 and then by 20 goals to 30 in the second.

All four matches were filmed by Country Channel TV and will be shown on Sky Sports and the Country Channel in October.

Broadcast dates are still to be finalised.

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Polocrosse fans will be able to review games from the UK Polocrosse Association’s test match series against Ireland this weekend (24-25 July) on Sky Sports.

The games, at Celyn Polocrosee Club at Mollington, Cheshire will be shown on Sky Sports in October. Dates are still to be finalised.

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Northern Ireland’s first Irish Polocrosse Association (IPA) Polocrosse Tournament takes place this weekend in Co Down, when the Tyrella Polocrosse Club plays host to teams from all over Ireland.

The inaugural tournament kicks off at 10am on Saturday 8 May and continues on Sunday May 9.

Polocrosse is beginning to gain momentum in Northern Ireland with guidance and training from the IPA.

There will be a full event schedule on both days over the weekend and competitors of all ages and levels will be participating.

Visitors are welcome to come and watch the matches and tournament organisers will be on hand for those looking for more information.

The Irish Polocrosse squads are also in training for the World Cup of Polocrosse being held at Bishop Burton College in Yorkshire (4-18 July 2011).

The IPA feels Ireland can improve on its sixth place finish in each of the past two World Cups.

For more information go to www.polocrosse.ie or

www.polocrosse2011.com.

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Design communications agency Graphic Evidence has expanded its equestrian reach after being appointed by iconic clothing brand Puffa and the UK’s governing body for the growing sport of polocrosse, the United Kingdom Polocrosse Association (UKPA).

Graphic Evidence will manage Puffa‘s public relations, media planning and sponsorship opportunities. Initial work includes promoting Puffa‘s current Spring Summer Range and the exciting new Breast Cancer Campaign Collection that will launch in July.

Puffa brand manager, Tori Tomlin says: “Since we began working with Graphic Evidence we are astounded by the difference they have already made to our business.

“Their knowledge and established relationships within our industry have helped steer us towards far more effective PR campaigns and their hard work and persistence mean results are inevitable.”

Meanwhile Graphic Evidence has begun developing the UKPA brand and raising the profile of the sport through various PR and marketing campaigns.

“The UKPA are greatly respected as the governing body for British polocrosse and Puffa have a fantastic brand, steeped in history,” says Graphic Evidence’s managing director Adam Arnold. “Everyone here at Graphic Evidence is very much looking forward to developing their profiles and generating the coverage that both the sport of polocrosse and the supreme brand of Puffa truly deserve.”

Graphic Evidence’s equestrian client base also includes Allen & Page Horse Feeds, Ingatestone Saddlery Centre, Quainton Stud, Countrywide Farmers, Dressage At Hickstead and International riders such as Andrew Gould.

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The UK has slipped from second to fourth in the international polocrosse rankings after a series of narrow defeats at the quadrangular polocrosse tournament held in New South Wales, Australia (16-19 April).

The top four polocrosse playing nations — Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand — played each other in the group stage and then the top two played off for first and second, while the other two played for third and fourth places.

The UK had a disappointing group stage, suffering three narrow defeats. They lost 18-15 to South Africa, 21-13 to Australia and then 17-13 to New Zealand to put them in the bottom spot in the group. Then, in the third/fourth play-off they lost by just one goal to South Africa, going down 18-17 in a very hard fought encounter.

Australia won the tournament to retain the top spot in the world rankings, defeating New Zealand 27-8 in the final.

The UK have the chance to move up to number 3 in the world when they play South Africa in a series of test matches being held in Essex, England on 18-19 July. The UK ladies’ and men’s sides will play their South African counterparts in four test matches at Ashfield Carriage Driving Centre in Essex.

For more details visit: www.polocrosse.org.uk

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Horse riders in the north west will soon be able to take up polocrosse as a new centre is opening on their doorsteps.

Mobberley Riding School in Knutsford is opening Cheshire’s first polocrosse centre.

Polocrosse, played on horseback, is a combination of polo and lacrosse. Each player has a stick with a raquet head with a loose net attached — and the aim is to score goals by throwing the sponge rubber ball between the opponent’s goal posts.

The launch of the new centre will be marked on Monday 6 April with an open day.

On the day there will be advice and tuition available from players and coaches from Celyn Polocrossse Club in North Wales — whose members have played on Welsh and UK national teams.

Sarah Diggle, Mobberley Riding School manager, said: “We already have our own polocrosse team but we want to offer the opportunity for more horse riders to enjoy what is an exciting, fun, competitive horse sport at a grassroots level.

“By basing the Cheshire Polocrosse Centre here we will be filling a huge geographical hole in the sport’s growing national network. We really want people to come and have a go which is what the open day is all about.”

Mounted and on foot coaching will be available on the day for riders aged 8 and over.

For more information tel: 01565 873123

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The team game combining lacrosse and polo began in its modern form as an exercise at a London riding school in the 1930s, having been devised to improve pupils’ control of their mounts.

Played on a field about the size of a football pitch, teams of six, split into two sections of three, score goals by flinging a grapefruit-sized rubber ball between two posts. Players are confined to certain areas of the pitch, as in netball, and only the attacker is allowed to score. Sections play alternately, giving the horses a rest between chukkas, and the overall score of both sections counts.

The UK Polocrosse Association (UKPA) was set up in the late 1980s. Matches now take place every summer weekend, catering for all levels of player, with a grading and handicap system ensuring that teams of similar abilities play each other.

UK teams tour abroad and a thriving Pony Club polocrosse scene means players are brought into the game younger. More experienced (A or B grade) players favour polo-type ponies, but cobs, native ponies, eventers and even trotters are a common sight at tournaments.

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