First Polocrosse World Cup held in Britain deemed a success

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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