Polo helmets to be tested

The Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) will test polo helmets before deciding whether to restrict players to headgear that meets certain standards.

David Woodd, HPA chief executive, said the decision taken by the association’s stewards last Thursday (12 April) was “not a knee-jerk reaction” to the death of a player in Florida earlier this month (news, 12 April).

He told H&H: “There was a run of serious accidents in England last season and helmets have been on the agenda since then.”

No date has been set for testing to be introduced.

Currently, HPA rules refer players to British Horse Society hat standards, but not all polo helmets worn by players in this country comply with these standards.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (19 April, ’07)

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