POLO: Brought to you buy J F Polo Academy, Cheshire
POLO
Everything Horse magazine welcomes a new reporting
column for 2016, Polo; brought to you by J F Polo Academy
husband and wife duo James and Joanna Fielding
P
olo has been described as a
number of things; dangerous,
exciting, aggressive and elitist,
however it has an enduring appeal,
which has made it one of the oldest
known sports. However some people.
whilst learning to ride ‘the sport of kings’,
have been a little too far out of reach to
simply ‘just give it a go’ or there hasn’t
been a facility available to pay as you go!
Thankfully, having recognised this,
James Fielding launched the J F Polo
Academy in Cheshire back in 2006, not
only to help players near and far improve
their game, but also to promote the sport
he loves to anyone looking to participate,
making the academy inclusive for all and
not exclusive to the few. The academy
is run by husband and wife team James
and Jenna whose passion is to encourage
people to ‘have a go’ at polo.
James, a Hurlingham Polo Association
(HPA) qualified instructor, delivers
all of the academy lessons developing
the individual’s skills and refining
techniques; having played polo
throughout the UK and around the
world for over 10 years, you are in safe
hands.
Many traditional riders new to our
sport have often found it a shock to sit
in a saddle without knee rolls, feeling
somewhat bizarre and uncomfortable
in shorter stirrups not to mention neck
reining. It can all be a bit alien at first but
riders soon settle and become at ease and
marvel at just how simple it is to work
with their horse in this sport.
Similarly, the equipment used can
take a little to get used to. The mallet, for
many of us, looks similar to a croquet
mallet but the length of a household
broom and contrary to popular belief
polo players do not hit the ball with the
smaller round end of the stick, as in
croquet, but the long side of the mallet.
It is little wonder then that many players
have nerves of steel having to execute
those skills whilst leaning out of the
saddle in order to hit the ball with
accuracy. This ready position is called
the ‘half seat’ and requires players to
stand up out of the saddle and learn
their body weight over to the right
hand side putting tension onto the
right stirrup iron.
Polo is certainly a sport of
experience and not a game you
can learn overnight. This is true of
most sports but as
a discipline that
requires all players
to be able to
maneuver a horse at
gallop and also be
able to connect and
hit a plastic ball no
bigger than an apple
with a mallet which
is not only heavy but
then bends and flexes
in motion, is a big
ask.
Once you have
tried polo, you
will be hooked,! It
is a thrilling and
adrenaline fuelled
sport.
Images above and
below from the J F
Polo Academy
January 2016 • Issue 28 • EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE
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