The Bit UK Nov/Dec 2016 | Page 14

Durham University Polo MEET THE NORTHERN POLO STARS After recognising an appetite amongst the student body for the Sport of Kings, the most recent incarnation of Durham University Polo Club was established in 2014. Starting out with less than ten regular members, this year the club has already signed up over 200 freshers for taster sessions in the Michaelmas term. Unlike in the polo meccas of Gloucestershire and Berkshire where you can barely travel 10 minutes without falling over a polo club, in the North, polo clubs are not particularly easy to come by. Therefore club members travel over two hours by car for each session at their nearest training facility, the White Rose Polo Club in Yorkshire, where club coach Tony Wesche is on hand to inspire and support the students. This commute is a testament to the dedication of the students and their determination to succeed within polo. As the club continues to grow, sessions with a club in Edinburgh are also being arranged for some of the club’s more experienced players.