PTJan/Feb 2010 p8 - 9 News YC JM GM 22/1/10 15:56 Page 2
News
News in brief
Y LLOYD WEBBER has taken up the
Polo cuts out the corners
◗ LAD
reins as president of the Pony Club,
succeeding Princess Anne. Madeleine
A UK HIGH-GOAL TEAM has become the
Lloyd Webber, wife of composer Andrew
first major polo set-up in Britain to install a
and a keen rider herself, has a long
new breed of horsewalker – the oval
affinity with the institution, having won at
variety. In the past decade horsewalkers
an eventing championships in 1981. She
have become the must-have gadget for
and her husband founded Watership
equestrian yards large and small, but only
Down Polo Club in Berkshire and the
recently has a more sophisticated take on
couple’s children play polo, too.
the round variety been available in the UK.
Enterprising UK firm Horse Weigh,
◗ EMMA TOMLINSON tied the knot on
whose main business is professional
2 January with Nick Wood, with the
horse-weighing technology, were the first
marriage at Gloucestershire village
to introduce the German-made oval
Shipton Moyne followed by serious
horsewalkers to the British polo set.
celebrations at Down Farm, home of the
“I first saw them in the Middle East,
Beaufort Polo Club, afterwards. Emma,
then at Equitana, an exhibition in
a two-goal player and founder of
This oval horsewalker, installed by Horse Weigh, measures 40x10m and can take
Germany, about four years ago,” says
Beaufort Embryo Transfer, and Nick
up to 24 horses. Evidence suggests the oval shape provides major advantages
William Bedell from Horse Weigh. “It does
headed to the Seychelles then embarked
what the horse does in its natural
on an exciting six-week world tour.
clients even have stables installed there. Thoroughbreds aged three to 12 in their
environment – if you saw a horse going in Oval walkers also use less space than study, recording their movements on
circles in the field you'd call the vet!” their counterparts.” circles and in straight lines. Their research
◗ 2010 MARKS 100 years of polo at
Cowdray Park, and the centenary
Horse Weigh took on the exclusive The premise of the oval shape is that it indicated the turning exercise loads
celebrations will centre around a ball on
distribution for the UK from the German is unnatural and potentially detrimental for horses’ bones in a different way to straight
26 June, during the first weekend of Gold
manufacturer Kraft, and has installed a horse to exercise continually in a small lines, and that this may have implications
Cup action. The club hopes to welcome
about 20 so far, since selling its first in circle. This was confirmed when two for horses with pre-existing
more than 700 guests to the festivities,
the UK in 2006. They can be ordered in respected independent UK vets conducted musculoskeletal injuries.
and is also publishing a commemorative
bespoke sizes ranging from three to 40 a revealing six-month study at Bristol “The advantage of the oval walker,”
book for the occasion.
horses – the largest measures University in 2006 on the benefits of oval they found, “is that it combines straight
100x25m – and can be covered. The vs round – research commissioned by line and turning exercise that mimics the
◗ FIFIELD POLO CLUB has parted
two largest oval Kraft horsewalkers to be Kraft and the Welsh Assembly, as the exercise a horse will do when ridden or
company with its leaseholder of two years
installed are at the Spanish Riding company is based in Wales. free at pasture. So there appear to be
John Horswell, who leaves to concentrate
School in Vienna and at an equine FEI and Badminton Horse Trials vet significant advantages to using a walker of
full-time on his ponies and a joint venture
rehabilitation centre in Ireland. Paul Farrington and physiologist Dr David oval design as opposed to round.”
with player Ollie Brown at Belmont Polo
William points out: “The middle can be Marlin, formerly of the Animal Health Trust
Club in Mill Hill, north London.
What are your views on round vs oval?◗
used for turnout or storage; some of our in Newmarket, used three fit, sound Tell us at letters@polotimes.co.uk
“I regained control of Fifield in October,
as the club wasn’t being run as I had
hoped,” explains owner Tony Bennett.
“I have now signed a deal with Julia Luke
New rules ‘good
to take over Fifield from February and get
us back on track.”
for horses’ says
Julia, formerly based at Ham, has
appointed Tony chairman for 2010 and
confirmed Jack Kidd and brothers Lucas England captain
and Nico Talamoni as the club’s resident
professionals for the coming summer. LUKE TOMLINSON HAS DECLARED that the new rules in
Argentina (see news, Nov/Dec issue) have made life better for
◗ ENGLAND’S LADIES ARE keeping busy
polo ponies – despite the fact the game is now faster. In an
this new year, lending their support to two
interview with Polo Times deputy editor James Mullan on his
fledgling female tournaments in Jamaica
return from playing the high-goal there, the England captain also
and New Zealand.
Play under the new rules is faster-running but less stop-start
said the games have been a better spectacle, easier to umpire
As Polo Times went to press, a two-goal
and have returned the backhand to its former glory – but that incapable of successfully hooking a backhand and simply end
England team had made a good start in
lower levels of the game have not adapted as successfully.
the inaugural ICWI Tri-Nation Ladies’
up charging down the line of the defender.”
“I had misgivings about the rules at first,” admits Luke, who
Tournament in Jamaica with victory over
the hosts at Kingston Polo Club in the
was sixth-highest goal-scorer in the Argentine Open. “I felt it was ...AND CAMBIASO WAS ABLE TO ADAPT
event’s opening match, 5-3. The side
a step back towards when I first played in Argentina. Over 10 Alan Kent, watching the final keenly at the catedrál de polo, told
featured regular internationals Rosie Ross
years, umpires have increasingly let players turn on the ball in Polo Times: “Man-for-man, Ellerstina are the better side by two
and Lucy Taylor, alongside Sophie Kyriazi
defence and I thought it had become a good skill. But the new or three goals – except for that man Cambiaso. Whatever rule
and Diana Jack.
interpretations, which made this a foul again, were a success. changes you make, he’s good enough to master the game
“The new girls played really well,” said
“Players have been able to sustain their horses at a steady whichever way it is played. He’s worth 13 goals in my opinion
Lucy afterwards, “and the Jamaicans lent
rhythm because the polo is generally easier to anticipate, and and always saves his best polo for when it counts. It was an
us some great horses.” A full report of the
games are less disjointed by stop-start plays and fouls,” excellent, open final and, as usual, extra time always creates
event, which travels around the island, will
Tomlinson said. “More open games also mean all four players tremendous excitement.
appear in the March issue of PT.
are required to play a more equal role, so each player and his Argentine one-goal spectator Eduardo Bérèterbide agreed: “In
Another ladies’ fixture makes its debut
mount is required to do 25 per cent of the work. Under the old the seventh, eighth and last chukkas the game really came to
this month near Auckland, with Nina
interpretations, often the best player would take it upon himself life and we saw just how powerful Adolfito Cambiaso is. He was
y James Mullan and Herbert Spencer Clarkin due to play among a probable six
to do 60 per cent of the work. incredible. It was an amazing game in terms of the competitive
teams at the Women’s Open. Organised
“In my view, however, at lower levels the changes haven’t edge and the passion both teams had to win. They are
r
aphs b
by jet-set polo-fixer Karen Kranenburg,
been so successful. If anything, it has made it more dangerous, absolutely the best two teams on the planet and so now you
the five-day event begins on 17 February.
as many amateur players and lower-handicapped pros are have to say that La Dolfina is the best side once again.”
Photog
8 January/February 2010 www.polotimes.co.uk
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84