Equestrian
Whilst the pitches must not be too hard, good drainage is important to avoid ‘punching’ of the turf by horses’ hooves in wet conditions, as we can't control the weather!
”
position as one of the leading venues for this exciting sport. But, for head groundsman Julian Russell-Hayes and his team, the goal is continued improvement. With two grounds at separate sites,
O
totalling 160 acres and providing eleven pitches, the scale of the job is substantial. It is managed on an ‘agricultural’ scale using high capacity equipment, but with close attention to detail. The Lawns ground, which has the
atmospheric Cowdray Castle ruins as its
ngoing investment and dedication to providing the best possible playing surfaces for horses and riders has secured Cowdray Park Polo Club’s
backdrop, is home to the final of the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup - for the British Open Polo Championship, a month-long high goal tournament which attracts some 25,000 spectators -14,000 to the final itself - and is the highlight of the competitive and social season. Over at the Ambersham ground, across
the river from the West Sussex market town of Midhurst, six pitches play host to all types of polo activity from 18-22 goal polo to stick-and-ball practice sessions and chukkas. The largest and flattest pitches are reserved for high goal competition. Brooksfield, a pitch separated from the main Ambersham ground by a disused railway embankment - which makes a
handy vantage point for spectators - has been improved with drainage works over the past two years, at a cost of more than £70,000. “When Brooksfield was laser levelled in 1991, we did not have the budget for drainage,” explains Julian. “The sandy soils drain well and, on the main Ambersham pitches, we did not see any standing water even in the wet conditions of last winter. Whilst the pitches must not be too hard, good drainage is important to avoid ‘punching’ of the turf by horses’ hooves in wet conditions, as we can’t control the weather!” Brooksfield had been leased to a patron for ten years, but when it came back in
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