EYES TO THE Articles by our Future Stars... Inspired by Annie CD and Dara Williams
afternoon on the various fields around the Estancia, playing in the setting sun for hours. Staying there was not like a camp but rather like being at home. We try to return there every year during Christmas time, recruiting more and more people of our age to our polo group.
Polo has taught us an awareness and love of nature and animals as well as teamwork skills, like no other sport. It has enthralled us and those around us too. Albans’ brother Aristide stick and balls with us too and now my little brothers Quinten and Felipe have joined Ham Polo too as well as some school friends! We smile from ear to ear writing these paragraphs as we remind ourselves that the Polo season is soon to begin!
CAROLINE DREESMAN AND ALBA FAGGIONATA
We started almost five years ago as BEST friends in school. We both loved horses and sport and this led us to Ham Polo Club, where we spend many afternoons and weekends practising what has become our favourite sport!...but it was four years ago that we both hit a ball at full swing.
It was during one of our intense two hour lessons with Marianela Castagnola our coach and we were both getting so frustrated as we could not manage to complete a full swing without a bad hit or missing the ball altogether. She then lined up some balls in the middle of the field and both Alba and I broke into a canter towards them. we started to swing and both of us hit the balls at he same time and they went flying high up into the air! We screamed with joy and that was the moment for both of us when Polo became a passion and something we would never give up!
During the Christmas holidays that first year we went to Argentina to stay at Marianela’s Farm in Buenos Aires. We were 11 years old then and a bit anxious to be so far away from home but we had the time of our lives! Every day we would wake up keen to learn more, enjoying the nature there and living among the polo ponies, seeing foals being born and training every
FAISAL Al-RIFAI I started playing polo when I was eight years old, with my father and his friends at our farm and at the polo club in Jordan. I have always loved horses and riding, both my parents enjoy raising horses and specially playing polo, I guess we are very much a polo family. I came to Ham about
three years ago, I was 12 years old. My parents wanted me to start polo in the UK and they chose Ham, being the most suited club for us as a polo family. So luckily we joined Ham, and loved it since the first day...
I have played in many tournaments this season in the UK. As my team Nashama, we played the 4 goal, 8 goal, 10 goal and the 12 goal tournaments: - The Dubai Trophy (12 goal Ham Polo club tournament ) - The Roehampton Trophy (8 goal Ham Polo club tournament ) - The Summer Festival Trophy (10 goal Royal Berkshire Polo Club tournament ) - The 21 Cup ( HPA tournament for young England ) - The Holden White Trophy (8 goal Guards Polo Club Tournament ) - The FAL Group Trophy (Exhibition match at Ham Polo club)
In the 2010 season we won few and lost few. And all our losses were by half a point in extra chukkas, so I believe we did very well, and what really counts for me at this stage in my polo, is the experience not the winning.
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