Polo debuut

Most of you will have seen some videos already, but for those who missed it, I drove my first polo practice match last weekend. 

Due to the lockdown we had only played 1 polo game and it looked like the season was over. Most players had their horses back in the paddock already. Luckily we still had them working a bit because of all the cattle work we did. Because 2 weeks ago, the lockdown was lifted in certain regions and the ball started rolling again. 

It was not yet allowed to run a full polo weekend with spectators and such, but we were able to set up some training sessions. So we started 2 weeks ago with 1 day and 5 players. This went nice and quiet, everyone came back for a while and of course the horses too. Last weekend it became a bit more serious and we had more players and the chakkus (4 chakkus of 7 minutes playing time makes a match, at a higher level there are 6) also faster. They had created a kind of system whereby the teams were always rotated and everyone could choose how many horses they wanted to play. Where Collin and Andrew played on Saturday, I was allowed to take Andrews place on Sunday. 

A super fun way to experience the game and the other players were also super helpful. So every round there was someone telling me where to ride or who to cover as it were and sometimes they also gave me the chance to play the ball from one goal to another where someone else but the ball forward to me. played when I missed it. 

I drove my 1st Chukka Cruise, he is 5 years old and last year I did a lot of ground and cattle work with him. Kim is now riding him and he is still super green in the polo. He has had a little practice at home and would roll in quietly this year only due to an injury from another pony, he had to turn right away. For example, the horse still has to gain a lot of self-confidence in the game and certainly between the other horses. This gave me the chance to drive slowly, watch the game and hit a ball every now and then. 

Then I drove Toon who actually only played 4 or 5 matches but already did very well. In addition, I have a lot; cattle work with him and he is especially great at cutting (removing a cow or bull from the group). He is then super fast on his feet and watches the cattle very well, which gives them a quick reaction time. This also helps in the game. With Toon I had a really good run and really felt part of the game and started to read the game better too. 

My last round was on pep and small, super sweet mare that can be used anywhere. Actually a little too small but she runs her heart out for you. With Pep I had some trouble reading the game, especially in the beginning, also because I got fewer clues, but after a while I got the taste again. I also had to get used to the height difference and it took me a few tries before I hit the ball again. 

All in all a super fun experience, it's always fun to try new things. And also super help full because now I can also drive the horses more focused for the goal. 

This weekend we have 2 more days ahead of us and I think this is also the last weekend. Another busy period is coming for everyone with the calving marks and the like and then the harvest begins. 

In any case, it's good to see them getting the most out of it and it's also nice to be together again.