What made you decide to take up polo at the university?
I wanted to take up a sport I had never tried before when I got to uni, to try something new, and I was trying to find something I would enjoy. I saw the Polo Club stand at Freshers’ Fair and I remember going up there to ask about training and joining, and everyone was so nice and welcoming I decided to sign up for the taster session.
As a beginner when you arrived at the university, what interested or surprised you most about the sport?
To be honest, how different it is from riding. I had been riding for years, but when I started polo, we were told to forget everything – the position, the way we held the reigns – we were told to do everything we had been told we weren’t meant to do when riding, and it was very confusing at first, but you get used to it very quickly.
What kind of environment should freshers be expecting at the club?
I genuinely think it’s one of the friendliest and most welcoming clubs, that’s why I joined; you get to meet lovely people and your abilities do not matter at all – everyone plays for fun, and you learn from it as much as you want to.
What sort of attributes or skills are needed to thrive at polo?
I guess you need a decent sense of balance to be able to ride and use a mallet, but that’s about it; you learn the rest as you go.
Did you have prior horse riding experience, and is it needed?
I did have prior horse riding experience, and I won’t lie it did help me. You’re more likely to feel comfortable near the ponies and, when riding, if you’ve got riding experience, you’re more calm and prepared to deal with the ponies’ reactions. On the other hand, however, prior riding experience can even be confusing, as you learn a certain position and actions, which when you start polo you are told to forget. This
can be difficult – I struggled to adjust my position after years of being taught a different set of rules. So really, it’s all up to you – there are people in the club playing polo with no riding experience and there are people (well, the majority) who had some type of riding experience. I think riding experience, at least to me, helped me more in deciding to sign up, as I knew I loved horses and I was not intimidated by the fact that the sport involved riding, so it completely depends on the person.
Some of the freshers might fear joining a club which is cliquey or unwelcoming. Can you give them words of reassurance?
As I’ve said, I joined because I loved how nice and welcoming everybody was at Freshers’ Fair and during the first taster session I met one of my closest friends at uni, we both knew it immediately – there is absolutely no reason to worry, just give it a chance and try to get to know the people. Everyone is really welcoming and it’s very easy to get involved, despite certain stereotypes.
How did the club get on last year and how do you think you can build on that?
I think the club got on very well last year, and I know the new committee has planned more socials and activities for this year, so this will be the perfect time to join the club and try an exciting new sport. However, it is an addictive sport, and everyone I’ve talked to agreed on this, so be prepared to spend your money on training.