Polo is a big part of College culture and Mondays and Thursdays at Longdole Polo Club are the perfect way to blow off some steam during the week. The speed at which the team exit the minibus on arrival is testament to this, or is that down to not getting stuck on Tony the pony? Poor Tony!

We kicked off with the Schools and University Polo Association (SUPA) arena friendly tournament in November, which was fantastic to be a part of, and gave us the chance to get to grips with arena polo. Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength. We’ve competed in the national competition at Open, Intermediate (two teams), and Novice levels, all while keeping up with regular chukkas at Longdole and beginners’ sessions on a Monday.

Summer took its time to arrive, and we didn’t get onto the grass until mid-May. But once we did, we were on fire! We kicked off with matches against Stowe School and Radley College, winning 3-1 and 4-0, respectively.

Cirencester Polo Club hosted the Cheltonian Society Polo Day in June marking a highlight of the season. The junior team put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell to Beaudesert Park School, with a final score of 7-4. Their performance, however, was commendable throughout the match. In the senior fixture, the competition was fierce, resulting in an exciting 2-2 draw against the OCs, showcasing some outstanding polo skills. The season culminated with a thrilling match against Marlborough College, where our team triumphed with an impressive 8-0 victory under the glorious Cotswold sunshine at the Prince of Wales Ground, Longdole. It has been a remarkable year filled with exceptional polo action. We say farewell to George Duff and Holly Bullock, who will go on to play polo as part of a university programme or through clubs. I thank them both for their advice, good humour and excellent attitude to polo at College.

None of this would be possible without the amazing support of parents. They cheer us on, move horses, and orchestrate teams and fixtures. A huge shoutout also goes to the Longdole Polo Club and Academy for their fantastic instruction and support, which have been key to our polo success at College. Let’s not forget the beautiful ponies! Capo, Oreo, Santa, Mai Tai, Tony, Hippo, Champagne and Nancy to name a few favourites. Even Sol, who likes to nibble!

Full Colours: Oscar Fuery, George Lawson, Hari Dhillon, Hector McPherson
Half Colours: George Duff, Max Callon Hine

Mrs Sarah Hayden