Polo: The Sport of Kings... and Students
By Daniella Ward
Monday 2nd November 2009
Monday 2nd November 2009
Polo: a sport for the rich and extravagant, featured in such far-fetched scenarios as Britney Spears’ music videos and royal leisure pursuits. If only we could all be that glamorous…
Rarely do you find the members of the University of St. Andrews Polo Club on the side of a well manicured field in immaculate whites sipping Pimms. Rather, you’ll find them messy, a little sweaty and usually quite muddy coming off of any polo pitch they can find (which sometimes means a beach). In St. Andrews, polo transforms from the sport of kings to the sport of students, offering a fast-paced and exciting game surrounded by a group of people who share a passion for the sport as well as for the trips to the pub that usually go hand-in-hand with it.
You also don’t have to be as rich as a king - or Britney for that matter - to play at the university. We’re all students and we all have financial limitations, thus the university club is both proud and relieved to offer the cheapest polo in the UK. Whether you’re a complete beginner to any equestrian pursuit, or you’ve been playing for years, there’s an opportunity for you to be involved in St. Andrews polo. Many students are probably familiar with the club’s annual Charity Polo Tournament held at the Strathtyrum Estate in May of each year. This event marks the start of the summer season and is not only a fabulous ‘hurrah’ before the start of exams, but also a prime example of the opportunity given to members to start out in a sport not easily accessible outside of university life. Thus, each of the teams that plays are made up of a fairly diverse mix of students from people only having picked up a stick the September before, to players who are already handicapped. Fueled by our very successful Pimms tent (I said ‘rarely’ do you find us by the pitch sipping Pimms, not ‘never’), the tournament is a chance for members to show off new found skills in front of friends and family and for the rest of the university to get involved with the St. Andrews polo scene. What most people don’t realize is that ‘Strathtyrum’ is not the only polo fix that students can get during the year. Short of joining the club and being involved either in play or socially, there are regular matches on West Sands where spectators are always welcome, complete with barbecues and good company.
If you’re interested in more information, visit our website at www.standrewspolo.com or e-mail standrews.poloclub@googlemail.com. Game on.
Rarely do you find the members of the University of St. Andrews Polo Club on the side of a well manicured field in immaculate whites sipping Pimms. Rather, you’ll find them messy, a little sweaty and usually quite muddy coming off of any polo pitch they can find (which sometimes means a beach). In St. Andrews, polo transforms from the sport of kings to the sport of students, offering a fast-paced and exciting game surrounded by a group of people who share a passion for the sport as well as for the trips to the pub that usually go hand-in-hand with it.
You also don’t have to be as rich as a king - or Britney for that matter - to play at the university. We’re all students and we all have financial limitations, thus the university club is both proud and relieved to offer the cheapest polo in the UK. Whether you’re a complete beginner to any equestrian pursuit, or you’ve been playing for years, there’s an opportunity for you to be involved in St. Andrews polo. Many students are probably familiar with the club’s annual Charity Polo Tournament held at the Strathtyrum Estate in May of each year. This event marks the start of the summer season and is not only a fabulous ‘hurrah’ before the start of exams, but also a prime example of the opportunity given to members to start out in a sport not easily accessible outside of university life. Thus, each of the teams that plays are made up of a fairly diverse mix of students from people only having picked up a stick the September before, to players who are already handicapped. Fueled by our very successful Pimms tent (I said ‘rarely’ do you find us by the pitch sipping Pimms, not ‘never’), the tournament is a chance for members to show off new found skills in front of friends and family and for the rest of the university to get involved with the St. Andrews polo scene. What most people don’t realize is that ‘Strathtyrum’ is not the only polo fix that students can get during the year. Short of joining the club and being involved either in play or socially, there are regular matches on West Sands where spectators are always welcome, complete with barbecues and good company.
If you’re interested in more information, visit our website at www.standrewspolo.com or e-mail standrews.poloclub@googlemail.com. Game on.