WE’VE been sending a team to the Manipur Polo International in India for the past 10 years, but this year Australia took out the event in style, beating the host team 9-6 at the event in November.
The team – Ellerston club member Alex Barnet, Warwick, Adam Tolhurst and Hugh Parry-Okeden, Arunga Polo Club, Richmond, Jock Mackay and Beau Blundell, Wirrigulla Polo Club, Dungog, and Mudgee’s Scott Kennedy-Green – included a mix of professional and semi-professional players.
Tough, Aussie-style polo was the key to Australia’s best result in the competition to date, Mr Blundell said.
They played India in the first game, losing 7-5, before winning 6-0 over Kenya to make the semi-finals.
After defeating England 6-3 in the semis, they met India, the team that hadn’t lost a game all competition, beating them 9-6.
“It was only 3-3 at halftime, but we put them under a lot of pressure and played Australian-style polo, marking them really hard,” Mr Blundell said.
"The Indian team had only lost one game in nine years, so they’re very hard to beat over there.
“I'm really quite stoked that we managed to pull it off.”
It was an experienced team that “can ride anything” according to Mr Blundell.
“The horses were certainly a bit difficult and not what we were used to so it took us a game just to get our bearings with the borrowed horses.
“They're strong and tough as all hell which was great, but we’re used to having horses that stop and turn.
“But that's a problem you face whenever you go overseas, so it’s a huge credit to the team for playing the horses as well as they did.”
Mr Blundell, Mr Tolhurst and Mr Mackay had played together before, so it didn’t take long for the team to gel.
“One thing we did that we’re really proud if is play every player,” he said.
“We decided early that if six of us were goign over, all six of us would play, so we rotated all players in each game which a lot of teams don't do – they'll just run their best players.”
Mr Blundell said he hoped the team’s success would raise the sport’s profile and encourage more participation.