Fantastic Residential Course for Power of Polo and South Central Youth

Six young people joined Power of Polo for an incredible residential course with Cool Hooves Polo at The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club last week, enjoying three days of brilliant experiences and getting the chance to develop new skills in a different setting.

All six participants are a part of South Central Youth, which is a Lambeth-based charity working to improve the life chances of young people in some of London’s toughest communities.

Speaking about his first Power of Polo experience T, Age 16 said: “I’ve learnt so much and I can hit the ball! This has made me feel happier, being able to connect with an animal. I don’t have any pets; connecting with horses is different and this has given me the chance to do it. When I get home, I think I will be able to speak more openly with people and have the confidence to start conversations.”

The camp-members learnt the basics of polo, including practising on the wooden horse and using hand mallets, before progressing to real horses – for some of them their very first interaction with equines – and learning how to ride for polo and the key shots of the game. By the end of the course, they were playing practice chukkas and took part in a brilliant instructional tournament to round things off.

In addition to the on-field activities, they enjoyed designing their own polo kit alongside ex-South Central Youth member Micah, who is now doing work experience with Black Hound Sports, and got to produce a commemorative hoodie. A highlight was a trip to Guards Polo Club, including a tour of the Royal Box and a meet and greet with high goal player Kian Hall.

Learning to interact with, and look after, horses on the ground is a key element of Power of Polo’s ethos and the participants got plenty of chances to develop their skills in this area, including a horse-care session with the Cool Hooves Polo grooms, and a talk from young professional plater Rafi Bruckner on what makes a great polo pony.

The course wrapped up with an amazing motivational talk from Psychologist Mamta Saha, and the chance to watch a whole match at The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. This range of activities reflects Power of Polo's mission to provide opportunities both in and out of the saddle, supporting participants in developing key life skills.

“Before I came, I’d never ridden a horse before. I’d never thought about it much and as I went to the horse I started to get scared, but the horse that I was with, she’s nice, she’s a good horse and I’ve had a good connection with her.

“I talk to them [the horses] now. I speak to them about stuff I don’t speak to other people about. It helps me. It feels like the horse listens to me. The best thing about this week is all the opportunities and also we got to go to Guards polo and see the Royal Box, and we got to stand where people don’t usually get to stand. We got to watch a real polo game, which I’ve never seen before, and I also got to ride a horse by myself, without someone holding me! That’s given me so much confidence and in the future I can use that.

“This sport is better than people think; it’s not just something for posh people. It’s for anyone, they should just try it out and see how good it is. It’s definitely changed my life, interacting with horses. It’s helped me express how I feel and now I can tell other people about the good experiences I’ve had with Power of Polo; I know the link with the charity can help me now and in the future, maybe I can stay involved and help others.” A, age 14, first time Power of Polo participant.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7pDmL3JOKa/?img_index=1

Power of Polo would like to thank the following partners for their support of this course:

The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club

Cool Hooves Polo

Black Hound Sports

La Cantina by Amies Kitchen

Hobbit Rosettes

Guards Polo Club

South Central Youth

Outsourcing UK