PTSeptember 2009 p34-41 Pony Club YC JM MB
21/8/09
15:52
Page 6
Report 3C Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships – 50th anniversary Action from the Gannon One final between Cowdray and Ladyswood
Mali Gravel of the Beaufort, winner of best Jorrocks pony and rider combination, with Chris Eaton
William Penford of the D&S, winner of the Rupert Thorneloe Award for most improved 10-year-old boy, pictured with Rupert’s mother, Veronica, and children
Apart from Cowdray and Hurtwood, where the championships were held, the following grounds staged Pony Club polo in 2009: Anningsley Park, Admington Hall, Beaufort, Cambridge, Cirencester, Druids Lodge, Dulverton, Epsom, Frampton, Great Trippetts, Inglesham, Kirtlington, Knepp Castle, Ladyswood, Les Lions, Little Coxwell, Longdole, Lower Bolney Farm, Cambridge & Newmarket, Pytchley, Rutland, Tidworth, Vaux Park, Watership Down.
As we haven’t had room in our captions to say who presented each prize, here’s a roll-call of prize presenters in 2009:
Rendell League winners the Vine Hunt (l-r): Luke Walsh, Joe Barley, Tom Small and William Selfe, with Lady Lucy Fraser
X skills and tactics, and Emma Mesquita followed
up a team attack to score the winner.
Loriner – under 17s; 1 chukka The Surrey Union had two of the strongest players in this section, and it was to the credit of Kay McGregor, their team manager, that she split them between two teams so both had a good chance of qualifying. In the end they did better than that and faced each other in the final. Sadly an enforced substitution upset the A team in the first chukka and they conceded four quick goals largely set up by teamwork between Frankie Hutley and Ellie McGregor. Though the second chukka was competitive, the result was not in doubt, and Ellie received the Sylvia Shepherd award for the most promising girl. 38 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk
David Meacher (3C); Tony Emerson (Sats); Dr Nigel Berman (Worshipful Company of Loriners); David Woodd (HPA); Di Arbuthnot (RoR); Mike Robinson (Polo del Sol); Yolanda Carslaw (Polo Times); and from the Pony Club – Cherry Mitchell (Pony Club chairman); Theresa Hodges (Pony Club Polo chairman); and section managers Chris Eaton, Jilly Emerson, Jo Whittington and Bridget Baxter.
Rendell and Ledner – under 21; 2/1 chukkas Only four teams entered Ledner (the “fun-run” section) and the winners, the Cottesmore, should probably have competed in another section. On the other hand, the two-chukka Rendell was of a very high standard – more competitive than ever. Fourteen teams took part and there was little to choose between the top six. The League trophy, played before the Championships, was won by the Vine with the Devon & Somerset second. At Cowdray, close matches put the Surrey Union and the Hampshire Hunt into the finals. The HH had not selected their best player, Ludo de Ferranti, as he was supposed to be abroad for his gap year, so when he returned early the Surrey Union adopted him. His combination with the Surrey Union’s Bryony Taylor really shook up his
former HH team mates – three hard-riding girls plus the long reach of Jonathan Pepper. In the event, the Surrey Union led for most of the match but a last-gasp shot gave the trophy to the HH by their half-goal handicap advantage. The Catherine Yates prize for the best playing girl was awarded to Charlotte Sweeney of the OS&B.
Hipwood – under 15s; 3 chukkas Two Cowdray and two Beaufort teams qualified for the Championships, and the form book suggested that one from each Pony Club should make the final. However, two quick goals by Cowdray Park (the least fancied of the teams) upset the rhythm of Beaufort Blue, who never recovered. The final, between Cowdray Park and Cowdray Cherokees, quickly became the Tommy
X