Langley School polo team take on UEA outfit
An atmosphere of excitement pervaded the first match for the Langley Junior Polo Team, which took place at Langley Abbey Polo club last week.
The school played a much older team from the local UEA Officer Training Corps and the match consisted of two chukkas with the emphasis was on fun and safety for these two green teams.
The Langley School Junior Polo Team was made up of Tom Townsend, Charlie Tighe, Fergus Gregory, Max Platten and Ellie Hayes. All are students are in either Year 7 or 8, and play polo as part of the school's sports club.
The Officer Training Corps team was captained by Sarah Barker, who has 11 years of polo experience.
She has been with the team for a year, although she was not playing in this match due to injury and her high polo handicap level.
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The team ages ranged from 19–27.
Sarah said: 'Polo is exciting, different, fast and furious and is a great alternative to dressage or showjumping.'
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Their team played their first tournament the week prior and both teams are members of the Schools and Universities Polo Association (SUPA), a group that helps to make polo accessible to all.
Sarah added: 'This match was a great idea and a good opportunity for fun competition, good coaching, and learning about safety and discipline.'
The victors after two chukkas were Langley School, who won 7-3. Perhaps most remarkable was the great levelling effect of polo – despite the differences in age, experience and gender.