Polo is a ball game that is played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or chukkers.
Fulham is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, 3.6 miles (5.8 km) southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth, Putney, Barn Elms and the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. on the far side of the river.
High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe, is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is 29 miles (47 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, 13 miles (21 km) south-southeast of Aylesbury, 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Oxford, 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Reading and 8 miles (13 km) north of Maidenhead.
The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive private social and athletic club located in the Fulham area of London, England. Founded in 1869, it has a Georgian-style clubhouse set in 42 acres (17 ha) of grounds. It is a member of the Association of London Clubs.
The Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) is the governing body for polo in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and many other countries. The Federation of International Polo produces the International Rules of Polo through a cooperative agreement with the Hurlingham Polo Association, the Asociacion Argentina de Polo, and the United States Polo Association.
Marcus Tristam Bean is a retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the English Football League, most notably for Brentford and Wycombe Wanderers. Born in England, he represented Jamaica at full international level.
Claire Janet Tomlinson was an English polo player and pony breeder. She was the highest-rated female polo player and coached the English national team she once captained.
Gareth Ainsworth is an English professional football manager and former player who last managed EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers.
Hurlingham Park is a park and multi-use sports ground in Fulham, London, England. It is currently used mostly for rugby matches, football matches and athletics events and is the home of Hammersmith and Fulham Rugby Football Club. The park is a two-minute walk from Putney Bridge tube station on the District line.
Simon Richard Church is a retired footballer who last played as a striker for Football League One side Plymouth Argyle.
Arena polo is a fast-paced version of polo played outdoors on an enclosed all-weather surface, or in an indoor arena. Hurlingham Polo Association and US Polo Association have established their own rules for arena polo, and these rules are often used in other countries as well.
Ham Polo Club is a Hurlingham Polo Association polo club situated in Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is one of the oldest polo clubs in the United Kingdom and the last surviving club in London. The club occupies a location between Richmond Park and the River Thames overlooked by Ham House, eight miles from Hyde Park Corner. The club's facilities include three polo fields, a stick and ball field, an exercise track, livery service, coaching and a members' clubhouse with a restaurant and bar which is managed by Blue Strawberry Group. Polo is played at Ham Polo Club between May and September. The club has around 70 playing members and several hundred social members.
The Roehampton trophy is the oldest polo trophy in the United Kingdom. The trophy was first played for at the Roehampton Club in 1902 and was won by Buccaneers. Today it is played for at the Ham Polo Club, the tournament is played for at an 6-goal level and the finals are held in August.
William Francis Walsh (1907–1992) was an Irish polo player. He is regarded as one of the three key figures in the post war revival of the sport of polo in the United Kingdom. He single-handedly restarted Ham Polo Club in 1946.
John Horswell is an English polo player and coach. At height of his playing career, Horswell held a 6 Goal handicap and played for The England Polo Team himself. Horswell is regarded within the polo community as one of the best polo coaches in the world and travels the globe teaching at different clubs. Horswell's current handicap is 3 goals and he holds an 'A' grade HPA umpiring qualification. He is also on the HPA Committees for coaching development and Arena Polo. John Horswell is the father of Chloe and Alannah who are extremely established young thriving academic girls with impressive polo records.
Sebastian Hugo Dawnay is a professional polo player who holds a 4-goal handicap outdoors and an 8-goal arena polo handicap. Sebastian has played for the England Arena Polo Team on several occasions as well as winning the Arena Gold Cup at The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. He has also played in some of the major outdoor polo competitions in the UK winning the British Open for the Gold Cup at Cowdray park with CS Brooks in 1996.
Jordan Gideon Archer is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers. Born in England, he represents Scotland internationally, and made his full international debut in May 2018.
The Ranelagh Club was a polo club located at Barn Elms in south west London, England. It was founded in 1878 as a split-off from the Hurlingham Club and by 1894 was the largest polo club in the world. The club had approximately 3000 members in 1913, including many prominent military figures and members of different royal families.
The Oxford University Polo Club is the Discretionary Full Blue sports club for competitive polo at Oxford University. Founded in 1874, it is one of the four oldest continuing polo clubs worldwide. Its annual Varsity Match against Cambridge University Polo Club, established in 1878, is the second oldest continuing polo fixture in the Western world. It is played at Guards Polo Club, England, usually at the beginning of June.
The Varsity Polo Match is an annual polo match between the Oxford University Polo Club and the Cambridge University Polo Club, played between teams of four players. Historically it was known as the inter-University Challenge Cup or inter-Varsity polo match. It is also known as the University Polo Match or by a title that includes the name of its current sponsor. Members of both teams are traditionally known as Blues, with Oxford in dark blue and Cambridge in light blue.
