The Sport of Polocrosse

WHAT IS POLOCROSSE

At the elite level polocrosse is a fast-paced, skillful, exciting game. It presents an incomparable athletic challenge involving speed and stamina, and demands lightning quick reflexes of both horse and rider. More generally it is enjoyed at Club level as a family sport where men and women aged 7 to 70 can compete at various skill based levels of competition. Polocrosse appeals to a broad cross section of the community with players coming from wide and varied backgrounds such as ranch hands, lawyers, carpenters, farmers and business people.

Most of all it is a fun game and has been described as being a bit like hockey on horseback. The game provides good healthy outdoor competition where teamwork and cooperation are highlighted. A unique feature being that it is played at tournaments which are run over an entire weekend and provides families with opportunities to camp together with friends from around the world. It is inexpensive horse sport as you are only allowed one horse for the entire weekend of competition. The game emphasizes horsemanship, ball skills and strategy. Our Coaching and Umpire development programs provide a safe basis for our competitors to enjoy the sport.

Polocrosse is played on a field 146.5m x 55m. There are six players in a team, with three members playing alternate chukkas.

WHAT SORT OF HORSE DO I NEED

You can play polocrosse on any sort of horse (so long as it is not blind in either eye, is not a stallion and is not unfit), but you will find some more suitable than others even though they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. Horses which have cattle Penned or pony club or 4H experience generally make good polocrosse horses. Many top polocrosse horses are Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horse crosses, which have great athletic ability, agility, stamina and courage. Of course it is easier to learn on an experienced horse but there is no reason why you can’t both learn together. Many of our elite players have commenced their sporting careers on older, experienced horses that are accustomed to the rucks and line outs and tend to follow the ball.

IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT?

No. If you are old enough (or young enough) to ride a horse, you can play polocrosse. Polocrosse utilizes a handicaps system so that teams can be more evenly matched. Players abilities are assessed and rated on a scale from 0 to 10, 0 indicates a beginning or novice player, while the player rated at 10 goals denotes the highest handicap possible. The rating is an estimate of a players worth to their team, it is an overall rating of a player’s horsemanship, team play, knowledge of the game, strategy and sportsmanship. In matches played by handicapped players (as opposed to open competition where handicaps are not considered), the handicaps of all three players on a side or all 6 players on a team are added up. If the total handicap of a team is more than the team against which they are playing, the difference is added to the scoreboard. For example, if team blue has a total handicap of 6 goals and team red has a handicap of 4 goals, ‘blue’ would start with a 2 goal advantage.

CAN I HAVE A GO BEFORE I JOIN?

All players must be covered by the Polocrosse insurance scheme, and you must join before you can start to practice. We have special TRIAL & CASUAL Memberships (for new members only). Check details with your club but basically this entitles you to participate in some practice or coaching days to get a small sample of what playing the game of Polocrosse is all about before you pay full annual fees.

All clubs charge a “Club membership” fee so you need to contact your local to Club for more information on membership fees (see the Club for details). Polocrosse is a recognized Pony Club sport in the USA, Uk, Australia, New Zealand & South Africa.

WHAT GEAR WILL I NEED?

• Helmet: Like most horse sports, you will need an equestrian helmet with a 3 point harness.
• Saddle: The most suitable type of saddle is an Australian Stock Saddle, but you can use any saddle as long as it doesn’t have a horn. For safety reasons, all saddles must be equipped with a breast plate, girth and over girth.
• Bridle: Any bridle can be used, but no bits with protrusion are permitted (snaffle with out the full cheek pieces) and reins must be joined.
• Protective Boots/Bandages and Bell boots: Must be on all 4 legs of the horse.
• Rackets & Balls: There are a number of different style rackets available. Check www.polocrosse.ca for details.

PLAYED AROUND THE WORLD

Polocrosse was first developed in England in the 1930’s as a set of exercises to teach and improve riding skills. Reaching Australia in the early 1940’s polocrosse soon evolved into a fast paced competitive sport. Polocrosse is now played worldwide. The 3rd Polocrosse World Cup was held April 2007 in Australia and included teams from the host country Australia as well as New Zealand, Ireland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. The next World Cup in 2011, being held in the United Kingdom and hopes to host an additional four countries from France, Germany, Norway and Zambia. There are numerous opportunities to travel around the world with teams or friends over the next several years, and even the chance to represent Canada on the next World Cup team. Our youth exchange programs offer wonderful opportunities to travel the world and Canada hosts a number of visiting international players and teams every year. So now is your chance to learn this internationally played sport and meet people with similar interests from around the world!