C H I E F E X E C U T I V E
During the off-season, teams from England
took the logo of their new team sponsor –
Flannels – overseas to Barbados, India
(twice), New Zealand and Dubai; they’ll
hopefully visit Pakistan too.
It will be interesting to see how the new
rules work this season – in particular the
blocking rule, which makes it harder to protect
the player taking the hit-in or a penalty, and
the replacement of the throw-in with a hit if
the ball goes out of play. The feedback from
Argentina and Dubai is that players do not hit
to the boards or use the boards as they used to,
meaning the ball does not go out of play so
often. This, along with less time allowed to
take a hit-in or penalty, reduces the
opportunities to change ponies or have
a breather, which speeds up the game and
makes it better to watch overall.
It will also be interesting to see how the
22-goal teams fare. Historically, teams with
two big players in the middle have done well,
although the third player has had to be well
handicapped for them to be successful. This year,
only one team can boast that their best two
players add up to 19, and two that their players
add up to 18. The rest have 17 goals or fewer for
the two best players, creating more balanced
teams and, perhaps, better, faster polo.
There are quite a few changes and I hope
that players will come forward with their
own ideas as to how polo can be improved.
Other sports have changed the rules for the
better, so polo should be no different.
B R Y A N M O R R I S O N T R O P H Y
The Hurlingham Polo Association Bryan Morrison Trophy arena match between
USA and England took place on 3 March at Westcroft Park Polo Club in Chobham.
Four closely fought chukkas resulted in England defeating USA, 14–10. Both teams
played fiercely from the start, with the score tied at 4-4 moving into the second
chukka. After half-time, play resumed tied at 8–8, but entering the final period at
10–9, England’s 9-goaler Chris Hyde scored two goals, with two more scored by
Eden Ormond, sealing the win for England. USA’s Shane Rice won MVP for his
two goals from beyond midfield.
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P O N Y L I N E S
IMAGESOFPOLOC.COM; MUSEUM OF POLO
H A L L O F F A M E
Inductees to the Museum of Polo’s
Hall of Fame 2018 were recently
revealed.The Living Hall of Fame
award went to Ruben Gracida to
mark his outstanding playing
record that included winning the US
Open four times and back-to-back
Coronation Cups in 1985 and 86.
Sunny Hale was honoured for her
remarkable record on the field,
giving back to polo and breaking
down barriers for women. Roy Barry
(right) was posthumously awarded
the Iglehart award, while Jimmy
Newman was this year’s living
honouree. In the Horses to
Remember category, Lovely Sage,
the first winner of the Hartman
Award for Best Playing Pony of the
US Open in 1965, and Ruifino, the
great Tommy Hitchcock’s mount in
the 1930s, were honoured.
hurlinghampolo.com
