Flaxmere College students take on horse polo at a grassroots level

Many of us will never have thought about the possibility of playing horse polo. However, a few Hastings high school students have been lucky enough over the past few years to give the prestigious sport a go with the Birchleigh Polo Club.

After getting up and running, the Birchleigh polo club connected with Flaxmere College, which identified kids in school who could really benefit from the course.

For the past five years, Flaxmere College students have been taking part in the polo training program, which not only teaches the students about polo but also helps with the personal and behavioural issues they may be having.

Birchleigh Polo Club manager Richard Kettle admitted that polo is an “elitist type sport and definitely has that image,” however he wants to bring it down to ground level and make it available to everyone who wants a go.

“It helps build the kids’ confidence and helps them overcome different challenges and expose them to a sport they normally wouldn’t have anything to do with,” Kettle said.

At the Birchleigh polo club’s grassroots programme, students start from the ground up learning everything about the horse from caring for it and put the gear on it, through to riding lessons.

Kettle explained the challenge for students is that it is something completely foreign to them and they need to overcome the fear of getting up close to the horse and then get confident to get on and start riding it around the small field.

Once students are confident on and around the horses students then can get out onto the polo field, learn to hit the ball around and have a few laughs.

“I guess what it really does for them is give them a little more direction and help with behavioural issues as they seem to go back to school a more confident person and they are communicating better with adults and in school,” Kettle said.

The best part of the programme is seeing the kids get into the sport and enjoy their time learning.

“We just find that these kids are loving it,” he said.

While the polo manager is proud of all the students he did have to brag that he has had students go through the program that go on to win youth awards with the district council, and a couple that have stayed on with the club paying in polo tournaments and gaining official handicaps for polo.

As polo winds down for winter the Flaxmere College payers are looking back on the amazing opportunity they have had to learn about both horses and polo with the Birchleigh Polo Club.

One Flaxmere student Jyzxy-Reign Patuwai has been a part of the polo programme for a year now and said he loves working with the horses.

When asked if he was nervous when he first started, Patuwai said, “To tell you the truth, yeah I was a bit worried and it took me a bit of bravery to get onto one of the horses.

“I was a bit freaked out but if you keep jumping on you soon get the hang of it and it gets better and better every time.”

Along with Patuwai, Flaxmere students Jarvis Ropiha and Te Aute Maaka joined the polo programme around the same time and have been loving it ever since.

Sam Bond, the Flaxmere College teacher in charge of polo, the interest in the non-traditional school sport has grown over the years from four students travelling to training in a staff member’s car, to 10 students and requires the school van.

“Our students really love polo, and a number have never ridden a horse before and can be quite nervous.

“Watching their confidence and skills grow around caring for the animal and the equipment, and the relationship that they form with the horses is quite beautiful to watch,” Bond said.

“Flaxmere College is extremely grateful to Richard Kettle and Issy Kelsey from Birchleigh for their support in making polo available to its students.”

Kettle is thankful for the grants he has received to help keep the grassroots program going. When he first started he didn’t know about any of the grants and funds available, and without them, he said the programme was expensive to maintain.