I first came across this sport when I did my Certificate II in Horse Studies in high school – a couple of the students played and brought their polocrosse sticks (like a lacrosse racket) and cantered around the large indoor arena, throwing and catching a ball with their rackets. Looked like fun! But way too much coordination required for me!
While in South Africa I came to be on a five day trail with a woman who played on the Australian team for awhile and she could only sing praises of the sport.
Polocrosse is truly Australian made and is a combination of polo, lacrosse and netball. As stated on the Australian Association’s Website, “It is played on horseback, each rider using a cane stick, made up of a polo stick shaft to which is attached a squash racquet type head with a loose twisted-thread net, in which the ball is carried.” Despite being Australian made, it has gained interest around the world.
The game:
Consists of two teams, each with six players. These six players are divided into two lots of three who play alternate chukkas that last up to eight minutes in length. A full game is six or eight chukkas meaning that players get to play three or four chukkas each.
Each player has a different role – attack, centre or defense. The goals that are scored by each lot of three are added up to make the team’s total score at the end of the game.
Horses needed – number:
Unlike polo, polocrosse only allows the use of one horse per match/tournament except in the case of injury.
Potential costs involved:
Horse, tack, polocrosse equipment – helmut, boots, kneeguards and mallets, shoeing regularly, vet bills, rugs, feeding and stabling. Game entries, tuition.
Links to associations:
http://www.polocrosse.org.au/ – The Polocrosse Association of Australia Inc.
http://www.polocrosse-deutschland.de/ – Germany’s Official Polocrosse Club.
http://www.polocrosse.net/ – Polocrosse Worldwide.
http://polocrossecanada.com/ – Canada’s Polocrosse Organisation.
http://www.polocrosse.ie/ – Irish Polocrosse Association.
http://www.ridesenter.net/polocrosse/ – Norsk Polocrosse Klubb
http://www.polocrosse.co.za/ – Polocrosse South Africa.
“If you don’t fall, you aren’t riding hard enough.”
tag: polocrosse, horseriding, australia
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