Jo blogs: I have a go at polo… despite being afraid of horses

I hadn’t been on a horse since I’d been hurled violently off a vicious brute named… eh, Brandy. Time to get back on the horse.

If you can’t convince a horse-scared sports vlogger to get on a horse, tell them they’re playing polo and the competitive juices will focus on the game-playing aspect instead. At least, that’s what happened to me. It’s okay, I only cried a little bit.

My videographer, Julie Moorcroft, wasn’t altogether sympathetic to my nerves about getting on a horse many years since being dumped off one of the critters when it decided to head for a tree. You may be heading into that tree young Brandy thought I, but I’m out of here as I slid elegantly off the side at pace and into a crumpled heap on the floor.

Once we’d both calmed down a bit, I got back on the syrupy-coloured demon and we trotted uneventfully back to whence we’d came. But I’d not been on one since.

Back on the horse

When an email came through for a press media day from Ham Polo Club in southwest London, to promote their initiative to teach anyone how to play polo in an hour I thought, well alrighty then, I’ll give you a challenge. It’s about time I got back on the horse, as it were, well, no, as it is.

I’d already been unnerved when tapping away making a few notes on my phone prior to the event when autocorrect decided to turn ‘fear’ into ‘dead’. But it was when I was filling out my this-activity-is-extremely-dangerous-you-can’t-sue-anyone-if-anything-goes-wrong-alright form that Julie giggled when I asked her the date. “The 13th,” she grinned.

So you’ll see how it all went from the video. The first task of the coaches was to stop me crying…

Thank you (sort of…) to Ham Polo Club.
Follow them on Twitter at @hampoloclub

Author: Jo Gunston

Freelance sportswriter Jo Gunston works for the likes of Olympics.com and also publishes additional content at sportsliberated.com. A favourite personal sporting moment for the former elite gymnast was performing as a 'dancer' in the London 2012 opening ceremony.

Share This Post On
Share This