Polo in the Parklands this Weekend

As part of the national Polo in the City tour, the sound of thundering hooves and cheering crowds will fill Nanto Womma Park, Adelaide, from 11.00am this Saturday 27 November.

It's a sport that is commonly aligned with the royal family and the upperclass, but in Australia polo is anything but. The Australian arm of the sport originated from stockmen wishing to play a sport on their droving horses on the weekends.
 

 

As a result, you can expect the refinement of a royal sport blended with the ruggedness of the Australian outback as the sport makes its way to the north-eastern Adelaide Parklands.

For Victor Harbor's Marty Ingham, his adrenalin rush from polo was found almost by mistake.

As a teenager, Marty was always around horses and was involved with local pony clubs and showjumping.

"It was never that exciting for a young bloke and pulling on the jodhpurs was never something I enjoyed too much," Marty said, followed by a laugh.

After a few friends took him to a polo game when he was 15, Marty decided that it was the type of equine sport that suited him.
Now living in Sydney, playing polo professionally with a stable of 15 horses, Marty is back in Adelaide this weekend for the national Polo in the City tour.

Describing the game as the second fastest ball sport after ice hockey, Marty tells of the adrenalin rush from racing down a polo field on horseback at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour.

"It's very similar to sky diving."

Playing professionally since he left school, Marty soon found he had to follow his dreams to Sydney to experience the larger competitions fielded on the east coast.

He spends 11 months of the year training, on average six days per week, to ensure the horses and rider are in match fit condition.

A large part of Marty's role is also to nurture and train up horses to reach a competition level.

Horses that may not be suitable for the level of competition that Marty is involved with are quickly sold off to recreational players.
This helps to support a player's income.

Sometimes it means selling a horse that is performing well, to maximise returns.

A decision that is not easily made.

"Never ask a person to sell the horse just after they have just got off it."
With a cheeky grin Marty adds, "A lot of the time I would move my girlfriend and her furniture out of the house and move the horse in if I could."

story: abc.net.au